Saturday, April 12 – We had a fascinating morning at the Masters Golf Tournament. We arrived shortly after 7 am to get in position on the first tee to see the Greats (Jack Nicholas, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player) open the tournament as the Honorary Starters.
We were in good position to see them walk to the first tee as they passed only a few feet away from where we stood but could only see the top of their swing as they teed off. The crowd forced us to a position 50 or 60 feet down the line from the tee box.
After the opening, we carried our chairs over to the second green to secure a spot so we could watch the players as they played through. We left the chairs there to hold our spot and walked around the back nine of this famous course to see some of the amazing sights.
The grass was unbelievable. fairways, tee boxes, and greens appeared in perfect condition. We would swear it was artificial turf. Not a weed in sight or a bare spot to be seen. This course is in amazing condition. Then there are the Azaleas that are in full bloom and the dogwoods adding a touch to the beauty.
We were free to walk most anywhere on the course. We did not have to stay in spectator galleries. We did observe rules of golf etiquette…no electronic devices, no cameras, no loud talking, or no running. Oh, and no chairs with arms. As a matter of fact, 98% of the chairs on the course (and there with thousands of them) were Master Golf Tournament chairs sold only in the Pro Shop.
Speaking of the Pro Shop, that's a not-to-miss stop! Master souvenirs (actually anything with the Master Logo or wording) can ONLY be purchased in the Pro Shop. It's huge. Most of the prices are very reasonable. Golf caps $22-24, golf towels $10, Masters golf balls $12, T-shirts $22, but the beautiful golf shirts with the Masters Logo were a little more expensive at $75-400. A supply and demand issue for sure.
The concession stand is another surprise. Get a load of these prices: coke $1.50; beer $3; sandwiches $1.50-3.00; and coffee $1.50. CHEAP! The tradition is to NOT gouge those attending the Masters. Pretty nice tradition, I would say.
After walking around the course for over an hour, we returned to our chairs at the second green and watched players as they played through. Tom Watson, Jim Furyk, Lee Westwood, Mike Weir, Brandt Snedekeer, Jose Olazabla, Bubba Watson (last year's winner), and Tiger Woods were a few of the many players we saw before time came to leave.
Lee Westwood
Have to mention the airport. There are two airports in Augusta, GA, and both look like proverbial parking lots for private jets. Literally 100's of them parked all over the place. Makes arriving in town as an RVer a little funny. Can you imagine FLYING around taking in golf tournaments and other “high roller” events.
We had to hand-off our tickets to the next group of family members that were attending the tournament this afternoon. We had a wonderful time and would certainly go again. Thanks to Paul's brother for sharing his tickets with us. A memorable experience for sure!
Paul was fortunate enough to go back to the Masters ALL DAY Saturday. What a great day. He again found a place at the #2 green and watched every player play through. Awesome!
Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day!
