AUGUSTA – Mac O’Grady once said of Augusta National, “This is where God hangs out.” With that in mind, I strolled over to Amen Corner with a small prayer request: a unique idea for today’s story.

Scribes will often map out their content schedules, for their own sake and for the planners to whom they report. When you’re covering a live event, it’s fluid and you leave room to pivot (especially in the Atlanta market where no likely outcome is assumed). When you’re working outside the confines of a press box, there’s a bit more freedom.

And when you’re at Augusta National, you’re exploring one of the nation’s fanciest playgrounds.

The hope today, after my original plan was thrown awry, was to avoid profiling a golfer (that was Tuesday) or basking in the microcosm of a world that once was (Monday). We’re staying away from gnomes, food, betting odds, predictions and all that jazz. You’ve read plenty about that by the time Wednesday rolls around.

There’s perhaps no more heavenly site for brainstorming than among the azaleas. What a blessing to seek work but find solitude.

Walk through these grounds and outside responsibilities feel minimal. It’s a place of jubilation, where patron priorities range from selecting vantage points to securing merchandise to ensuring a drink remains in hand.

There are characters everywhere one looks. There’s peace on the grass if one wants it; there’s also Black Friday-level madness not too far away. People love to chat – a benefit of the no-phones policy – and there’s unanimous appreciation for being present. Those working here are always delightful, too, even if they aren’t so inclined to share some of that delight on record.

Sauntering to Amen Corner provides a bevy of entertainment for astute eyes and ears. You might walk by Scottie Scheffler practicing his putting, pause for a moment and study the world’s No. 1 golfer refining his craft before you.

A few minutes later, that quietness could be interrupted by a burly fellow bragging to friends that his stay at the Times Square Ramada cost just $120 a night. That’ll prompt you to move along.

Eavesdropping is tough to avoid in the tranquility. One friend gestures his arm and says to another how much better his tan is (he was right). Around 10 yards away, a patron laments the Cubs’ mediocre start. Another is enthusiastically explaining his looming house renovations.

Amen Corner awaits, but not before you’re asked to take pictures of a group of 30-something-year-old guys seemingly having the time of their lives. Continue along the path and a family respectfully requests a picture of their own.

At last, one is alone at the serene 12th hole. A site ripe for disaster to golfers is nothing more than endless beauty for those less skilled. Spend minutes, spend hours, every second feels worthwhile.

It’s a beautiful day, hovering in the mid-60s as the sun peaks through the clouds. That invites this type of exploration. The trek continues. More patrons have photo requests by hole 14, this time to others wandering by.

Near hole 15, a trio recalls the trees that felt near the 17th hole in 2023, remarking how stunning the incident was.

As the steps pile up, another group discusses home renovations. Popular topic. A husband is heard explaining the ongoing Par 3 contest to his wife.

It’s quiet at the seventh hole, just the sound of a water hose. Two members of the grounds crew are working here, one of them appears to be on his way to a mullet akin to Billy Ray Cyrus’.