insight
After a week she'll never forget, Faye Glasgow reports on her first visit to Augusta National Golf Club's hallowed grounds
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Augusta cce: Charl Schwartzel calmly smokes his drive down the middle of the eighteenth; HK Golfer's contributing writer is hidden among the galleries to the left 38
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here are questions that are so obvious to answer they simply don’t need to be asked. “Would you like another free drink?”, “Are the Kennedys gun-shy?”, “Is a bear Catholic?”, “Does the Pope...?” I'm sure you get my drift. I came across another such example a couple months ago when out of the blue, I was asked if I would like to go to the Masters. Needless to say, I answered in the affirmative. Attending the Masters is probably on every true golf fan’s bucket list and now, safely if sadly back in Hong Kong, I can share my experiences regarding getting tickets, things to see and do and overall impressions. Before I begin I would say now that the tournament surpassed my highest expectations. I found myself giddy with excitement leading up to the event, which is quite something given that I'm no spring chicken. Everything about Augusta is heightened – and the memories I have when writing this are unbelievably vivid. It is, quite frankly, the best non-playing golfing experience of my life, a truly unforgettable few days. However, having told myself beforehand that it was a once-in-a-lifetime event, I'm now determined to go back – time and time again.
TICKETS
STAYING THERE
So, assuming you have a ticket, what about somewhere to stay? Rather surprisingly, given the tournament's pedigree, Augusta itself is not the most salubrious area; in fact it can be downright seedy. Many players rent houses nearby for tournament week, but prices are extremely high, as is the case with all nearby hotels. It’s a once-a-year window of opportunity and such pricing is understandable. Like many others, we preferred to stay in a five-star hotel around an hour from the course. Getting to and from Augusta National by shuttle was easy, the surroundings were safer and the choices of restaurants and bars in the evening was infinitely better. Packing can be tricky, as Augusta experiences notoriously variable weather in early April. We were lucky enough to miss a wild storm that ripped down trees (including a 150-year old magnolia) early Tuesday morning. During the tournament, temperatures hit an overnight low of freezing and a high of 33 Celsius. We
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Masters badges have been described as “The Hottest Tickets in Sports” – and with good reason. Passes are only sold to “patrons” – golf's equivalent of football’s season ticket holders – who are given a lifetime right to purchase the coveted entry badges. This concept of patrons is fundamental to the entire ethos of Augusta and we’ll return to it later. I n 1972, t he Aug usta Nat iona l Gol f Club stopped selling tickets to anyone other than patrons and opened a waiting list for
tournament day tickets. As such, they haven’t been directly available to the public since. Even the waiting list itself was closed in 1978 and was only briefly reopened in 2000. So how can we mere mortals get tickets? The easiest route is from established ticket brokers, who have been buying from patrons for years, although prices can be astronomical. Prices as high as US$12,000 for just one ticket (which gives you entry for all four tournament days, the Par-3 tournament on Wednesday and Tuesday practice) have been reported. Since 2001 it has actually been legal in Georgia to purchase tickets from “scalpers”, as long as the transaction takes place more than 1,500ft from the event. Given that fake tickets have been discovered in the past, this is a strange law in that it ensures that the seller of the fake ticket has plenty of time to scarper! It is also a significant leap of faith to fly all that way to take a chance on getting a ticket on the day. Prices here also vary massively, with scalpers this year reportedly asking for five times more than normal for weekend tickets after Tiger Woods scored a 66 on Friday this year to move into contention. It is my understanding – and this cannot be confirmed – that scalpers generally won't settle for anything less than US$1,000 for a Thursday or Friday badge. My ticket (along with that of my chum) had been purchased at a charity auction in Hong Kong and included accommodation, transfers, entertainment, organized golf on local courses and access to a hospitality venue a few hundred yards from Augusta National.
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wore shorts and golf shirts, and decided that if it got too cold or wet, we would buy sweaters, raingear and umbrellas at the course. In the event, we didn’t have to. Your most comfortable golf shoes are highly recommended.
