travel
Membership in the Augusta National Golf Club is by invitation only.
The Mystique of the Masters: On and Off Course in Augusta, Ga. :: by Andrea Gross | photos by Irv Green
M
y husband is being accosted by a burly man in a guard’s uniform. I’m standing across the street, and I see the man point his finger toward the corner. My husband starts to say something. The man steps closer. I hold my breath, but my husband tightens his hold on his camera, turns and walks away. Quickly. And that is as close as either of us
gets to the hallowed grounds of the Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament, one of the country’s most prestigious sporting events. We know before we arrive that we won’t be able to get on the course. To do that, you have to be very important, very rich or very lucky. (Winners of a random drawing are allowed to
purchase tickets.) But we did think we might be able to peek through the gates and glimpse the clubhouse, or at least some green grass. Evidently not. The Masters, held each year during the first full week in April, is a highly secretive business. There are no tours of the course, not even when it’s empty. For that matter, the famed pimento sandwich—a cheesy concoction spread between two slices of white bread—can only be purchased at the tournament. You can’t even find an official recipe, although many have tried to duplicate it. They’ve come close but, say those who’ve tasted the authentic sandwich, they haven’t “mastered” it completely. But my husband isn’t one to give up easily. If he can’t walk the course where the Masters is played, he’ll walk in the footsteps of the one who co-created and designed that course, renowned golfer Bobby Jones. Thus we head to Forest Hills Golf Course where, in 1930, Jones began his historic Grand Slam, winning four major tournaments in a single calendar year. Forest Hills, like many courses in the area, is open to the public, thus allowing amateur golfers to breathe the same rarefied
Augusta air as that inhaled by the masters of the Masters. Most of these golf greats have eaten at Luigi’s, reputedly the best place in town for a “golfer sighting” as well as a terrific place for Greek and Italian food. Jack Nicklaus and his family often order a take-out box for their plane ride home, and Ben Crenshaw makes it a point to stop by whenever he’s in town. Our last golf-related stop is the Augusta Museum of History. We walk into the rotunda where we’re greeted by life-size statues of five legendary golfers. Upstairs we see a green jacket, representative of those given to the winners of the Masters, and learn more about golf ’s importance to Augusta’s economy. For example, 80 percent of the golf cars in the world are made in Augusta. While my husband continues to ogle golf memorabilia, I go to an adjacent room to learn about James Brown, who lived in Augusta as a child. Excellent displays trace Brown’s life from his early days as a shoeshine boy to his later years when he became the “Godfather of Soul.” Now two of
Emergency care for the age you are, not the age you act. We’ve made improvements specifically for the comfort and care of our senior patients. From patient rooms with softer beds, warmer blankets and pillow speakers, to certified geriatric nurses, we cater to seniors and their caregivers. Choose the ER at Oro Valley Hospital. Visit HealthierTucson.com to learn how our ER has seniors in mind.
page 28 : : Lovin’ Life After 50 : : April 2014 75453_NWMC_OroSrER_10x5_4c.indd 1
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911.
www.lovinlifeafter50.com 3/18/14 5:49 PM