All I can say is WOW! What an awesome experience
Although the crowds are large, I had no issues seeing all of the players up close. It's all about planning ahead. This was the single best sports experience I've ever had and think it may be near impossible to top. To think it nearly never happened...
I was on the phone with the guy who was getting me the badge on Friday. He assured me he'd set it aside for me and everything was in place. I got a call (on the 13th tee at my home course) on Saturday from him stating things are up in the air...long story. He said to call him at 10am on Sunday morning. I did and the badge was mine for the day. I live 30 minutes away and was there as son after I received the call as possible. I got out so fast, I forgot to bring my chair
That being said, it had arms and wouldn't have been allowed in anyway. Most people simply bought the masters chairs that were sold out by the time I got there. Yep, I walked and stood the entire day and never even had an issues with it. I felt so privileged to be there I didn't even noticed the blister that I had reintroduced to my foot...My new Adidas tour 360s fit perfect now though
. I will say that taking a chair in and setting it up is great advice. This is what many people did around the greens. The coolest thing was that nobody messed with anyone eases stuff. I honestly believe you could leave stuff on your chair and have no worries about it being stolen. That said, I would try it, but that just gives you an idea of how cool the environment is.
The people attending were very courteous and knowledgeable about the game. This was really pleasant to be around because people treated each other well and really confirmed for me the fact that golf teaches people much more than one may think. I was speaking with another patron about this and I explained it as watching people board a large flight and place their bags at the front of the plane rather than above their seat where they should be (and where people are instructed to put them). If everyone just followed the rules, there would be no real hassle getting off the plane. The problem is that people are selfish and discourteous of others. Everyone's looking our for "number one" and it's a shame. Not to rant too much, but you see this all around you. If people only took them time to think more about each other I think we'd all be happier.
One thing that really surprised me was how well organized the whole thing was. Kudos to all that put this event together! I figured there would be a lot of waiting in line listening to people complain about waiting in line and that was simply not the case. I purchased items as souvenirs when I first got there and didn't even have to wait to check out. I also didn't have to wait to "check" my items in storage either. I simply walked up, gave the items to the employee, they gave me a ticket, and I was on my way. There was no charge for this service. After the tournament, I went to get my items and waited in line for
maybe
15 minutes. IMO that was well worth not having to clutch those items all day. To be honest, I have no idea why they aren't charging for this service, but then again, that's just another piece that makes Augusta National and this tournament so special.
One other thin aside from the great golf that made this experience cool was the fact that the food/beer was priced very reasonably (and those lines moved pretty quick as well). Beers were $2.75 a piece (but they were 16 ounces I think and they came in cool cups with the 2010 master's logo on them...free souvenirs
. Sandwiches ranged from $1.50 - $2.50. They weren't deli quality but they weren't bad either.
As far as the golf goes, the only disadvantage to attending the tournament is you don't get to see everything as it happens like you do on tv. You can hear the roars all the way across the course and you know that means something big just happened. Most times a nearby spectator would agree to help out the group by checking a nearby scoreboard to inform everyone what just took place. We would (of course) save that person's spot.
I spent most of my time on the tee boxes as I really like seeing tee shots...and you can get super close to every pro by planning ahead. I stood at 9 for much of the day because you can see the 1st green, as well as the 2nd tee shot from there (3 for one)! I also spent time on 15, 18, and 1 throughout the day. Another thing I did was simply roam the course as a whole to get a feel for it and how each holes plays. Amen Corner is pretty impressive in the flesh! It is absolutely amazing how hilly that course really is. It's also really impressive at how far and accurate these guys are with their ball striking. You know when the ball makes a sound you haven't heard it make before, that person is clearly playing a different game than you are...I'll only speak for myself though. It really makes me think of all of these topics where people talk about really being able to use all of the technology that is out there with ball and clubs. These guys can definitely unleash all of the capabilities of this new stuff.
One of the coolest things involved Jerry Kelly. He approached the 9th tee and dropped a ball in a guys beer. I thought it was funny and wished it was mine, as i really like Jerry's down to earth nature and the fact that he transitioned from hockey to golf...like me. Yes, the guy drank the rest of the beer.
I could go one and on. I hope some of you found this helpful or, at the very least, somewhat entertaining. For what it's worth, I paid $600 for the badge for that day and would do it again in a heartbeat. It's just a really cool thing to be a part of and witness to. Even though I'm moving back north (Berlin, MA) in the next month, I'll still look to travel down each year if possible.
Feel free to shoot me any questions or particulars you may want to know about.
