Augusta National Golf Club does not go lenient, especially when it comes to behavior on its grounds. The club has banned both players and patrons over the years and built a reputation as one of the most tightly governed venues in sport. Getting in is hard enough, but staying there requires a whole different level of discipline. And 4x PGA Tour pro Charley Hoffman, who recently appeared as a guest on Barstool Sports’ Fore Play golf podcast, shared an incident about the same that reinforces that image but also stands as a rarity.

The 49-year-old has long been a familiar face at Augusta, having famously led the Masters by four shots after the first round in 2017 before fading over the weekend. And during the conversation, Hoffman recounted a practice round at Augusta with a close friend who would have gotten into a disaster but somehow managed to get away.

“They handcuffed him,” Hoffman shared, laughing.

Hoffman said the friend had taken a red eye from San Francisco, barely slept, and was following him across the back nine. He had also had “half dozen beers” by the time they reached the 17th green. Naturally, the situation for the friend became increasingly urgent. There was no bathroom in sight, and considering that it was his first time at Augusta, he had no time to find one. So he did what desperation occasionally drives people to do – finding a tree and relieving himself against it.

“He whips it out, pisses on a base of a tree, and he starts walking,” Hoffman said. “And he gets the tap on the shoulder.”

The tap came from Augusta National security. What followed was quick. Handcuffs, a golf cart, and a conversation he was not expecting. Augusta National’s conduct policy mandates that security has the authority to remove any patron for behavior deemed unacceptable. Consequences can include immediate ejection and a permanent loss of badges or tickets. Interestingly, though, Hoffman’s friend had one card left to play.

Sitting in the cart, handcuffed, he turned to the sheriff and made a very specific request. “Sir, I just have one request,” he said. “The guy I got the ticket from is in the fairway, and if he sees me with you in the cart, he’ll never, ever let me live this down.”

The officer agreed to the request and took the longer route to avoid passing by Hoffman. And during that trip, he managed to mend his relationship with the sheriff. As a result, he wasn’t punished, and his ticket wasn’t revoked. In a humorous twist, he even ended up on a first-name basis with the very man who had put him in handcuffs.

“He ended up befriending the officer and still talks to him to this day. Believe it or not, he never got into trouble, and his ticket remained intact,” Hoffman shared with a laugh.

By any measure, what happened to Hoffman’s friend was a minor miracle. The story ended the way it did because of one well-timed conversation on a golf cart, and not because the club tolerates misconduct.

Augusta National’s rules are no laughing matter.

When Augusta decides to enforce its rules, it does so without hesitation, without public explanation, and without appeal. In 2021, during the Masters honorary starter ceremony, Wayne Player, son of three-time champion Gary Player and serving as his father’s caddie that day, was seen standing behind Lee Elder during his introduction, visibly holding a box of Oncore golf balls, a brand with which he had commercial ties.

Player’s gesture was widely seen as a promotional/marketing one. However, he later claimed it wasn’t premeditated, while also admitting that it looked bad. Now, Augusta National holds its traditions and ceremonies in high regard and restricts unauthorized commercialism or ambush marketing on its grounds. So, Player’s badge was stripped before the week was out, and he has not been allowed back since, a ban that still stands in 2026.

Furthermore, Augusta’s dress code at the Masters is strictly enforced for everyone who steps onto the property, including patrons and participants. In 2011, Rickie Fowler arrived at his pre-tournament press conference with his cap worn backward – a signature style for him. However, during a media interview at the tournament, he was seen wearing his Puma cap with the brim facing forward.

This change was likely prompted by Augusta National’s officials, who uphold strict decorum standards. Fowler initially joked that he wore his cap backward so people could see his face, but he quickly complied with the request to change it and later expressed respect for the club’s traditions.