GCA Roll Call; how many have played Augusta National?

[Mac Plumart]

Played it once.  Amazing in every way!

[Pete Lavallee]

OK, another IM and Mac bring our total to 19, roughly 1%. So there is that 1 in 100 chance!

[Jason Chambers]

I have.  As an intern at West Lake CC (run at the time by the great Mark Darnell, who taught us all about what the golf business was), I along with my other interns were told at 11 am that we had a 3pm tee time.  Needless to say, we hightailed it over and soaked it in.  We were allowed in the clubhouse, on the par three and the driving range.  I know what it feels like to stick your peg in the same ground ALL of the greats have played, and it is better than TV can ever describe.  Two holes come to mind.  #9.  You hit a boomer tee ball only to be accosted with a short iron to a ridiculous false front (does "Mackenzie" translate into "Ross" in any part of Scotland?) where a crisply struck 9 hangs on the edge, only to be careened off for a 30-yard chip shot for the par.  Utterly frustrating.  But it also taught me that those boys who negotiate that hole have some skill.
The other hole that is ridiculous is # 12.  It was a 9 iron (the toonamint tees were matted) and while I struck it flush, you have no freaking clue if it is good enough.  The green is a ribbon.  Then to have to hit a bunker shot out of the back trap TOWARDS the creek you just successfully cleared...diabolical!
In the end, we had headlights on the 18th to light our putts.  We saved a divot in our fridge for 3 months.  And it is the epitome of the phrase 'Youth is wasted on the young.'  I was 20, thought I was paying the proper respect and still wish to this day, 25 years later, that I had taken more pictures and relaxed a bit more.

[Mike Sweeney]

Meant to bump this, and now bumping:

OLD POST:

I had a waiter one summer on Martha's Vineyard at the West Chop Club who worked at Augusta in the winter. He had retired from Augusta and told me some great stories and had a real love for the place. He was an older Black man and had nothing but good to say. That had to be a cool era...




NEW POST 4/8/21:

I still have not played Augusta National GC, and it was nice to see them give tribute to Lee Elder today. When I was a kid, I remember Lee Elder playing and honestly had no idea what he had to go through to get on that Augusta stage.

Our friends at National Links Trust are running a nice tribute to Lee Elder on Saturday:

Join NLT at Langston Golf Course on April 10th from 11am-2pm for a Masters themed event honoring Lee Elder. Mr. Elder managed Langston GC starting in 1978 and was the first Black professional golfer invited to the prestigious Masters tournament. Mr. Elder is now the honorary starter at the 2021 Masters tournament.

https://national-links-trust.myshopify.com/collections/langston-event-april-10th/products/langston-masters-event-honoring-lee-elder-ticket

[cary lichtenstein]

I've played it twice and the par 3 once. Stayed at the Bobby Jones cabin over nite. Loved every second of it. Still a great memory.

[Paul Rudovsky]

Been there on 4 trips to play (and for the Masters about 7 times...trust me the 4 and the 7 have ZERO overlap).  First time playing 1976 and last time playing was 2000.  Last time there for Masters was 2010.  Probably played it in total about 15 times the 4 trips.   Not bad after growing up on NYC munis...been so very lucky.


No question in my mind that the course "architecturally" was better before changes since 2000 or so (I have no problem w the changes in length, but do not like the additional trees on right side of 11, 14, 17 and left side of 15 and 17).  But also recognize that without the additional length, the Masters would have lost some of its relevance if it still was approx 6950 yards

[Jeff Schley]

I never have, but a good story of how private some keep it.

 A friend of mine, who I thought I knew very well, said to me one day while we are driving to our early morning tee time, while sports radio was talking about John Smoltz, "Hey did I ever tell you about the time I played golf with Jon Smoltz and Tom Glavine?"
   
 I was like...... uh hell no and why the heck does it take this long to tell me. He says they are both very good golfers and that Smoltz hits his irons as solid as a pro. I ask him how did you get connected with them and he says the starter paired him and a friend of him with em when he was in Georgia.
   
