Gnome frenzy: Adorable collectibles flying off shelves at RBC Heritage
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The RBC Heritage on Hilton Head
From the PGA Tour event’s history on Hilton Head Island to how to get tickets now, here’s everything you need to know about this week’s event.
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Wearing a red suit jacket and a yellow tie, the most popular man at RBC Heritage is a plastic figurine about a foot tall.
He is the 2026 Harbour Town Starter Gnome, and before competitive play began this week, he was already taking Sea Pines by a storm.
The first collectible Masters gnome debuted in 2016 with a 13.5-inch tall bearded figurine wearing an argyle sweater, according to Golf Digest. The gnome quickly became a worldwide phenomenon in a way even the greatest marketing minds could have never predicted.
It’s a phenomenon CNN dubbed “gnomemania.” Today, Masters gnomes sell for thousands of dollars on the eBay resale market. Golf Monthly reported this week that a 2026 Masters gnome sold for almost $30,000.
Considering the popularity of the Masters gnome, it was only a matter of time before Hilton Head got in on the fun.
How much do the RBC Heritage gnomes cost?
The first RBC Heritage gnome arrived in 2024. He was a golfer, wearing a dark blue polo and red-checkered bottoms. Last year’s gnome was a caddy, wearing sunglasses and carrying clubs on his back. This year, the gentleman in question is a golf starter gnome, carrying a clipboard and a cup of coffee with the RBC Heritage logo on it.
The sticker price for a gnome is $65, but with the resort fee and tax, the total is a little over $70 each.
Sales of the 2026 Heritage gnome started the Saturday before the tournament at 10 a.m. At opening, the line went from the golf pro shop tent all the way to the club, said Joe Perota, part of the leadership team of the main merchandise tent.
Last year was Perota’s first year with the Sea Pines resort. “They sold out almost immediately last year,” he said of the gnomes.
On Wednesday afternoon, the day before the pros were set to tee off, Heritage had sold more than half of the gnomes it had in stock, Perota said.
Sea Pines resident Charlee Windham was one of the lucky buyers Wednesday afternoon. Her stepmother loves to collect gnomes, she said, and coming to the Heritage, she figured why not get her one. She also got one for herself.
Windham said she found out about the gnome craze last year through a friend. The gnomes are “cute” and they represent Hilton Head and the Heritage, she said.
“We’re gnome crazy,” she said.
Golf gnomes have started showing up on eBay
Already on Wednesday, 2026 gnomes were showing up on eBay. Unlike the older models or the Masters figurines, they were selling for between $100-$200. But like whiskey, the value will probably increase over time.
“This is for my house here, and this is for my stepmother,” Windham said, gesturing to her gnomes. “These will never be resold. I can promise you that.”
The resale market, Perota said, “has nothing to do with us.” But the limited number of gnomes available is part of what makes them so popular, he said.
“We have thousands and thousands of shirts and hats. We don’t have that many gnomes. That’s what makes it a collectable,” he said.
