IanM
Journeyman Pro
- Joined
- May 18, 2009
- Messages
- 12,338
- Location
- Monmouthshire, UK via Guildford!
Thought I’d pen a few words about the weekend at the Masters. I appreciate that the cost is hugely prohibitive for many (unless you get a ticket from the Ballot) and travel/accommodation in the region for Maters Week is all at a premium. But as golfers, I hope some of the following is of interest.
Went with a colleague from work – he’d booked a package through one of the well-known UK golf tour companies – a space became available and I went last minute. They provide a helpful guide about what to expect and what to do while there. We flew Friday morning and were on the course on Saturday and Sunday.
We flew from Heathrow to Atlanta, picked up a hire car and it is about two hours drive to Augusta. Easy enough drive if you’ve driven on the wrong side of the road before – mainly multiple lane motorway (Interstate 20) Stayed in the Comfort Suites Hotel on the edge of town, a bit “Premier Inn†in nature but perfectly adequate and about 15 minutes from the course. The package included shuttle buses to the course and the office to collect your Badges. (which must be returned each day)
Ok, everyone will tell you that its much hillier than it looks on TV, and it is! The rise up the 8th fairway was considerable. The drop off the front of 9th is brutal, the 10th fairway dives down and left even more than I imagined. We stood at the spot Bubba hit “the†wedge…. NO WAY COULD HE HAVE DONE THAT!...........…I could go on! We’ve all seen it for years on TV, the some of it just doesn’t come across on screen.
Everyone will tell you that it’s prettier than on TV, and it is, much!!
Conditioning? Well, you could putt on the fairways! Heck, many courses in the UK have greens worse than the spectator “cross walks!†(seriously) It is quite amazing.
Other quick thoughts. Get there early, buy a “Masters Chair†for $30 put your name on the card in the back and plonk it down somewhere and that’s it. That’s your spot. No one will move or nick it! So, both days we stuck them left of 16th and then you’re free to walk the course, sit in a grandstand, then back to the chairs for the final games of the day coming through. We were there for the “ace†and got a great view of Sergio’s ball hitting the stick on 15.
The Souvenir Shop is something else. Shocked how much I spent. But I know my regular playing partners will have their hands out on Saturday Morning…. Ball markers and pitch repairers all round! (Got a great shirt, hat, silk tie (why??) bag towels… and stuff for wife too! Ouch!)
Queued for an hour for an official photo at the front of the Clubhouse… thought, hang on, what’s this going to cost? It was free and emailed to me within hours. No cameras etc allowed in on Tournament days.
Food prices are daft. Nice daft… sandwiches range from $1.50 to $3 – and are excellent! Drinks similarly priced and you keep the plastic beaker it comes in (Masters logo naturally) as a great Souvenir. People walk around with a stack of them! I came home with several – will go down well at BBQs! Service is rapid and friendly. Quite the opposite of the Open -
The atmosphere in the stands is fantastic- everyone is chatty and friendly, esp if you are from overseas. On Thursday, we headed to the stand by the 4th Green. (not a hole you see much on TV, great par 3 down the hill) a guy comes in and sits next to me and says “Hi†…I do a double take, it’s Davis Love III… just walked in like a regular fan. Saw Ian Baker-Finch later by 12th, same thing.
Would have been better to be out longer to get over the flight beforehand, but no matter. The Shuttle bus arrived at 7am, so we booked alarm for 6am. Needn’t have worried, woke up at 3am (8am UK) Busses run every hour in the morning and in a loop in the evening till everyone back. So can go later if needed – if you do, get in a grandstand!
Simply astonishing weekend. Several times I found myself just staring at the view thing “am I really here?†Back into Heathrow yesterday morning, still buzzing from it. Certainly a bucket list item ticked off. Worth the money? Definitely. Daft money – definitely! If I didn’t have the cash, would I have got a loan and paid off for it?… well yes, I would do that too as long as it didn’t get me in a mess!
that's plenty.............…off to get an entry in the ballot for next year’s tickets!
Went with a colleague from work – he’d booked a package through one of the well-known UK golf tour companies – a space became available and I went last minute. They provide a helpful guide about what to expect and what to do while there. We flew Friday morning and were on the course on Saturday and Sunday.
We flew from Heathrow to Atlanta, picked up a hire car and it is about two hours drive to Augusta. Easy enough drive if you’ve driven on the wrong side of the road before – mainly multiple lane motorway (Interstate 20) Stayed in the Comfort Suites Hotel on the edge of town, a bit “Premier Inn†in nature but perfectly adequate and about 15 minutes from the course. The package included shuttle buses to the course and the office to collect your Badges. (which must be returned each day)
Ok, everyone will tell you that its much hillier than it looks on TV, and it is! The rise up the 8th fairway was considerable. The drop off the front of 9th is brutal, the 10th fairway dives down and left even more than I imagined. We stood at the spot Bubba hit “the†wedge…. NO WAY COULD HE HAVE DONE THAT!...........…I could go on! We’ve all seen it for years on TV, the some of it just doesn’t come across on screen.
Everyone will tell you that it’s prettier than on TV, and it is, much!!
Conditioning? Well, you could putt on the fairways! Heck, many courses in the UK have greens worse than the spectator “cross walks!†(seriously) It is quite amazing.
Other quick thoughts. Get there early, buy a “Masters Chair†for $30 put your name on the card in the back and plonk it down somewhere and that’s it. That’s your spot. No one will move or nick it! So, both days we stuck them left of 16th and then you’re free to walk the course, sit in a grandstand, then back to the chairs for the final games of the day coming through. We were there for the “ace†and got a great view of Sergio’s ball hitting the stick on 15.
The Souvenir Shop is something else. Shocked how much I spent. But I know my regular playing partners will have their hands out on Saturday Morning…. Ball markers and pitch repairers all round! (Got a great shirt, hat, silk tie (why??) bag towels… and stuff for wife too! Ouch!)
Queued for an hour for an official photo at the front of the Clubhouse… thought, hang on, what’s this going to cost? It was free and emailed to me within hours. No cameras etc allowed in on Tournament days.
Food prices are daft. Nice daft… sandwiches range from $1.50 to $3 – and are excellent! Drinks similarly priced and you keep the plastic beaker it comes in (Masters logo naturally) as a great Souvenir. People walk around with a stack of them! I came home with several – will go down well at BBQs! Service is rapid and friendly. Quite the opposite of the Open -
The atmosphere in the stands is fantastic- everyone is chatty and friendly, esp if you are from overseas. On Thursday, we headed to the stand by the 4th Green. (not a hole you see much on TV, great par 3 down the hill) a guy comes in and sits next to me and says “Hi†…I do a double take, it’s Davis Love III… just walked in like a regular fan. Saw Ian Baker-Finch later by 12th, same thing.
Would have been better to be out longer to get over the flight beforehand, but no matter. The Shuttle bus arrived at 7am, so we booked alarm for 6am. Needn’t have worried, woke up at 3am (8am UK) Busses run every hour in the morning and in a loop in the evening till everyone back. So can go later if needed – if you do, get in a grandstand!
Simply astonishing weekend. Several times I found myself just staring at the view thing “am I really here?†Back into Heathrow yesterday morning, still buzzing from it. Certainly a bucket list item ticked off. Worth the money? Definitely. Daft money – definitely! If I didn’t have the cash, would I have got a loan and paid off for it?… well yes, I would do that too as long as it didn’t get me in a mess!
that's plenty.............…off to get an entry in the ballot for next year’s tickets!
