Congratulations. You’re finally going to the Masters. Maybe your name was at long last drawn in the lottery. Or perhaps your favorite aunt or best friend had an extra badge and was kind enough to share.
Getting there is the hard part, but you need a plan of attack once you arrive on the grounds. You never know when – or if – you’ll get to return, so best take it all in while you’ve got the opportunity.
To make your checklist easier, here are 10 suggestions of things to do and do if you’re making your first trip to Augusta National.
Credit: ccompton@ajc.com
Credit: ccompton@ajc.com
Visit Amen Corner
This is the most iconic piece of property at Augusta National – and perhaps the world. Missing it would be like going to New York City for the first time and not taking a peek at the Empire State Building.
Amen Corner, holes 11-13, is where more tournaments have been won and lost than any other place on the course.
The best strategy is to get there early and stake out a spot in one of the viewing stands behind the 12th tee. Access to the stands is free – except for the top row that is reserved for members – and available on a first-come first-served basis.
Sitting in the stands makes it a one-stop destination to watch players hit their approach and putts at No. 11, hit their tee shots – along with an occasional “walk of shame” to the drop area in case a ball gets rinsed – and the putts at the par-3 12th, and hit their tee shots at No. 13.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Find where Bubba hit his shot
There isn’t a marker to commemorate the spot but a steady stream of patrons are always milling around the trees and pine straw off the 10th fairway to locate the general vicinity where Bubba Watson essentially won the 2012 Masters.
On the second hole of the sudden-death playoff with Louis Oosthuizen, Watson was way off target with his drive. Then, drawing on his unmatched imagination, Watson hooked a wedge almost 90 degrees to within 10 feet and two-putted for the victory.
Countless fans find the spot – or close proximity – and have their photo taken while posing like Bubba.
Credit: Jason Getz
Credit: Jason Getz
Skipping balls at No. 16
The par-3 16th hole is among of the most scenic at Augusta National, as well as one of the most dramatic. Jack Nicklaus has left many celebratory bear prints on the green and Tiger Woods’ chip-in from off the green in 2005 was a key to his victory.
But during the practice rounds the 16th hole is where you’ll find the players loosen up – at least a bit. After hitting their tee shots, the players will often move to the front tee box and try to skip a ball across the pond and onto the green. The patrons – some of whom may have a small wager on the matter -- roar their approval when a player tries and succeeds to skip it on the green.
Photos at Founders Circle
Founders Circle is located at the base of a flagpole in front of the Augusta National clubhouse. It sits on a small grassy area – everything at the club is lush and green – with a bed of yellow pansies shaped like the club’s famed logo, complete with a flagstick to mark Augusta’s spot. Remember: Cell phones are not allowed on the grounds, but patrons may bring cameras during practice rounds.
You won’t be able to linger long because the line can get rather lengthy but pause long enough to take a quick look at the two plaques that are dedicated to the club’s founding fathers – Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts.
Credit: Jason Getz
Credit: Jason Getz
Dining for Dollars
The Masters is renowned for its affordable concession selection. The most popular and iconic lunch are the pimento and egg salad sandwiches, which come wrapped in green paper. (A lot of hard-core Masters fans even save the wrappers.) The sandwiches are fresh and will only set you back $1.50. Soft drinks – the Masters is Coca-Cola country – are $2 and beer is $5. You won’t go home hungry or thirsty.
See the big oak tree
The live oak – estimated to be at least 150 years old -- is only a few paces behind the clubhouse and the first tee. The club maintains the ancient tree with support wires and with lightning protection. In olden days, it’s where many reporters held impromptu interviews with players. Today it serves as a meeting spot for agents, managers and executives – some of the biggest movers and shakers in the sport.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Watch from the First Tee
By standing along the ropes on the first tee and peering down the fairway, you get a true sense of how big the golf course really is, something television cannot accurately convey. No. 1, named “Tea Olive,” plays 445 yards and it’s about 300 yards to carry that enormous bunker on the right side near the slight dogleg. It’s an intimidating setting, even for the best players in the world.
If you are fortunate enough to have tickets for Thursday’s opening round, it would be a sin to miss the ceremonial opening tee shot. Jack Nicklaus (six Masters, 18 major championships), Gary Player (three Masters, nine majors) and Tom Watson (two Masters, eight majors) are introduced and hit drives to official mark the beginning of the tournament.
The big scoreboard
If you enter the main gate, one of the first sites you’ll see is a giant scoreboard to the right of the crosswalk on the first fairway. The large white structure – everything at Augusta is either green or white – contains hole-by-hole results for each player in the field during the competition. The scores are hand-printed by a crew of volunteers who work tirelessly to do their duties and answer questions from visitors.
This area, which also contains a large clock, is one of the most common gathering spots for parties who break up and go their different ways.
The 18th hole
You can’t go wrong watching either end of this hole, a 465-yard par-4 that is one of the most famous finishing holes in golf.
If you watch from the tee, you’ll be surprised at how narrow and claustrophobic the chute is for the players to drive. You’ll also be taken aback by how uphill the tee shot is – and how the players can easily reach the fairway bunkers on the left that seem unreachable to the average golfer.
If you watch from the green, you’ll quickly get a grasp of the severity of the elevation change and why approach shots need to finish below the hole. From above the 18th green, you’ll also be able to enjoy the classic hand-operated scoreboard that has recorded the roars.
Credit: Michael A. Schwarz for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Michael A. Schwarz for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Visit the merch store
It’s eight months until Christmas, but you can knock out a lot of your shopping with a trip to the big merchandise store. The line can be very long at times, particularly early in the day, but it moves at a reasonable pace. You can pay with cash, debit or credit cards.
Inside you’ll find dozens of styles in T-shirts, golf shirts, hats, outerwear, sweaters, etc., along with mugs, tumblers, umbrellas and folding chairs. There are even garden gnomes, but those are typically gone in a hurry.
The best time to visit the merch store is usually later in the afternoon, during the Par-3 Contest or whenever Tiger is on the course.
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