ENTRY
Arriving at the gates and joining the wellbehaved crowds and fast-moving queues, we had already been warned about the relatively draconian Augusta regulations, so we knew we couldn’t bring in mobile phones or cameras. More surprising was that we couldn’t bring in bags larger than that of a lady's clutch purse. Sunscreen went into our pockets; the hospitality centre conveniently stored our other items. Getting into the grounds was similar to any airport; metal screening machines were everywhere. The staff were unfailingly polite, with even the most fierce looking security guards smiling and saying, “Welcome to the Masters” to everyone passing them. Each attendee was given a very useful Spectators Guide and daily drawsheets and maps were available just inside. The first area one encounters is the new practice range and this is definitely worth a visit. It’s probably your last chance to get this close to the players and see them so relaxed. It’s also the only area where autographs are allowed. You then proceed through the Patron Corridor, past the Tournament HQ and Press Centre and the biggest golf store on the course, before walking by the main scoreboard and onto the course itself, halfway along the first fairway. A short stroll up the hill takes you to the HKGOLFER.COM
clubhouse and the legendary massive oak tree that was planted before the Civil War. This is a favourite meeting spot, although so many people try to meet there it’s easy to get lost in the crowd.
THE COURSE
First impressions? The condition of the course is remarkable. The colours are ridiculously vibrant, impossibly green with flowers everywhere. The fairways are immaculate and there isn’t a weed in sight. But then you know that already. It’s often remarked upon but nevertheless, nothing can prepare the first-time attendee for the elevation changes at Augusta. The 445-yard first looks flat on TV but actually drops about 50ft before rising again all the way to the green which is perhaps another 30ft above the tee. The parfive second falls steadily for almost 120ft over the first two shots before rising again to the putting surface. The tenth, where Rory McIlroy came a cropper on Sunday, looks like a ski slope, such is the startling change in altitude. The eighteenth is the opposite; from tee to green the terrain rises 60ft. In all seriousness, a modicum of fitness helps enormously, as this is certainly no stroll in the park. The most striking architectural feature at Augusta are the mounds, which are seemingly everywhere. In many cases, the tee is the only flat lie on the entire hole. Bobby Jones and architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie deliberately used mounds instead of bunkers to penalize errant shots as “they are more pleasing in appearance, less costly to maintain and often serve well to emphasize strategic conceptions.” Undoubtedly true, but they are brutal up close. This is
Hottest ticket around: Banners tell the story of the scarcity of Masters badges (below); a proud patron wears her attendance record on her head HK Golfer・MAY 2011
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Picture perfect: Rory McIlroy ines up a put on 10 in front of the gallery on the hill (above). Note the sloping fairway and the bunker carved out of a huge mound; the magnificent 150-year-old oak tree in front of the clubhouse has become the de facto meeting place at Augusta 42
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especially the case at the par-five eighth, where the green is hidden behind huge humps. Perhaps the shot of the tournament this year was Tiger's raked three-wood that skirted said mounds and wound up eight feet for eagle on the final day. Unfortunately, as at the eleventh where another large mound dominates the view from the right side of the green, these mounds aren't at all obvious on TV, which tends to flatten the topography. The course itself has no official rating because in typical Masters fashion they’ve never asked for one. However, unofficial reviewers have suggested a course rating of over 78 and a slope rating as high as 148. To put that in perspective, Carnoustie is officially the hardest course in Scotland with ratings of 75 and 145. Given the lack of penal rough at Augusta these are very tough rating numbers and the scoring reflects well on the quality of the field. An interesting but little-known fact is that Clifford Roberts insisted that hole distances always be measured in five yard increments, which explains why you never see the famous par-three twelfth listed as 157-yards, for example.