 He continues to talk about how nice guys they are, etc. I'm not thinking much of it as it was some public course in Atlanta or something as they were pitching for the Braves back then.  So I ask, "what course was it?"
   
 He goes, "Augusta."   My jaw dropped, I mean really I recall having my mouth open and pausing for like a few seconds starting at him in disbelief. I said like Augusta National where the Masters is?  He casually says, "yeah."
   
 Now WTF I have known this guy for years and we golf every week in a group together and you drop a casual yeah I played Augusta story on me that includes getting paired up with Tom Glavine and John Smoltz???  It was like he was leading a double life that I never knew about and almost felt betrayed like I couldn't trust him for a while.
   
 Turns out he was newly married to his wife and living in Texas somewhere. His next door neighbor's son was a groundskeeper at ANGC and as he says it, once a year the son can have a twosome to invite. The dad asks my friend if he wants to go on short notice. My friend asks his wife and she says hell no, they don't have any money. My friend says, "I think I would have considered divorce, if she didn't relent. And I'm serious." Maybe he was, but he buys a Delta ticket to Atlanta drives up and plays with his neighbor and coincidentally they are paired with the pitchers. My friend was a heck of a pitcher himself at UT - Austin back in the early 80's.



What a great story and time he had.

[Bill Gayne]

2017 played ANGC about three weeks before the Masters. They were setting up the grandstands and the scoreboards were up which was kind of cool. Lots of great memories from the day but probably most impressive was my 16 year old son making par on all four of the par threes. Hit all four greens and two putted. The course is a lot different and fun for daily member play being much shorter and very wide. The greens are still very challenging and it is very much about angles.

[jim_lewis]

Several times.  First in 1967. Last in 1999. Never played well, but do have a few memorable shots. Almost [size=78%] aced #12 and hit it to a foot on #18. [/size]

[Mike_Trenham]

A guy I caddied for growing up got to play it, it’s an interesting story.


My guy was a super successful sales executive responsible for growing one of the biggest IT firms of the 1980s.   He was between jobs and in a search.  One of the potential issues with his prior job was that he was criticized for playing too much golf...


A headhunter he’s working with sets him up with an opportunity to lead a company owned by Jack Stephens.  Stephens policy was he would not hire a CEO without spending at least three days with the person.  Basically you just were his shadow for a few days.  At this time Stephens was not well known in the golf community.


So my guy goes to Little Rock and around noon on the first day Stephens says “we have to go to the airport to check out a potential new jet for the company”.  At the airport while reviewing the jet Stephens asks “do you play golf”, nervously but honestly my man answers “yes I am an avid golfer”.  Stephens then tells the people were going on a test flight to Augusta.


Stephens had the golf shop set up my man with clothes, clubs and shoes and they spent a day or so getting to know each other at Augusta National!


Ironically a decade later two of this guy’s regular group would get to play there frequently too because of their places in industry, one was very likely on the road to becoming a member when he was given his golden parachute. I had thought he was my golden ticket.


+++++


I’ve only been to a few practice rounds at The Masters but I’ve never experienced better hospitality (it’s a few levels beyond excellent service).

[Mark Smolens]

My former boss's older brother (a long time member at Beverly) used to break stock for big brokerage firm. He wasn't much of a golfer, but loved the game and got invited to travel to, play, and spend the night at Augusta. His host must've been a bigwig. After their round Neil was walking with their host to the clubhouse, and told the host that his friend "Wally" was a great guy, and asked what he did for a living. "Oh, that's Walter Annenberg, he owns REaders Digest and used to be the ambassador to Great Britain."


Another lawyer in my office -- who though a member at Onwentsia never played more than twice a year (if that, and only to bring the guys from the office to guest day) -- once told me that some member had invited him to come down to play at Augusta, but that he told the guy, "thanks, but I don't play much golf. .  ." Eddie loves to tell people how crestfallen I looked when he told me that story.

