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Bill McKinley

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Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« on: April 03, 2013, 08:50:09 PM »
Gents,

Not sure how much you all have heard about this new ultra pricey ($6000 per person) hospitality location for the Masters but I'm not usually impressed with these until now. The part that got me is that they have a few exact replica greens like 14 and a couple others. How cool is that!! You can be hanging out watching the coverage and see someone hit a putt on #14, then say, ya know what, I want to go try that, and you pretty much can! They also have merchandise from the members golf shop available at that location. 

I know if I went there I'd be out putting around in those amazing greens until they told me it was time to leave!
2016 Highlights:  Streamsong Blue (3/17); Streamsong Red (3/17); Charles River Club (5/16); The Country Club - Brookline (5/17); Myopia Hunt Club (5/17); Fishers Island Club (5/18); Aronomink GC (10/16); Pine Valley GC (10/17); Somerset Hills CC (10/18)

jeffwarne

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2013, 08:54:16 PM »
I'd give the $6000 to BMS and play the real thing....
« Last Edit: April 03, 2013, 08:56:46 PM by jeffwarne »
"Let's slow the damned greens down a bit, not take the character out of them." Tom Doak
"Take their focus off the grass and put it squarely on interesting golf." Don Mahaffey

Bill McKinley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #2 on: April 03, 2013, 09:17:08 PM »
Haha! Good plan Jeff, count me in for that one too  ;)
2016 Highlights:  Streamsong Blue (3/17); Streamsong Red (3/17); Charles River Club (5/16); The Country Club - Brookline (5/17); Myopia Hunt Club (5/17); Fishers Island Club (5/18); Aronomink GC (10/16); Pine Valley GC (10/17); Somerset Hills CC (10/18)

jeffwarne

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2013, 09:38:14 PM »
So I just read the letter that came with my tickets and Berkman's Place is part of the deal. :-[ :-[
Walked right by it last year and didn't even know what it was.
Hanging out behind secret #11 tee is more my style(that and I do like to follow Bubba), but now I'm intrigued.
Will report if i actually make it in.

I used to live in the sketchy apartments right behind it (Berkman Village)
not really the same thing I guess..... ;) ;D
"Let's slow the damned greens down a bit, not take the character out of them." Tom Doak
"Take their focus off the grass and put it squarely on interesting golf." Don Mahaffey

Bill McKinley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2013, 08:06:37 AM »
Wow Jeff!! Very cool.  Definitely report back if you do make it in there.  And say hi to Bubba for us!
2016 Highlights:  Streamsong Blue (3/17); Streamsong Red (3/17); Charles River Club (5/16); The Country Club - Brookline (5/17); Myopia Hunt Club (5/17); Fishers Island Club (5/18); Aronomink GC (10/16); Pine Valley GC (10/17); Somerset Hills CC (10/18)

Blake Conant

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2013, 09:46:07 AM »
The replica greens are 7, 14, and 16.  They aren't full size, rather they're about 85-90% of the actual square footage.  Green slopes are all precise, however.  No bunkers.     

Definitely a cool spot if you can afford it
« Last Edit: April 04, 2013, 09:47:45 AM by Blake Conant »

Jeff_Brauer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2013, 10:06:25 AM »
Got a BP ticket for the practice rounds and I can report back.  It took me a while to figure out just what a big deal these were supposed to be, so it will be good to see it, but like others, I am most interested in just walking the golf course while following the least crowded group there is, so I can see golf course over golf.

That said, will have the new wife with me, and if she wants to follow Tiger, I am sure that is what I will do.......I can also see enjoying BP at the end of the day.
Jeff Brauer, ASGCA Director of Outreach

Michael Ryan

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #7 on: April 04, 2013, 10:14:27 AM »
I can't afford it, but luckily I'm there Wed/Thurs this year-will report back after embarrassing myself on those replica greens...

Mike

Lester George

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #8 on: April 04, 2013, 10:30:46 AM »
I got BP tickets as well.  Will report back if I can add anything to what Jeff says, which I usually can't.

Lester

Jeff_Brauer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2013, 10:31:42 AM »
Lester,

What do you suppose the chances are we got our tickets from the same source......
Jeff Brauer, ASGCA Director of Outreach

Chris_Hufnagel

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #10 on: April 04, 2013, 10:34:23 AM »
To give you some idea of the scale of it – here is an image from Google Earth...


