Any last minute advice for a first-time Masters attendee

[jeffwarne]

John,
Are you forgetting about the "ballet"

[Scott Szabo]

Everyone,

Thanks for all the information you have been providing. I think we'll probably start off early, hit the pro shop, and go from there.

I'm sure we'll miss a few things that we'll later regret, with only being there for one day.

Cheers,

Scott

[John_Cullum]

John,
Are you forgetting about the "ballet"

Do they have a good shoe show in Augusta?

[Mike Hendren]

Are there any interesting/noteworthy non-golf sites to see while there?

No

I dunno, Sarge.  Have they buried James Brown yet?

As for advice, good bleachers behind the 8th green.  Sit on the end and you can watch players drive off the 9th and hit into the first.  

Go very early and stay very late, when you can see the equipment armada in action - impressive stuff.  

Mike

[jeffwarne]

John,
The "ballet" typically suffers from a less than ideal maintenance meld,

But Masters' week it's typically firm and fast.

So, I've heard....

[Gordon Oneil]

Lucky enough to have been there with a buddy who has played a couple of times.  Played/viewed/spectated at a lot of sports events, venues, golf courses but the coolest thing by far was pulling on the white coveralls before caddying in the Par 3 tournament on Wednesday.  Top of my list.
While OT, the threads I both enjoy the most and that I find very interesting here are the ones in which everyone shares little bits and pieces of their experiences of something like attending the Masters for the first time.
The little tidbits rather than the long position papers.
I also like the ones in which the reverance takes precedence over the pettiness.
Big yes on the pimento cheese.  It's just a part, but an integral part, of the overall "flavor" of the experience.
Another big yes on very comfortable RUNNING shoes.  Unless it's raining cats and dogs at the end of a rainy week and you're up to your ankles in mud running shoes, rather than tennis shoes, will give you all the comfort and traction needed.
As well as eliminate the golf shoe geek factor later that evening when you're standing at the bar nursing a young Scotch while waiting for your table at T-Bonz.

[John Kavanaugh]

I think if it is your first time there and you go real early and stake out a location with a chair and then go and walk around until it strikes your fancy to return you are being rude to the long time patrons.  First time visitors just leave the chair at home until you learn the "ropes".

[Andy Doyle]

I think if it is your first time there and you go real early and stake out a location with a chair and then go and walk around until it strikes your fancy to return you are being rude to the long time patrons.

Why?  That's exactly what the long-time patrons do.

Now if you trampled the little old lady with 37 Masters badges on her hat in your rush to secure said spot - that would be rude.

[Jim Johnson]

Scott,

I haven't read through this entire thread, so if I repeat what someone has already said, I apologize.

From a "first-timer" who went to the Monday practice round last year [my bro and I have been trying the practice round ticket lottery for about 5 years...he would ask for 4 tickets for the Monday round, and I would ask for 4 tickets for the Tuesday round...the deal was that if either of us got lucky, he would take the other guy and two buddies...my bro phoned me one day to tell me that he had received a letter postmarked "Georgia" (we live in western Canada)...I said "yeah, so..." ...and then he said "as in Augusta, Georgia"...and I said "no way, you lucky s---"...but then realized I would be heading down there with him] I consider it a "once-in-a-lifetimer".

We flew down Thursday, golfed Friday at the "River Club" [so-so, I wouldn't play it again, but it was a good warm-up after not hitting  balls all winter], see below...


Then Saturday we drove just a bit north of Augusta and played "Jones Creek"; the price was $125.00 cart inc., and we were told that the week of the Masters would see a green fee of $1100 per 4-some....I really enjoyed the course, I felt it was built on some beautiful terrain...see below...


Then Sunday we drove about one hour north of where we stayed [in Thomson] and played "Arrowhead Pointe" in a state park, I think the green fee was about $45...decent course...see below...


Sunday night we drove into Augusta and drank/ate at "TBonz Steakhouse" on Washington Road...highly recommended, the place was packed, and the atmosphere electric...everyone was there for the Masters, or so it seemed.

Augusta National...what can I say...the greenest golf course you will ever see. We walked through the gates [at 8am sharp] and I  challenged the other guys to find a weed on the golf course...9 hours later, we came up empty-handed. We did make the mistake of hitting the merchandise shop at 5pm on the way out...huge lineups. Advice...I'd do it in the morning first thing and drop it somewhere.

We walked the back nine first, starting from the 10th tee, and followed Henrik Stenson for several holes. It all seemed very surreal. He was the only guy on the course for the first while. We all split up with an hour or so, and planned to meet back underneath one of the big scoreboards at 12 noon for lunch, which worked well.

We stopped behind the 12th tee to watch him hit a few shots, see below...


Then I planted myself near the trees on the right edge of the 13th fairway for half an hour...excellent spot. Ended up taking this photo of Stenson hitting his approach to the 13th green...


I blew up the photo to poster size and framed it and hung it on the living room wall...brings back great memories every time I glance at it.

