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2026, Feature Story

Feature Story: Planning a Themed Watch Party – The Masters Golf Tournament

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You’ve thrown your annual Oscars party, cheering Michael B. Jordan and Jessie Buckley in clinching gold statuettes while enjoying “KPop Demon Sliders,” predicting one ballot after another and sipping Sinners Juke Joint Juice. Such fun! So how can you gather your friends again for fun times and a next iconic viewing soiree?

We’ve talked before about the intersection of celebrity and golf. And there’s no bigger event than what’s happening in Augusta, Georgia April 9-12, 2026.

For golf fans, the Masters is a showcase of the game at its finest and a tradition like no other. If Augusta National Golf Club’s fairways and greens could talk, they’d tell stories of some of the most unforgettable stories in golf history. Those moments are inseparable from the iconic sights of the course itself. From the precision required around Amen Corner, the iconic sight of Hogan Bridge and the challenge of Rae’s Creek, Augusta National is more than a course – it’s the stage for golf at its very best. Even the Par 3 Contest, where players’ family members don caddie uniforms, are part of what makes the Masters so memorable.

With Masters tickets famously the hardest in sports to get, most fans will never experience the tournament in person. That’s why Masters viewing parties have become a popular way to bring the excitement into your own home. By embracing the tradition, atmosphere, colors and flavors of the Masters, fans can celebrate the game with friends and family, enjoying every memorable shot along the way.

PGA TOUR Superstore, purveyors of the golf experience every day of the year, have organized an array of popular products in a Here Comes the Green collection so you can gear up for what many call the “First Major” of spring.  Here’s how to set the mood, what to wear, what to eat and how to tune in for an elegant and elevated party to remember celebrating one of the world’s most cherished traditions in sports.

Course Setup:

When you turn on the TV to watch the Masters, the stunning flowering landscapes of Augusta National will always catch your eye. Each hole is named after a flower or tree, many of which bloom across the country in spring, including azaleas, magnolias, holly and yellow jasmine. Adding these blooms can help set the scene to complement your party atmosphere. The Masters signature palette of green, yellow and white can guide your décor, creating an unmistakably Masters vibe.

  • Clear vases filled with golf balls and golf tees.
  • Caddie-tip: If you have a golfer in the family, use the golf balls they like to play with, so they can be repurposed after your event.
  • Tableware in the Masters color palette – they make more than just red plastic cups these days – and golf-themes and patterns.
  • In the spirit of golf flags on the greens, use mini flags to mark your snacks and drinks.
  • Bucket-style “ball containers” for snacks

Tee Up Your Style:

Bring the spirit of the Masters to your party with attire that nods to the game while keeping things fun and festive.

In the Clubhouse:

Think fan favorites and easy-to-enjoy dishes that keep guests grazing from the first tee shot to the final putt. For your menu, draw inspiration from Masters Champions dinner menus – each year, the previous champion selects dishes that reflect their personal taste and regional flare. From firecracker dip to meatball and ravioli bites, recipes are all easy to find online.

Pimento cheese sandwiches are a Southern classic and a Masters essential for decades. My Aunt Pat Bell’s pimento cheese is a cherished family recipe for tournament get-togethers. Her special twist on the classic Southern dish includes Spice World jarred garlic in bottles with the iconic blue lid, an ingredient which adds flavor without the pungent bite, and Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, which gives it a little extra kick. Like any true Southerner, she insists Duke’s mayonnaise is the only acceptable brand to use and the cheese must be hand grated. She serves her pimento cheese on white bread with the crusts cut off or with Ritz crackers.

Ingredients to Make Aunt Pat’s pimento cheese:

Directions to Make Aunt Pat’s pimento cheese:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir gently, taking care to retain the texture of the shredded cheese. Refrigerate in an air-tight container at least two to three hours but overnight is even better! Stir before serving, add a bit more Duke’s if needed for the spreadability you desire, and adjust the garlic, salt, black pepper or cayenne pepper if needed.

Other suggested watch party favorites include Azalea cocktails or mocktails and “Arnold Palmers” and these other foods:

  • Cheeseburger sliders served Scottie-style
  • Barbecue pork sliders
  • Pigs in a blanket
  • Peach ice cream sandwiches

Golf moves at an ideal leisurely pace, leaving lots of time for snacking. Chips, roasted peanuts and cookies are always welcome and appropriate for your party.

