All this week, David Barrett will be blogging on the sights, sounds and action from the Masters. Today in David's first day at Augusta National he tells us the feeling of returning to Augusta and tells us about the things at the club that you will never experience unless you come.
So come along with David as your tour guide for some blogging from Augusta National and the Masters.
- GolfObserver editors
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AUGUSTA, Ga. - Arriving in Augusta today for my 23rd Masters (but first in five years), I am reminded of the many things that you find here that you don't see at any other tournament, major or otherwise. It truly is a unique experience, for players, spectators, and media alike. Herewith a list:
Panoramic view:
The clubhouse sits on high ground, and from behind it you can gaze down at the course stretching out below, clear down practically to Amen Corner. A large open area adjacent to the 18th fairway that was once the practice range provides for a magnificent panorama, even with the tree planting that has taken place on various holes.
The drive down Washington Road to the club:
Pretty much the opposite of the scene inside the gates. What you see in the couple of miles from I-20 to Augusta National is every fast-food restaurant known to man, a Hooters, a few strip-mall shopping centers, a car wash, auto repair shops, etc. Trust me, it's even worse than it sounds. But it makes the oasis of the golf course even more other-worldly.
The drive up Magnolia Lane:
OK, I don't get to do this, I have to turn into Gate 4 and media parking. But it must be a special feeling heading under that canopy of stately magnolias if you're a player, especially for your first Masters. (I did get to drive down Magnolia Lane once on a visit to the club not during tournament week--but only on the way out!)
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The flower bed in front of the clubhouse shaped like the Augusta National logo, with a flagstick marking the spot of Augusta; the huge green Masters scoreboard adjacent to the fairway with scores of every player. There's no shortage of spots for visitors to get a shot to remember their experience by.
The entrance:
For 51 weeks of the year, it's a genteel Southern club. But the Masters was the first tournament to go high tech by scanning badges at the entrance gate. The walkway from the entrance down to the course is almost theme-park like, with flags of various countries denoting the international nature of the tournament.
The mother of all merchandise tents:
The U.S. Open tent has become quite an attraction, but there's nothing quite like the Augusta National logo to draw people to buy shirts, sweaters, hats, golf balls, towels, drinking glasses, and sundry other items as souvenirs. People walk out with armfuls of stuff, bringing back booty for their friends back home. Practice rounds are the busiest days, with long twisting lines just to get in the entrance. Today I saw an employee with a sign saying "8 minutes from this point," and he wasn't at the end of the line.
The tree:
If the merchandise tent is the attraction for the common man, the Tree is the gathering place for the game's insiders. No tournament draws the elite of golf like the Masters. Administrators, agents, equipment manufacturers, golf architects, special invitee former players, and others are all on hand to see, be seen, mingle, or even do a little business. There's a large oak tree in the roped-off area behind the clubhouse that serves as a magnet for these types, not to mention print and electronic media members looking to grab a player on his way to the locker room.
The Champions Locker Room:
A true inner sanctum, where you have to be a former Masters champion to enter, and located in a separate building from the main locker room. Talk about an exclusive club! It's a special place to be, even if it's not particularly large (champions even have to share lockers) or very plush. How do I know? Partly because if you have a media or clubhouse badge you used to be able to peer in over the saloon-style doors (since replaced by a regular door). Also because I was once fortunate enough to be invited in during tournament week. As a 25-year-old sports writer for the Augusta Chronicle in 1981, I was assigned to head out to Augusta National the Sunday before the tournament to get a story. I spotted the legendary Gene Sarazen, the 1935 champion, standing on the first tee looking out over the course. I asked what he saw, and he said, "Ghosts." That led to an interview and my story. The next day I was trying to find another story and peered into the Champions Locker Room to see who was there. Sarazen was seated inside, and seeing me, he said, "Hey, kid, come on in!" So I did.
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Accomodations on the top of the clubhouse that can be used by amateurs during the tournament. The conditions are rather spartan, but what better way to experience the Masters than to roll out of bed and head to the first tee.
The net:
The practice range moved from behind the clubhouse in the early days to the front, where the players shoot towards Washington Road. In the early 1980s, the longest hitters started reaching the road from the practice tee and a net was installed ("irons only" just wouldn't have cut it). Since then, the ever increasing height of the net has served to mark the gains in distance off the tee in the modern game. In the near future, the range will be moved again to an area that is now used for parking.
Immaculate condition:
It's a common sight to see spectators in crosswalks bend down to inspect the fairway, usually exclaiming something to the effect that the fairways are like the greens on their course. No course in the world is kept in better condition than Augusta National.
The greens:
There may be courses with Stimpmeter ratings a little bit faster than Augusta National, though not by much. But the combination of speed and undulation make Augusta's greens a unique challenge and the most distinctive feature of the course.
