Augusta National This fella played it wow!!

[daveyboy17]

Hi all

Got to tell you about this fella i played golf with the other day. He has played Augusta National! He is a rich man with tyre companies dotted around the country and has powerful friends. He goes over to america for a couple of months and got an invite from an associate who is a member. He told me it was the 2nd best course he has ever played yes 2nd!!! he reckons tabacco road golf club is the best(somewhere in the states). I Know! Anyway he was in awe of the place greens unbelievable difficult he putted off the green 3 times in that round. It didnt cost him a penny he had a round of golf and a 3 course meal all supplied by the member. at the end of the day he was asked he if had enjoyed himself, obviously his reply was yes thankyou very much!!! then the fella said "take a good look around because you are never coming back" Not that he had acted unaccordingly, it is the fact that that course is so hard to play and you will only play it if you are invited by a member. Members are chosen by other members and thats it thats the only way you can get in, its full of goverment officials apparently and mega rich businessmen! He said if i turned up to the front gates with 100'000 to play 1 game i would get turned away!!!! Great fella great story!

 

[daveyboy17]

Also quick story about this fella.
He was at augusta watching the masters when sandy lyle won. he was behind him on the 17th remember his approach shot.... Big divot.. he said he was memsmorised by this divot and after the crowds cleared up the fairway he picked up this divot and put it in his pocket. at the hotel put in a zippy bag with a bit of water and took it home with him, he said he was looked at a little funny through customs!! when he got home he plabted it in his back garden where it is today he says you can see where it is because of the different bermuda grass!!! its his pride and joy! funny story people may not believe him but i do beacause he is such a genuine down to earth guy!!! great story again!!!

 

[viscount17]

just for interest (and in case we find we know someone!), the 2002 membership list: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/golf/masters/2002-09-27-augusta-list.htm

If you win The Masters, you are given a lifetime exemption to play in the tournament, as well as an 'honorary membership' to Augusta National. This membership is not a full fledged membership. If a past champion wanted to play Augusta National, he would still need to be accompanied by a member.

 

[HTL]

daveyboy17 that is one of the best tales ive ever heard! Bravo that man!!!! Sounds like the kinda chap this forum wants, can you try and get him involved?

 

[John_Findlay]

Nice story, daveyboy.

I have a pal who has played it a couple of times. In fact I was invited on a holiday with him which would have let me play there, but I couldn't make it. Boy, was that a bad decision.

My friend's father is an ex Captain at Nairn, best pals with the former Secretary of the Masters. I was invited to go on holiday to the States maybe 4 years ago. They played Augusta, Pebble Beach, Spyglass, Cypress Point and umpteen other courses which we've all heard of. Apparently they didn't put their hands in their pockets for a fortnight! The hospitality was immense.

Can't remember which course was involved but my friend and his father were playing a rather famous course and were introduced to a friend of their host, who they were due to play with that day. My pal asked him if he was lucky enough to be a member there. "Well, sort of" was the reply "I'm kinda more like an owner"

And I missed out on all of this because I was skint at the time!

Lucky white heather, anyone?

 

[daveyboy17]

will do will let him know about this site, he is a cracking fella and a pleasure to play golf with,.. lol all play well. also to the 4th post ouch!! that sounds like one hell of a holiday, sorry you missed out on it, and that comment sort of i am the owner brilliant story!!!!!!!

 

[theeaglehunter]

out of interest this guy who played augusta (sounds like a legend) what is his handicap, and how many shots did he take round augusta

 

[daveyboy17]

he plays off 6 and is roughly 70 years old (didnt like to ask) he said they played off the forward tees and he shot an 85 gross i think???? so he played to about 13 handicap, if i played there i think i would still be out there now!!!

 

[madandra]

Was it Tom Farmer the owner of Kwik Fit

 

[birdieman]

If they gave us normal greens speed rather than championship lightning pace and we played off the everyday tees we'd do ok I reckon, it's not a tight course and we'd all be playing 13 and 15 as a regulation par 5 etc taking the risk out. Remember until this year this is a course that the pros take apart, unlike Carnoustie, Sandwich etc.

Love the divot story - someone should tell big Sandy!

 

[daveyboy17]

no it wasnt him he was called ron

 

[Toad]

Great oppertunity missed JF gutted for you.
Would love to play Augusta and Pebble Beach.

 

[Junior]

Wow , what a story. I can only dream of playing it !! I've heard of some uber - exclusive clubs in Surrey and i believe Loch Lomond is the same. . . .However, i have a beef about this. . . .

I love watching tour events on courses which I have played, and I would love to make it an ambition to play Augusta, but lets face it, its never going to happen. Your mate , as nice a guy as i'm sure he is, only got to play it because of connections, and also because he is absolutely wadded and the associate member was probably a potential supplier to his company.

It makes me appreciate that the most famous course in the world (and the rest of the open rota )is available to all of us, the Old Course albeit by ballot in the Summer.

OK, jelous rant over now

 

[BunkerMentality123]

On a similar note, I've just returned from Hawaii, and I was lucky enough to play Poipu Bay (where they play the PGA Grand Slam). After hitting some warm up shots on the range (was using hire clubs Ping G2's liked them alot), I reported to the starter and was informed that I would be joining 3 American guys for my round.

Anyhow I was quite daunted by the whole experience at the start and I found out that one of the chaps owned a house on the course and was a member and that we would be playing off the members tees (one forward from the championship tees, as his choice, and as a result I was sh*tting myself).

As it turned out and despite using hire clubs I played the best round of my life, turning in a very respetable 79 (7 over), playing off 13......

During the round from conversation I found out that another of the guys was the sales director for Bang & Olufsen US and was a member at Pebble Beach and he invited me and the wife over this yr for a holiday and a couple of rounds.

Topped off an absolutely fantastic experience and my first experience of a US PGA course, it seemed quite wide and forgiving and the greens held the ball a treat. Fairways like lush carpets and service second to none.

When I find out how I will post some pics.

The only thing that I found a bit strange at the start was the fist pumping and high fiving going on, but by the 4th or 5th hole I was joining in a treat!!!!

 

[muttleee]

Ronan Rafferty's caddy got a game there once by turning up and looking longingly through the gates. A member took pity on him and invited him in for a few holes. Nice!

I heard about an Irish businessman who played there a just before last year's Masters and wanted to play for a few dollars because he thought golf was more fun with something at stake. The members he was playing with didn't want to gamble but he wouldn't take no for an answer. Eventually one of the members asked him what his net worth was and he answered that it was probably around half a billion dollars. "OK", said the member, "we'll play for your net worth".

The guy's face turned the colour of his golf ball and he politely declined the offer!

 

[John_Findlay]

Nice story, BM123. On your honeymoon, too, wasn't it?

Hope your new wife thought the rest of your performance was up to scratch Hopefully no high fives afterwards, though !