NewcomersGuide_2017_SpringSummer_-web

7. NOW, BACK TO THE GOLF COURSE. Make sure you grab a pairing sheet. Matter
of fact, grab two ‘cause you’re gonna lose one. They’ll be in the little green boxes as
soon as you walk in, and also near the main scoreboard, which is where I’m taking you
next. The pairing sheets will tell you who’s playing with whom and when. On the back
is a neat little map of the course that will help you navigate your way around. Also,
make sure you stop at the little green booth where they hand out the programs—
they’re free. These are great for getting interesting information and tidbits on each
player—how they qualified for the Masters, where they’re from, etc., as well as a few
history lessons on the tournament. Or as we say in the South, the “Toonament.”
8. THE LAST THING I WANT YOU TO DO before you leave the course is spend a
moment or two at the Main Scoreboard, the one at the jut of the hill on Number 1.
It’s the oldest of its kind, and the last remaining manual scoreboard in the Majors.
How cool is that? If you look up top, you’ll see flags representing all the different
countries where all the players are from. It’s amazing how diverse the Masters field
truly is. I think it is a beautiful thing.
Walk the first hole.
Walk the course backwards,
starting on 18. This way you can truly
appreciate how darn hilly Augusta
National really is. But before you do
that, take the short jaunt up the hill
from the scoreboard to the pro shop.
Note the Bobby Jones sundial. That’s
where Legendary Caddy Master
Freddie Bennett drove # 2 green,
wearing bedroom slippers, of all
things! (It’s in my book Freddie & Me.
Chapter 7: Magic from the Bobby Jones
Sundial.) Ask the guard if you can touch
it. She or he will say yes.
The back of Number 2 tee is a great,
and I mean a great place to
You’ll need to go
down from 1 green, maybe 100 yards
to the cross walk and then walk back
up and around, but it’s not that far and
totally worth it. You’ll be as close to the
players as you are to this glossy sheet
of paper.
There is a new concession stand
just opposite this cross walk, and it’s
off the beaten path, so the lines are
shorter. These new concession stands
are referred to as non-permanent
permanent structures, and cost
$250,000 each! Yowza! There’s a
nice bathroom as well—heck, all the
bathrooms at Augusta are nice, and
the lines are shorter there, too. I highly
recommend stopping here to
COMMUNITY
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