Par for fun:

Not everyone can stay glued to the TV for every hole, so set up golf-inspired games and activities to keep guests of all ages entertained.

Sidebar programming can add other fun for attendees. Party planners can showcase popular films about the game of golf in home theatre or even golf simulator spaces. Think majestic stories like The Legend of Bagger Vance, The Greatest Game Ever Played or Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius. Or funny ones like Tin Cup, Caddyshack and Happy Gilmore (but maybe not the sequels to the latter two).

Tune in!

The Masters is covered by ESPN (early rounds), CBS (weekend/later rounds), Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video and the official Masters website/app, with Amazon joining for 2026 to stream first/second-round coverage leading into ESPN, while ESPN, CBS, and Paramount+ handle other broadcasts and streams for the U.S. audience.  

Feature Story

Immerse in First-Ever Filmmaker Haven at Coppola’s Southern Home

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The All-Movie Hotel opens this weekend, brainchild of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now film genius and wine entrepreneur Francis Ford Coppola, who remodeled and massively upgraded an economy motel in Peachtree City, Georgia, to accommodate lodging and work space for members of his production staff completing his latest self-financed film, Megalopolis, lensed in the Southern state. He has transformed the property into the hybrid 27-room luxury hotel plus post-production facility no one knew they needed; and now that it’s open for booking, it’s like a dream come true. The All-Movie Hotel is pioneering, playful, professional, practical and available to filmmakers and the generally curious. It’s the world’s first filmmaker hotel.

I had the pleasure of being the very first guest (other than the man himself!) in the hotel’s Francis Ford Coppola Suite, where the writer/director developed his recent cinematic creation, and I’m pleased to share ten observations from this delightful experience. 

#10 This new facility is an unexpected glimpse into the mind of an artist/auteur.

The “All-Movie” moniker is a spin on the filmmaker’s “All-Story” publishing ventures, and Coppola’s own narrative is on display in the whimsical way he curates props, artwork, books, literary magazines and other inspiring elements throughout the new hotel. A frequenter of Atlanta’s local movie palace Plaza Theatre where he recently screened his latest cut of The Cotton Club and celebrated a birthday, and a guest lecturer at Georgia Film Academy where he found a variety of apprentices and technicians for his latest film project among the talented students, Coppola shares his generous community spirit throughout this innovative complex. You’ll find classic film-editing tools as well as the latest ultra-secure technologies throughout the building, indicative of his decades-long fascination with all the ways you can push the boundaries of cinema.

#9 It’s a truly unique space for readying sophisticated film and content.

Editing bays, ADR sound recording and mixing suites, on-site equipment and IT, screening rooms, a green room and even a recording stage for small productions or pick-up shots are rippled through the new complex with ethernet ports and secure private lines for corresponding with render farms and others in the moviemaking ecosystem. On-the-rise filmmakers and Coppola collaborators Akshay Battia and Jordan Holifield give insightful tours for businesses interested in bringing their productions to the space. One observer called said the complex is “like a film cruise ship.”

#8 The venue’s welcoming hospitality is phenomenal.

From the unconventional lobby environment featuring film props and artwork evocative of Coppola’s wine country to creative lodging configurations such as a Tokyo-inspired suite, the hospitality team at the All-Movie Hotel provided attentive and sensational service at every step of the stay. Expect offers of warm towels, refreshing waters or fruit spritzers and revitalizing espressos in every nook and cranny. The team even arranged films to view in the screening room (I had a hankering for Coppola’s The Outsiders now that it’s also been adapted into a Broadway hit, plus they kindly hooked my friends and me up with big-screen viewing of the #ParisGames opening ceremony.) Those in housekeeping, security and all disciplines were remarkably friendly and shared their love of “Mr. F” as some affectionately call their imaginative leader.

#7 It’s one of the few places a guest can experience the fascinating aura of the buzzed-about Megalopolis.

