The tradition will continue… just in a different location.
Golf fans and Hooters fanatics alike were devastated to hear that the Augusta, Georgia Hooters – which used to sit just a mile away from the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club – was demolished back in November of 2025. The restaurant had been shut down at the end of July, and not even four months later, was bulldozed.
It was a horrific sight to see, mainly because that’s the location that golf legend John Daly would normally set up his RV during Masters week.
John Daly is known for many things. His big drives. His ability to down inordinate amounts of alcohol. His loud personality. His love for Diet Coke. But there’s another thing that he became known for that was a tradition unlike any other that corresponded with the actual tradition unlike any other.
Setting up his RV at the Augusta Hooters while the Masters was being played.
The week of the Masters – professional golf’s first (and best) major of the year – is truly magical. Spring is in the air, and the azaleas are in full bloom at Augusta National Golf Club. And outside of the hallowed grounds, the one thing that happens ever year that typically lets everyone know that Masters week is here is John Daly rolling into town and setting up shop.
The legendary pro golfer would post up at the Hooters for the week to sign autographs and sell merchandise. Though the franchise known for its wings has been struggling as of late, it seemed as though this particular Hooters in Georgia was business as usual. I truly thought that Daly’s annual presence at the restaurant would help keep it afloat as other locations of the restaurant have shuttered.
But not even John Daly could save the Hooters in Augusta, Georgia.
When it closed down, and was eventually torn down months later, golf fans were left wondering if John Daly would have to abandon his yearly routine. After all, the Hooters was his safe haven, and with it no longer being there, where would the golfer park his mobile home/merchandise mover? It’s certainly been on my mind a lot (I’ve lost sleep over it), but now, we know that the tradition will continue… it’ll just look a little different.
WRDW recently confirmed that John Daly will be pivoting to a new, nearby location for Masters week. In a recent news story, the outlet shared that another eatery a stone’s throw away (in golf term’s, just a half swing of a sand wedge) from the former Hooters location has stepped in to host Daly. A spot called “Top Dawg Tavern,” which is almost literally right across the street from where Daly used to park his RV, will host the golf legend during the week of the Masters:
“Top Dawg Tavern confirmed they will be hosting the 59-year-old golfer this year, just a few hundred feet away from his former spot.”
Thank the Lord.
I’ll be honest, Hooters is the perfect fit for John Daly and his personality. It was just funny to think that a major-championship-winning golfer was selling merch and autographs out of an RV in a Hooters parking lot. It’s just pure American cinema.
But shoutout to Top Dawg Tavern for realizing the need for Daly to continue to do his thing and stepping in to host him. They’ll certainly get a bump in business because of it, and it allows for the tradition to continue.