VIEWING VANTAGES
So, where to go to watch the action? In the Spectator Guide there is an excellent section, written by Bobby Jones himself, telling patrons
to avoid following a single group and instead giving some prime spots from which multiple holes can be seen. Jones suggests that a “trek around with one particular pair” is “the least satisfactory” way to see all 18 holes and is “more tiring than playing them”. It should be added that given the lengthening of the course and spectator restrictions, it’s now almost impossible to keep up with a single group even if one wanted to. Instead, we followed much of Jones’ advice, starting in an excellent spot behind the second green, from where multiple holes can be seen. Here you are afforded a view of the putting surface, the third tee, the seventh green, eighth tee and seventeenth fairway. It's a superb spot early in the week but gets extremely busy on the weekend. We also spent some time by the third green and were lucky enough to watch Charl Schwartzel hole his approach for eagle on Sunday. This spot also gives an excellent view of the fiendish par-three fourth. Amen Corner – holes eleven, twelve and thirteen – is of course the heart of the event and the atmosphere here is tremendous. There are numerous great standing and sitting positions, but an equally good choice is to head for the grandstands, all of which are in prime locations. Seats cannot be reserved in the grandstands and people enter and leave constantly. Just join the orderly queue (everything is orderly at Augusta) and the marshals will find you a space. HKGOLFER.COM
One final great viewing vantage is the mound behind the seventeenth green. The seventeenth has been the scene of so much drama over the years – something always seems to happen here in the final round – and so it proved this time around. We had a front row seat as Jason Day, Adam Scott and Schwartzel all worked their magic on Sunday. This particular spot is also good for those looking to worm themselves onto TV. When we were reunited with our mobile phones, the number of messages from friends and family saying they'd spotted us – decked out in HK Golfer-branded caps no less – was staggering.
SEATING
If choosing to sit in one spot for a while, remember that another rule is that only one chair can be brought into the grounds; but chairs can also be purchased inside for US$30 each. There is a gentleman’s agreement that noone will take your chair if you leave it, and this works. Supposedly if it is left for an “inordinate” period of time a marshal will remove it, but this seemingly never happens. Instead, it was clear that some people were placing chairs at multiple vantage points and moving as the day progressed. It wasn’t unusual to see people bringing extra chairs with them as they finally returned to the seats they had carefully placed by the eighteenth earlier. Many others simply left them where they were. I spoke to several course workers who told me that thousands of chairs are gathered up at the end of every day of the tournament. If you are paying US$12,000 for a ticket, US$90 for three abandoned chairs isn't going to worry you too much.
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ELECTRONICS
Having no electronic devices whatsoever raises several issues. Keeping in touch by SMS has become so second nature to many of us, that one has to relearn the age-old art of actually making sure we can always see one another, or having a pre-arranged meeting point if becoming separated. It also means no photographs, again something which has become ubiquitous. Behind every grandstand, there are rows of "Masters Survey" terminals, the only computer screens on the course. While it was good to be asked one’s opinion, it would have been good if the terminals featured the Masters' own webpage or had the official app running on them. The Masters iPhone app was superb, but given the lack of individual devices allowed on the course, it would have been good to see how one’s favourite players were doing. The only news source were t he huge scoreboards dotted around the course, showing the top-10 or so players, and the updated signs by each green informing us how the group coming through were faring. However, a surprising omission was someone walking with the group carrying the latest scores. T he la rge scoreb oa rd s were at f i r st infuriating, then gradually became part of the Augusta magic. The tension as a player’s score was updated was electric, such as during Tiger’s run on the front nine on Sunday – and Rory’s meltdown on the back nine. It also means everyone finds out the news at the same time, and there is no ripple of noise as news spreads, such as one finds at the Open Championship, where radios are allowed.
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PATRONS
The fact that all attendees are seen as patrons makes the Masters unique among major sporting events. The attendees aren’t treated as one-off visitors to be taken for all they are worth. They are regular attendees who need sustenance and who may want a souvenir to take home. Despite having what would be a perfect corporate hospitality area in the huge triangle of land between the eighth, ninth and eighteenth holes, there are no such areas or even external suppliers of F&B. Frankly, they aren’t missed. There are seven main concession stands, and they are a delight to use. In a far cry from the US$12 hot dogs and US$19 steak sandwiches at the US Open, the prices at the Masters are
unbelievable low. Example: three beers and six sandwiches cost us US$18! Insider tip: the leftmost queue in the concessions at the third hole splits into three queues once you are inside the fence and moves quicker than any other!
