ok - here goes my tips for the masters... I don't claim to know everything, just passing on my advice
but its a lot of opinion as well. I post this every year on Texags
I've been every year since 1995 and have worked as avolunteer there for the last 15 years. I'llbe on the scoring committee again this year, but worked many years on the information boards and called the players off on the 1st tee formany years before moving to scoring. It doesn't make me an expert, but gives me a few opinions
1 - first - understand that Monday is the day with the least play. Some of the players will play -and you'll certainly enjoy the course and seeing it first hand. but don't be surprised if some of the bignames (mickleson) don't play on Monday. And I don't recommend hanging out on the 1st tee hopingsomeone will show up. That's a waste oftime. And remember that none of us know who will play. There's no tee times. The players play as much or as little as they want.
Tuesday is a great practice round day almost all of the field will play, and most will play 18 holes. Many of the best players (tiger, phil, Freddie) will be off 1 or 10 very early. So get there early. Bubba Watson is usually the first one off, and usually plays alone
Wednesday everyone loves Wednesday, and that includes the volunteers (marshals) as we're done by 230 and get the afternoon off. The par 3 is great, but if that's your only day, you will not see as much play on the big course as many players are resting for Thursday
Everyone knows you can bring a camera in on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. you will pass thru a metal detector on your way in...
2 check out the information boards. There's one by the main leaderboard as well as by the concessions at the back gate those boards will tell you who's on the course and when they teed off or when they made the turn. Once the tournament starts onThursday the boards have the tee times
3 Remember that there are no tee times for the practice rounds. The players will play whenever they want. And they can go off the front, or the back, or stop at any point. A couple of years ago, it was a Monday and everyone kept asking me wheretiger was of course we don't know when the players will play anyway at about 4:00, tiger came out of the clubhouse and tee'd off on #10. Thousands of people were so excited that tiger was finally playing and he took thousands of people with him down the hill on #10. But after putting out on 10, he walked overto the 18 tee (which is close to 10 green) and played 18 back up the hill and then went back in the clubhouse. Many of these people were then mad at me. again the players do whatever they want during the practice rounds
4 - parking is now a snap since they've cleared out all thehouses along berkman drive. just follow the signs. earlier the better. I'd recommend taking the bobby jones exit from i20 versus Washington road. Washington road always has the most traffic.Early and late.
5 - traffic is a problem. remember - augusta is a very small town to host such a large global event. Its spring break for the people who live there. Most want to get as far away as possible, so they rent their house and hit the road.
6 - buy your stuff when you get there and ship it home. no sense lugging it around. you can ship or store it while you see the course. Prices are mostly the same as what you'd pay at your local pro shop. I've been watching people buy stuff for 20 years, and most people spend at least $300, and many people go up much higher.
7 food is cheap. You'll understand this if you've ever been to the US open, or an NFL game. A sandwich is 2 3 dollars. Chips are a buck. A coke is $1.50 eatup beer is cheap too, but they stop selling it at 4:00. People rave about the pimento sandwich, but I don't like pimento I go all out and spend $3.50 on the club or chicken SW
8 - Rhineharts is my best dining recommendation. its about 3miles from ANGC on the other side of i20. mostly rustic (it's a dive), but the best fried shrimp I've ever had. Crowed, but you can get in. there's another rhineharts further out on Washington road that's less crowded and the same great food / beer
9 - I don't get the chair thing. yes - you can buy a chair, put it down on the ropes, and leave it and not worry about losing it - but the stands are there for a reason. the best viewing is the stands. i'd avoid the
chair thing. the Masters sells a ton of chairs....
10 best seat / viewing at Augusta? The right stands on #15. You'll see the shots into the green on 15 and the shots into 16. Those stands are always full. but be patient. People will leave. So hangout in line and you'll get a seat remember the stands are there for a reason most of the best viewing is where the stands are
11 - see the entire course. walk all of it. you many never be there again. you'll be blown away by the slopes, size of greens, depth of bunkers, hump in the green on #6, size of green on 3, 7; the elevation change on 6 and 10, beauty everywhere. Notice the design also remember the changes that have been made some good, some bad look at #7 that green is ridiculous slopes, and its tiny. The hole was
built to be a 3 iron and a wedge. 325 yards and tree's crimp in towards the greens. Now its 450 and tighter than ever because the trees keep growing my point was the green was built to receive a wedge. and the trees have grown in and made it tight to hit a driver off that tee...
but don't get me started on how technology has ruined some great golf courses....
And make sure you check out the driving range I haven't been everywhere, but I've never seen anything like it
12 Lastly, don't be that guy. Avoid being:
"the you da man guy, or the booyah guy"
the drink all day guy carrying your masters beer cups around
the guy who goes thru the trash looking for plastic masters cups,
the guy who wears the ricky fowler clothes, or the guy who wears the loudmouth pants
...the masters is a classy place. be the classy guy...:-) 13 - for those looking for the adult establishments, they're in downtown augusta. imported talent. not saying I've ever been... just heard a rumor...