Lester George

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #11 on: April 04, 2013, 11:22:13 AM »
Jeff,

Likely.

Lester

Ronald Montesano

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #12 on: April 04, 2013, 11:36:47 AM »
The greens are indoors, then?

Next to green number five on the big-pants course?
Coming in 2024
~Elmira Country Club
~Soaring Eagles
~Bonavista
~Indian Hills
~Maybe some more!!

Robert "Cliff" Stanfield

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #13 on: April 08, 2013, 08:24:18 AM »
I will be there today. Found this thread when I searched our badges that had Berckmans Place.  I will try and snap some photos. Excited about the replica greens.

Robert "Cliff" Stanfield

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #14 on: April 08, 2013, 05:16:23 PM »
Wow. This was amazing. The facility is above first class. The staff was so nice and they asked my name every time. The replica greens were awesome and really fun... holes 7, 14, and 16 . They had a club starter with putters by ping, scotties, and tm. They had actual caddies that work there to read the lines and you could play a green and yellow setup. The food and drink was all inclusive. It had several restaurants. Ike's and a Irish Pub etc.  The place was breaming with members and notable past players of golf and football etc.

Bill McKinley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #15 on: April 08, 2013, 10:00:55 PM »
Robert,

Thanks for posting your experiences. Sounds really really cool. Just add another cool thing about going to the Masters, albeit for only the few that have access to Berckmans.
2016 Highlights:  Streamsong Blue (3/17); Streamsong Red (3/17); Charles River Club (5/16); The Country Club - Brookline (5/17); Myopia Hunt Club (5/17); Fishers Island Club (5/18); Aronomink GC (10/16); Pine Valley GC (10/17); Somerset Hills CC (10/18)

Jeff_Brauer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #16 on: April 09, 2013, 08:27:56 AM »
Very nicely done, as you would expect with ANGC.  I walked in just after 7 and had to be among the first dozen patrons.  They put two members out there as greeters, and mine was Condi Rice.  Very cool.

This makes a lot of sense for ANGC - it didn't have a lot of corporate entertainment venues, which have to be in demand.  Rather than sully the golf course with corporate tents, they build and run the venue because it is permanent, while keeping the location both handy and well disguised.

It also lets smaller companies entertain clients for tens of thousands rather than hundreds of thousands in tent cost.  I sat next to a guy who got his badge privileges s as a result of being a volunteer for years.  So, he got 4 presumably for the $6K face value, and is able to entertain 24 customers/friends over the six days, by giving one badge per (okay, probably gives pairs and entertains 6 or 12.

Replica greens were cool, too.  Service was almost too much as you can't go five feet without someone greeting you.  (hard to make your selection in the gift shop if they don't give you time to think!  I don't really need a bathroom attendant, and my wife said the women's restroom actually had one per stall.  They bring in a lot of college and high school students from across the region to staff it. At least some were from hospitality programs and this was great experience.

Overall, its amazing how ANGC keeps knocking it out of the park.  It certainly adds to the experience.
Jeff Brauer, ASGCA Director of Outreach

Howard Riefs

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #17 on: April 09, 2013, 01:50:42 PM »
Very nicely done, as you would expect with ANGC.  I walked in just after 7 and had to be among the first dozen patrons.  They put two members out there as greeters, and mine was Condi Rice.  Very cool.


It's true.

http://www.augusta.com/masters/story/news/latest-news/visitors-rave-about-clubs-new-hospitality-facility

"Golf combines two favorite American pastimes: Taking long walks and hitting things with a stick."  ~P.J. O'Rourke

Jeff_Brauer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #18 on: April 09, 2013, 02:49:32 PM »
A little unnerving to think someone has to come to verify my veracity on this website, but I do appreciate you having my back.....
Jeff Brauer, ASGCA Director of Outreach

Howard Riefs

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #19 on: April 09, 2013, 03:09:10 PM »
A little unnerving to think someone has to come to verify my veracity on this website, but I do appreciate you having my back.....

Anything for a Chicago guy.
"Golf combines two favorite American pastimes: Taking long walks and hitting things with a stick."  ~P.J. O'Rourke

Carson Pilcher

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Berckmans Place at Augusta National
« Reply #20 on: April 09, 2013, 03:56:47 PM »
Does the $6,000 include the badge to the tournament, or do you have to have a badge first and then you can purchase the Berkman's Place ticket?