Wandered the entire golf course after that. The weather was beautiful all day long, and then on the drive back to Thomson at 6pm we drove through a t-storm, so the timing was perfect. I marvelled at how hilly the golf course is, yet it was eminently walkable. The drop on the par three 6th was a real eye-opener. As were a couple of the climbs, particularly the 18th.

You will definitely not be disappointed. Have a great time!

JJ

[Gary Daughters]

Scott,

If you are at all prone to suffering allergies be sure to pack your preferred eye drops.  ANGC can be pollen hell in early April.

For economy of walking, get to know the locations of crosswalks at #'s 3, 7, 15 and 14.  

If you're not acquainted with it already, learn the scoreboard scoring system first thing.

You'll learn all kinds of things by listening.

The area behind the 11th tee is a great, crowd-free place to watch drives.

Go early, stay late.



 

[Pete Stankevich]

Scott:
Don't listen to these guys who are telling you not to wear golf shoes and that you're going to stand out, it's b.s.  Unless you're wearing some butt-ugly shoes, no one cares.  You're walking a golf course!  So why can't you wear exactly what you would if you had a bag on your shoulder?  We're not talking about wearing baseball spikes to a baseball game.

I'm a PGA golf professional and have been to 6 Masters since 1995 for the whole tournament and have never slipped once.  Rain is inevitable and the spectator areas get muddy and slippery. Sneakers will get ruined and don't provide decent traction on some of the slopes.  Plus, you can probably clean your golf shoes much easier than sneakers.  If it's wet out there, you'll see plenty of people with sneakers and street shoes who  have mud on the back of their shorts from a fall.
 
The ones who absolutely stand out are the southern belles wearing sun dresses with heels or the middle-aged yuppie wearing penny loafers with no socks.  

And if you're going to TBonz or anywhere else for dinner, all you have to do is change shoes in the car.

[Kalen Braley]

ITs Augusta....

I would think bare feet would be in order...walking on holy ground and all

[Buck Wolter]

Agreed on wearing golf shoes -- I was there in 2003 (Weir) on Sunday, it had rained all week and it was a giant mud puddle. I would have ruined any other pair of shoes and it allowed me to go to places other feared to tread -- like right up to the ropes on the corner of thirteen. I actually saw people lose shoes in the mud. We also had about a 30 degree temp change that day and I was thankful I had worn shorts.

I recommend standing behind 2 where you can watch those approaches, tee balls on 3 and at least another tee (17?). Spend at least some time behind the tee at 12. The average age is fairly high and if you're willing to walk you can see a great deal as most of the patrons plop down and rarely move.

I loved the egg salad sandwiches -- the pimento isn't bad though. Buy whoever got you the ticket a shirt -- at least for a Sunday ticket.

Buck

[G Jones]

Hi all,

I'm new here - first post! So hey everyone.

Tips for enjoying the masters:

1. buy a pimento cheese sandwich, eat it, buy another.
2. watch out for the ice creams they sell (on the par 3 course at least) as they can be super cold and rip the skin right off your lips!
3. take lots of pics on the practise days.
4. don't lie down as suggested near the 9th... or anywhere else... unless you want to get in trouble - it's not allowed.
5. don't be one of the idiots who walks down to the front of the gallery during a quiet spell at 18 and tries to fit their chair in at row number 3 when you should be placing it at the back. It's first come first served, and the members guests who have queued up since before the gates opened to everyone else will be quick to have you ejected. It's amazing how good they are at spotting someone who wasn't there at 8am. As an aside... it's amazing how some of these members guests can run... everyone lines up by the putting green, and 10 minutes before the gates open to everyone else they lift a rope and these people all break rank and head for the 18th green. They aren't allowed to run so they speed walk at first, but eventually they always break into a run... I've seen 80 year olds running, falling, getting trampled on... and within 30 seconds there are 10 rows of seats all the way around the green. It's amazing. There must be tactics going on as some aim for the sides of the green in order to get closer to the front... but then they have to brave the run for longer to get there....! And for the record on Sunday last year I got row 2 directly behind the green (quite chuffed with myself!).
6. wear golf shoes. If it rains you'll be thankful.
7. buy augusta cufflinks. Pathetic I know but I still enjoy the look on people's faces at work. Same goes for the nice green ties. And get the ties early as the nice ones sell out quick.
8. don't run, and for heaven's sake don't have your phone switched on, even on vibrate.
9. you can line up to get a cheesy photo at the circle infront of the clubhouse.
10. don't even try to get in the clubhouse unless a member invites you. The bit available to members guests isn't the nicest part of the clubhouse anyway. Along the first fairway is the corporate buildings and the media center... these are far more interesting to see inside.
11. at the par 3 on Wednesday, the best place to sit is directly behind and above the 9th tee, which is directly over the lower lake from the clubhouse. Get there early as there isn't much room for seating that isn't obscured by tree branches.
12. never stay at a place called the Augusta Inn, just off Washington Road... unless you enjoy burning hot temperatures and a faulty AC unit! When I went to the hotel's front desk to ask where I should go for dinner the first thing the woman said when she saw me was "what's wrong??" - to which my reply was... "what makes you think something is wrong?". That should have set alarm bells ringing...
13. walk the course in the correct order at least once... to practise physically and mentally for when you play there for real of course :-P
14. did I mention... eat the pimento cheese sandwiches!

