When we learned that we would be able, through the lottery system, to purchase practice round tickets for this year, Mike was so excited for the opportunity to return to Augusta to walk the course again, this time with me, and Matt and Josh. He was able to see so much more when he played there than we would have access to - the inside of the clubhouse, the locker room, he ate in the dining room and slept in the Cliff Roberts cabin- but he was happy that we would see the golf course. And that was our main goal - to see the course. We would have went on a day when no golfers were playing.
The gates opened at 8 am on Tuesday and we scanned our tickets about 8:15. We entered through the main spectator gate near the clubhouse. We did not drive up Magnolia Lane. The general public is not allowed to do so. TV commentators will say that, when asked, most people's impression of the course is how green everything is. Add me to that list. At one point I bent down to touch the grass to make sure it was real. It is so green and so perfect that it looks artificial.
Mike was our guide, pointing out nuances in fairways and greens that aren't apparent on TV. You really can't appreciate the slope of some of the greens until you see them in person. He recounted advice his caddie had given him on different holes - always spot on. We saw familiar views - the promotional shots that CBS uses like Amen Corner, the Hogan Bridge, Rae's Creek and of course, the beautiful flowering shrubs. We also saw the holes that don't get as much air time on TV. We were surprised at how wide open some of the fairways are. And what small targets some of the greens are.
Surprisingly, the course was peaceful, especially early in the morning before the crowds got really big and people were cheering good shots. There are no cell phones allowed on the course, which I liked because I wasn't constantly taking pictures and texting them to others. It adds to the serenity of the surroundings. Cameras are allowed only on practice days. Matt and I both had one. And there is no running!
I mentioned the word "perfect" in describing the grass. Actually, that is the term to describe the entire course and experience - perfect. Sure, we have seen more scenic views - the holes that run along the Pacific at Pebble Beach or Banyan Dunes come to mind. Ballybunion in Ireland. Even Arcadia Bluffs, in our neck of the woods, with Lake Michigan along side. Augusta National is carved out of the Georgia pines, but every single thing about it is perfect. There is not one brown or yellow spot anywhere in any of the grass. Those towering pine trees provide soft pine needle mulch.
While admiring the course, we saw plenty of golfers. Current tour players on the course and retired golfers sitting under umbrellas on the clubhouse lawn, including Arnold Palmer, Fuzzy Zoeller, Ben Crenshaw and Nancy Lopez.
Perfect goes beyond the course itself. It embodies the whole experience. To begin with, the parking is free. FREE. Augusta National bought the land next to the course and it is used for parking. They did not pave the land, you park on the grass. Remember, this is only used one week every year. Each employee we encountered was kind, helpful and genuinely courteous. That includes temporary workers brought in just for the tournament week - security, merchandise shop, concessions and restrooms. No porta johns at The Masters. All the bathrooms are permanent structures. As are the concessions and merchandise shops. At other tournaments, these would be in large tents.
And where else can you get an egg salad or pimento cheese sandwich for $1.50? I did try the cheese sandwich - my "when in Rome" philosophy - and it was ok. The young lady who was working as a cashier for the week said she never knew pimento cheese sandwiches were a Southern thing until she worked at the tournament. She thought everybody ate them. Or how about a Georgia peach ice cream sandwich for $2.00? I had one for breakfast and another as we were leaving the grounds!
(We were given credit for Southern kindness but set the person straight. While standing in line to enter the merchandise shop, Matt, Josh and I let a women join her group that was in front of us. She said that "you Southerners are so nice. I'm from New York and people there wouldn't do that." We said "We are from Michigan so we'll just call it our Midwestern hospitality!")
The consensus for us was the Masters is the best sporting event, period. Not the Super Bowl, not the World Series. There are so many ways they could gouge you for more money, but they don't. The atmosphere is one of grace and beauty.
The spectator guide for the tournament says:
"The chief objective of the Masters is to stage a golf show that is enjoyable to all - our members, patrons, and player guests . . . In preparation for the Masters Tournament, the first consideration is to provide a first-class golf course in as beautiful and nearly perfect condition as effort can make it . . "
They have succeeded.
We stayed until the course closed at 6. Mike had a smile on his face all day. Even when I took a LONG time in the merchandise shop trying to decide on gifts for grandkids. Mike's sister Karen, after seeing some of our pictures, put it best:
"Looks like a wonderful day with gorgeous scenery, iconic views, legendary golfers old and new, and for Mike sweet memories."
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