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Food for thought: The legendary Masters pimento cheese sarnie (right); the course map taken from the Masters spectator guide
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The legendary pimento cheese sandwich had to be tried, if only once; the Tuna Salad and Chicken were both great, but the BBQ Pork was best of all. A bonus is that the plastic tumblers for beer and soft drinks are inscribed “Masters 2011” and almost everyone could be seen carrying their empties away with them as mementoes. A visit to the Golf Shop is essential. There are four bigger stores and six smaller kiosks where you can kit yourself out in a huge range of apparel. Two of the main stores are actually outside the property and, uniquely, can be visited without having a ticket. It was a common sight to turn up first thing in the morning and see people walking away from the course with bags full of merchandise. Once again, the prices are exceptional. The cheapest shirt at Pebble Beach is US$120; it’s only US$50 at Augusta. There are higher priced shirts, but the comparison remains the same. Items only sold for one week at the most exclusive venue in the world cost less than the prices at almost every other high end club in the US. A cap costing US$30 at TPC Sawgrass is US$16 at Augusta. It’s remarkable. There appears to be an infinite assortment of items, but be warned: stocks are limited. When something is sold out, it’s gone for good. As such, my advice is to shop early and buy more than you need. You may not get another chance. The queues are long but move quickly and will only get longer later in the week. Also, you don’t want to be carrying goods around with you on the final day. It is possible to leave your purchases in storage by the main shops, but the queues to retrieve goods at the end of the day on Sunday were enormous. Go early.
BEST BEHAVIOUR
Naturally, patrons are expected to behave appropriately or risk losing their lifetime privileges. Some behavior is frowned upon: no running within the grounds, no shouting to one another, no cheering of bad shots, no taking of other people’s seats. It’s all very civilized. As such, this is the only professional golf tournament I’ve ever seen with no marshals waving “Quiet Please” signs. The patrons police themselves. We found ourselves talking in whispers 50 yards from the action. In April, HK Golfer reported that Luke Donald was once put off by the sound of someone eating crisps – and I can well believe it; the silence is quite remarkable. Where marshals are front and centre is at the crossing points on certain holes. Invariably pleasant and polite, they nevertheless guard their fairways zealously, ensuring that the players have passed before allowing everyone across. Apart from the cross points, no-one is allowed inside the ropes, not even accredited photographers. By the eighteenth we chatted to the lofty Dave Viestenz (“tallest marshal in the USGA”) who HKGOLFER.COM
described the process of volunteering and was clearly proud to be involved in such a high-brow tournament. In a similar scenario for marshals at the UBS Hong Kong Open, Viestenz and his colleagues are invited to play the course a month or so after the event has finished (where do I register? – Ed). By the side of the ninth green on Friday, we witnessed a classic Masters moment. After the approach shots had been hit by each group, a redjacketed official approached the spectators and, in a low voice, gave a potted bio of each of the players, their year so far and their previous performances at the Masters. It was one of many such memorable moments and highlighted one final piece of advice: if at all possible, do not attend the Masters alone. This event needs to be shared with at least one friend of long-standing, ideally another golf nut. Half of the fun is pointing out people, sights and sounds, in real time, to someone who knows exactly what you are talking about. “My God, the tenth is a ski slope!”, “Look, it’s Rae’s Creek!”; “This is where Larry Mize chipped from!”, “Hey, it’s the Sandy Lyle bunker!”, “That wouldn’t happen at the Open”, etc, etc. When all is done, your trusty companion will be the only one who you can really talk to at length about what you witnessed at this most exclusive of venues – without sounding like a pretentious idiot. HK Golfer is working with accredited agents to offer readers Masters tickets in 2012. Please contact us at masters@hkgolfer.com if you are interested in attending.
Amateur Matsuyama Does Asia Proud The recent announcement that the Masters Tournament is reviewing its qualification criteria (this year saw the largest field since 1966) might worry some of the amateur championships whose winner has traditionally been given a berth to tee it up alongside the pros at Augusta. But the Asian Amateur Championship, a tournament devised by the Masters in harness with the R&A, can probably exclude itself from this list – especially as Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, the 2010 champ, performed so admirably on his Augusta debut. We watched him playing several times over the course of the tournament and he handily outdrove his playing partners and displayed a masterly short game. Briefly appearing on the leaderboard on Sunday after getting to four-under-par, Matsuyama, a university student from the disaster-hit city of Sendai, did his suffering country – and all of Asia – proud by earning the Silver Cup, the prize for the lowest scoring amateur (he was the only amateur to make the 36-hole cut). Matsuyama finished in a tie for 27th, alongside Phil Mickelson, the 2010 Masters winner. The venue for the 2012 Asian Amateur Championship, which will include players from Hong Kong, will be announced soon.
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