[jeffwarne]

You can't take your phone in. Leave it in the car unless you want to walk back to it.
There are free long distance available inside the gates.

Maybe someday The British Open could implement such a simple policy.

[Mike_Cirba]

One thing that really surprised me during the practice rounds was the number of people scalping tickets.   It seems one doesn't really need to participate in the lottery if willing to cough up the cash to get on the grounds.

I'm assuming the same ease of access most definitely does NOT exist during the tournament proper.

[G Jones]

You can't take your phone in. Leave it in the car unless you want to walk back to it.
There are free long distance available inside the gates.

Maybe someday The British Open could implement such a simple policy.

I agree. But you know we like to keep things simple - so simple we don't do that :-P

[G Jones]

One thing that really surprised me during the practice rounds was the number of people scalping tickets.   It seems one doesn't really need to participate in the lottery if willing to cough up the cash to get on the grounds.

I'm assuming the same ease of access most definitely does NOT exist during the tournament proper.

It does but it costs an awful lot more... so if money factors into ease then yeah it's not as easy. Is scalping legal in Georgia? I know there is some rule about it being illegal within 250 (or something) yards of a venue... but it might be legal outwith that? Regardless, the rule is that scalped tickets are invalid. So while you would probaby get away with it I wouldn't advise it.

[jeffwarne]

Scalping outside of a certain # of yards from the venue is legal in Georgia.
However, if AGNC finds out you scalped them, the tickets are permamantly revoked.

Typically, the most discreet way to scalp tickets is to rent a house that comes "with tickets".

[Dan Herrmann]

My biggest advice is to park over by Amen Corner.  Not as many folks park there, and you walk right down the steps to 16 tee/13 greeen.  This entrance also has its own gift shop which isn't as crowded as the main entrance.   Parking is free.

I'd get there around 6:30am and get into line.  I did it both days and loved being the first on the course.

When you're in your hotel the day before, take a drive and scope out the area - it's a lot easier finding your way around in the daylight than in the pre-dawn darkness.

They have "Masters Radio" on AM.

The local TV stations also have really nice Masters shows.  I remember in '05, we were watching them do a story on the houses that the players rent and they did a spot on the players just hanging out at the local watering hole.

There is a board listing the players' whereabouts when you get onto the course.  Tiger always plays VERY early.

I'm not a big fan of Fuzzy, but he was fantastic with the patrons.  

A favorite spot for me is sitting behind #4 tee.  

Be sure to check out the guidebook they hand out.  There is a whole section written by Bobby Jones that's amazing.  He gives you his "Star Locations" from which he feels you'd have great enjoyment watching the action.

We ran into the rules officials on Tuesday AM up on #1 green.  They were discussing local rules and how to handle this and that.  It was really cool seeing the royalty of golf all there in their country's golf association blazers.

Don't hesitate to talk to AGNC club members (the guys in green jackets).  I found them to be proud of their club and able to provide great hints about being a patron.

HAVE FUN!

[Scott Szabo]

Dan,

I'll be coming in from Aiken.  Do you have any simple directions to the lot you are talking about?

Thanks,

Scott

[jeffwarne]

Scott,
Coming in from Aiken, via the Calhoun Expressway,
You do NOT want to park by Amen corner.
You want to PAY ($20)and park roughly accross the street from the club, maybe a little bit before (1/4 mile or so past the IHOP)
When you leave you want to go back the way you came, using one of the lights to turn left on Washington Road.
If you get too much farther down and/or opt for the free club parking you can get in a real traffic mess.
I often park in the Amen corner free lot when I have a Patrons pass, but ONLY if I'm leaving to go to the opposite side of town from where you'll be going. (towards the HIll section)
It's not worth it.
Trust me on this-I do it every year-both ways.

PS -played Palmetto today.
absolutely awesome.
Jeff

[Scott Szabo]

Jeff,

Thanks for the heads up!

Scott

[Ryan DeMay]

I am making my first trip down with my dad this week for the practice rounds on Monday and Tuesday.  Having read this thread and several others regarding attending the practice rounds, I wanted to see if anyone had any updated items on the must-see places or things to do list.  We will be staying in Columbia and commuting in each morning.  Also, where is the best spot to find the most reasonably priced tickets from the scalpers or locals?

Any and all help is greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

[Brian Potash]

Ryan,

Probably not what you have in mind but one thing you can do is simply stand outside the ticket gates and as people leave ask them for their badge/ticket for the day.  The second they leave their day ticket becomes worthless to them, so you wouldn't need to ask too many people before someone gave you one.  On the practice days I am sure there are people that go for just a few hours in the morning and then leave for the day or people that need to leave for any other variety of reasons.  I flew in a few years ago on Wed for the Thurs round.  Just drove to the club around 3p on Wed, got a ticket as per the above and still had a few good hours to wander around.

Have fun.

Brian