Few films this year have experienced the kind of buzz Megalopolis has received after debuting at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, with IMAX release planned and national distribution through Lionsgate September 27. The film’s dystopian sci-fi and Roman aesthetic dots all facets of the All-Movie Hotel with stern statues of John Voight and Dustin Hoffman, gladiator standees, set signage, lots of towering columns and an unforgettable gilded hawk seen in the movie’s trailer and currently perched behind the hotel’s pool and patio. Being in the space where cast and crew toiled on this longtime passion project lent a magical quality to the stay. Filmed at nearby Trilith Studios and throughout Georgia with an ensemble including Adam Driver and Aubrey Plaza, Megalopolis shot on location at places such as Woodruff Park, Gas South Arena, Atlanta’s Bank of America Building, Georgia Public Broadcasting and The Tabernacle. The new All-Movie Hotel proved convenient during filming and will be so for future productions. Sources say a next production will be in-house at the hotel in the next few weeks.

#6 There are culinary wonders in this hideaway.

Leave it to a Francis Ford Coppola hotel to serve great wine, in my case delivered with fresh fruit trays worthy of “New Rome” denizens. The in-house culinary team members brought trays of room service with an array of delicacies including a delicious spinach frittata and peach pastries. It was a joy to dine right where the director has often enjoyed his morning coffee, with cooking appliances he personally picked out for the suite and for The Green Room kitchen renowned for communal cooking by the crew during the movie shoot. Talk about next-level “crafty!”

#5 It’s located in a “golf cart town” community in Georgia’s bustling filmmaking community. 

Evidently Coppola enjoys golf cart communities at other resorts where he has invested, so it’s not surprising he fell in love with Peachtree City, known for winding trails to renowned restaurants such as Mediterranean eatery The Beirut. The hotel hooked me up with a red golf cart to explore the town, where my buddies and I enjoyed dinner and drinks at new tavern Hobknob as well as scenic detours to Frisbee golf courses and shopping districts via elaborate tunnels, pathways and bridges now mapped on GPS for non-natives to the neighborhood.

#4 Film history and artifacts abound.

We got to be pinball wizards on The Godfather game machines, explore other Megalopolis loot and spend time in “The Dorothy” screening room, named for Coppola’s mentor Dorothy Arzner, a trailblazer as a woman behind the camera making Hollywood films. A vintage box office window festoons this high-tech set of suites where both the director and Battia programmed classic and contemporary films for those gathered at the hotel.

#3 The amenities are lovely and make for an inspiring stay.

Screening, swimming and workouts were all on the weekend agenda with rooms for all these activities and more. Well-appointed suites included high-end cooking appliances and decor as well as comfortable beds, spacious showers and an array of amenities to help relax after a day of creating. The fitness room is still labeled the “Fitting Room,” used for costuming actors for recent shoots. Both usages of the room come with floor to ceiling mirrors, after all.

#2 It’s a hoot for fanboys, fangirls and film enthusiasts.

I brought some of my eclectic collectibles including a European Blu-Ray of Twixt and a Captain EO plush, and the staff was more than willing to discuss their own cult favorites from the Coppola catalogue and beyond. There was lots of love for One from the Heart. The elaborate posters for Apocalypse Now in the Green Room and an original piece of artwork gifted to Coppola by Akira Kurosawa when they collaborated on Kagemusha were wonders to behold for this film fan.

#1 The All-Movie Hotel is also a celebration of family.

Coppola, so celebrated for his gifted family tree of creators who join him in artistic pursuits, has clearly imbued his new complex with something for everyone, including young people who may come along for productions. Bunk beds, hopscotch, classic games an even a bevy of property cats give the property additional enchantment. Coppola is pictured with a grandchild in the suite that bears his name.

Like many of the filmmakers’ great works, his All-Movie Hotel continues to grow and expand – a work in progress, always. New landscaping is expected to further shroud the space from commercial lots that bookend it, and my tour guides shared more monitors and technologies continue to be installed,

Special thanks to general manager Luvia Martinez and the whole team for helping customize and optimize my experience! Clearly I encourage a visit.

Here, Francis Ford Coppola describes his vision of the All-Movie Hotel:

Additionally, here’s a link to the hotel’s site and reservation engine:

https://thefamilycoppolahideaways.com/resort/all-movie-hotel