Enjoy the Masters.... its the greatest show on earth and very well done. when I was on the 1st tee, I was scolded from quality control (the members) every year... Who knew how to pronounce Louis Oosthuizen's name that first year?
The benefit of being a volunteer is we get to come back inmay and play the course
Let me know of questions. not trying to be an expert. just trying to help people attend a great event...
but its a lot of opinion as well. I post this every year on Texags
I've been every year since 1995 and have worked as avolunteer there for the last 15 years. I'llbe on the scoring committee again this year, but worked many years on the information boards and called the players off on the 1st tee formany years before moving to scoring. It doesn't make me an expert, but gives me a few opinions
1 - first - understand that Monday is the day with the least play. Some of the players will play -and you'll certainly enjoy the course and seeing it first hand. but don't be surprised if some of the bignames (mickleson) don't play on Monday. And I don't recommend hanging out on the 1st tee hopingsomeone will show up. That's a waste oftime. And remember that none of us know who will play. There's no tee times. The players play as much or as little as they want.
Tuesday is a great practice round day almost all of the field will play, and most will play 18 holes. Many of the best players (tiger, phil, Freddie) will be off 1 or 10 very early. So get there early. Bubba Watson is usually the first one off, and usually plays alone
Wednesday everyone loves Wednesday, and that includes the volunteers (marshals) as we're done by 230 and get the afternoon off. The par 3 is great, but if that's your only day, you will not see as much play on the big course as many players are resting for Thursday
Everyone knows you can bring a camera in on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. you will pass thru a metal detector on your way in...
2 check out the information boards. There's one by the main leaderboard as well as by the concessions at the back gate those boards will tell you who's on the course and when they teed off or when they made the turn. Once the tournament starts onThursday the boards have the tee times
3 Remember that there are no tee times for the practice rounds. The players will play whenever they want. And they can go off the front, or the back, or stop at any point. A couple of years ago, it was a Monday and everyone kept asking me wheretiger was of course we don't know when the players will play anyway at about 4:00, tiger came out of the clubhouse and tee'd off on #10. Thousands of people were so excited that tiger was finally playing and he took thousands of people with him down the hill on #10. But after putting out on 10, he walked overto the 18 tee (which is close to 10 green) and played 18 back up the hill and then went back in the clubhouse. Many of these people were then mad at me. again the players do whatever they want during the practice rounds
4 - parking is now a snap since they've cleared out all thehouses along berkman drive. just follow the signs. earlier the better. I'd recommend taking the bobby jones exit from i20 versus Washington road. Washington road always has the most traffic.Early and late.
5 - traffic is a problem. remember - augusta is a very small town to host such a large global event. Its spring break for the people who live there. Most want to get as far away as possible, so they rent their house and hit the road.
6 - buy your stuff when you get there and ship it home. no sense lugging it around. you can ship or store it while you see the course. Prices are mostly the same as what you'd pay at your local pro shop. I've been watching people buy stuff for 20 years, and most people spend at least $300, and many people go up much higher.
7 food is cheap. You'll understand this if you've ever been to the US open, or an NFL game. A sandwich is 2 3 dollars. Chips are a buck. A coke is $1.50 eatup beer is cheap too, but they stop selling it at 4:00. People rave about the pimento sandwich, but I don't like pimento I go all out and spend $3.50 on the club or chicken SW
8 - Rhineharts is my best dining recommendation. its about 3miles from ANGC on the other side of i20. mostly rustic (it's a dive), but the best fried shrimp I've ever had. Crowed, but you can get in. there's another rhineharts further out on Washington road that's less crowded and the same great food / beer
9 - I don't get the chair thing. yes - you can buy a chair, put it down on the ropes, and leave it and not worry about losing it - but the stands are there for a reason. the best viewing is the stands. i'd avoid the
chair thing. the Masters sells a ton of chairs....
10 best seat / viewing at Augusta? The right stands on #15. You'll see the shots into the green on 15 and the shots into 16. Those stands are always full. but be patient. People will leave. So hangout in line and you'll get a seat remember the stands are there for a reason most of the best viewing is where the stands are
11 - see the entire course. walk all of it. you many never be there again. you'll be blown away by the slopes, size of greens, depth of bunkers, hump in the green on #6, size of green on 3, 7; the elevation change on 6 and 10, beauty everywhere. Notice the design also remember the changes that have been made some good, some bad look at #7 that green is ridiculous slopes, and its tiny. The hole was
built to be a 3 iron and a wedge. 325 yards and tree's crimp in towards the greens. Now its 450 and tighter than ever because the trees keep growing my point was the green was built to receive a wedge. and the trees have grown in and made it tight to hit a driver off that tee...
but don't get me started on how technology has ruined some great golf courses....
And make sure you check out the driving range I haven't been everywhere, but I've never seen anything like it
12 Lastly, don't be that guy. Avoid being:
The benefit of being a volunteer is we get to come back inmay and play the course
Let me know of questions. not trying to be an expert. just trying to help people attend a great event...