The spirit of Bobby Jones:
Is alive and well. Partly it's in those greens, which he helped Alister MacKenzie to design. It's also on the daily pairings sheet distributed to spectators, which has a message from Jones on "Conduct, Customs and Etiquette." It reads, in part, "It is appropriate for spectators to applaud successful strokes in proportion to difficulty but excessive demonstrations by a player or his partisans are not proper because of the possible effect on other competitors."
Inside the ropes:
At other tournaments there is a parade of media people (not to mention marshals, security people and others) inside the ropes walking with the last groups. Not in Augusta, which doesn't let anybody inside. For those writers who like to leave the media center and actually watch some golf, it can be tough to see. I'm not complaining too much; I look at the chance to be inside the ropes at other events as a bonus. It's the photographers I feel sorry for. Even with special spots set up for them at various spots, trying to scramble among the spectators to get the right images for your newspaper or magazine is no picnic.
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The true Amen Corner is the area of the 11th green, 12th green, and 13th tee. What is unique about it is that spectators are not allowed there. The par-three 12th in particular is not only one of the best holes in the world, it's one of the most peaceful for a tournament player, as the closest spectator is about 180 yards away.
The scoreboards:
The absence of people inside the ropes extends to walking standard bearers--there aren't any at the Masters. Instead, the players' scores for the round are posted on the side of the leaderboard near the green. I'm not crazy about that, because if you see a group in the fairway you can't see how they are doing for the round. On the other hand, I love the scoreboards. Not only is there a big board showing the hole-by-hole scores of the leaders at the 18th hole, there are hole-by-hole leaderboards at many other locations around the course, too. That beats other majors, which have more abbreviated boards around the course, and the Tour's electronic leaderboards, which show only the players' total scores not what they did on each hole.
Concession-stand prices:
Compared to other sporting events, food prices are spectacularly reasonable. I'm not sure I would vouch so much for the quality. The press room fare has been the same (for free) over the years, and I frankly lose my appetite for thos sandwiches in the green plastic wrappers after a couple of days.
Media extras:
This year every seat in the media center has a computer terminal where you will be able to watch the broadcast, access the leaderboard, player and course stats, and no doubt a host of other things I haven't noticed yet. There's also an audio terminal where you can plug in headphones and listen to player interviews without having to go to the interview room. (No, it's not laziness, it's so that you can continue to work and listen at the same time. Of course, somebody has to go, or there won't be anybody to ask the questions.) But, given the above item, the best news for media this year is expanded food service.
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If you see somebody in a green Augusta National jacket, you know he's a member. In fact, the original idea of green jackets was for members to be identifiable so that spectators could ask them questions. That doesn't happen too much anymore. But since the tournament is run by members, they are present and serve in various roles. That includes serving as moderators for media interviews. For years, one green jacketed member would always start the proceedings by saying, "Would you like him to go hole by hole, or do you just want to have at him?"
White overalls:
Even though players have long since been able to use their own caddies, they still must wear the standard Augusta National caddie uniform, not just a bib as at other events.
The Par 3 course:
What other major is played at a site with a Par 3 course on the property? (If there were, it would undoubtedly be used for parking.) The Masters is serious business, but the Par 3 contest allows for some levity on Wednesday before the real contest begins.
Pollen:
A not-so-pleasant aspect of a trip to the Masters is that it's played at the height of allergy season. When you see the yellow pollen coating your car after it's been parked for a while, you know you're in for a bad time if you suffer from hay fever. If you see a player shedding tears on the course, it may not be because he's just hit into the water.
Long-time spectators:
Since the tournament is held at the same course every year, with the same ticket-holders, you'll find spectators who have been coming since Ben Hogan was a competitor (with the badges to prove it). Often the same people will congregate on the same hole every year to renew old friendships.
WBBQ:
Great name for a radio station, and they don't even play country music (they play "variety"). But it was a bit disappointing this year to hear that they've stopped doing what they were once famous for: sending a reporter out to every traffic accident in town. It used to be that if you made a boneheaded wrong turn and crashed into someone, you'd have to be ready for all of Augusta to hear about it.
The Augusta Chronicle:
As an alumnus, I can attest that no newspaper gives more comprehensive coverage to a tournament than Augusta's hometown paper. As is only fitting considering that the Masters is the event that puts Augusta on the map.
All this week, David Barrett will be blogging on the sights, sounds and action from the Masters. Today in David's first day at Augusta National he tells us the feeling of returning to Augusta and tells us about the things at the club that you will never experience unless you come.
So come along with David as your tour guide for some blogging from Augusta National and the Masters.
- GolfObserver editors
AUGUSTA, Ga. - Arriving in Augusta today for my 23rd Masters (but first in five years), I am reminded of the many things that you find here that you don't see at any other tournament, major or otherwise. It truly is a unique experience, for players, spectators, and media alike. Herewith a list:
effect that the fairways are like the greens on their course. No course in the world is kept in better condition than Augusta National.
On Tuesday David is going to tell you some of the special places on the golf course that you will never see on television this week.
- GolfObserver editors