[Mark Mammel]

I played there in 1992, the year I turned 40. One of my partners, from Tennessee, has a close friend in Atlanta who was in the insurance business. He wasn't a golfer, but knew the locals who were. He told my partner "If your friend wants to play Augusta, have him get in touch."

I got in touch. At that time, the week after the tournament, the club hosted "Appreciation Week." They may still. During that week, selected members of the working press, volunteers, and club employees all had a day when they could enjoy the property as they wished. Some brought their families and fished the ponds. More played golf. Club employees could bring a friend to enjoy the day. As it happened, if you knew the right person, you could become a close personal friend of an employee and play the course. I said "Of course and how much?" "$600", he said.
Well needless to say this seemed the bargain of a lifetime. I asked him to put me on the list and let me know what to do.

He sent me the name of his friend, who had played this way for a number of years. I got a room in the Holiday Inn across the street, flew down and met him in the bar the afternoon before we were supposed to play. There were 2 other guys there with me. Our host took our money and sat down at a table across the bar with one of the older caddies from the club. We could see him talking, then getting a bit excited, and they both seemed to be having some kind of tiff.  He finally came back over to us and said "Well, he decided he wasn't gonna take the $600, no, he wanted $900.  So I told him he could go fuck himself."

We all went pale and felt faint.

"So," he laughed and continued, "he said he'd take the $600, no problem." I ordered a large whisky.
The next day I drove up Magnolia lane, and at the gate I gave my name. It was on the list. As I drove in, I felt like I was entering some kind of fantasy land. At the clubhouse, they couldn't have been nicer. I was given the name of my "friend" and our tee time. In the meantime, I was told to hit balls, play the par three, do whatever I wanted. First, I went to the pro shop. Now this was before any of the property  expansion, so this was the member shop. My best find was a the club's edition of Clifford Robert's "The Story of Augusta National Golf Club", signed.
After the par 3, I headed to the tee. We were in carts, but I walked as my new best friend drove. He was 19, a skinny white kid and a member of the greens crew. After the first couple of shots it was clear her would shoot 120 if he played them all down. (He didn't, thankfully) I asked him "Where did you learn to play?" He said "Hell, I ain't never played anywhere but here."
It was a perfect day, a fun round, and when we finished a shop guy told us to head back out if we wanted to replay any holes or just start over and see how many we could get in. We went back to to and played through 15, then to 18 and done. When we returned as the sun was setting, the club had provided tables stacked with pizzas and kegs of beer. I was amazed at how we were treated as valued guests.

I hope someday to experience Augusta with a member, but this was absolutely an unbelievable day.

[Sandy Smith]

Hi Peter, was lucky to play there two weeks before the 2013 tournament. Stayed in the Tennessee cabin, played  the course in the morning and the par three in the afternoon.
What struck me so much was how much it resembles any other club, it is very laid back. After dinner my member friend went to bed early and I thought we would have to go back to the cabin with him. But no, we stayed up pretty late with a nice bottle of red and looked through all the great memorabilia they have there. It’s like a museum. Was the quickest and best 24 hours in my life.

[Mike_Young]

I played there in 1992, the year I turned 40. One of my partners, from Tennessee, has a close friend in Atlanta who was in the insurance business. He wasn't a golfer, but knew the locals who were. He told my partner "If your friend wants to play Augusta, have him get in touch."

I got in touch. At that time, the week after the tournament, the club hosted "Appreciation Week." They may still. During that week, selected members of the working press, volunteers, and club employees all had a day when they could enjoy the property as they wished. Some brought their families and fished the ponds. More played golf. Club employees could bring a friend to enjoy the day. As it happened, if you knew the right person, you could become a close personal friend of an employee and play the course. I said "Of course and how much?" "$600", he said.
Well needless to say this seemed the bargain of a lifetime. I asked him to put me on the list and let me know what to do.

He sent me the name of his friend, who had played this way for a number of years. I got a room in the Holiday Inn across the street, flew down and met him in the bar the afternoon before we were supposed to play. There were 2 other guys there with me. Our host took our money and sat down at a table across the bar with one of the older caddies from the club. We could see him talking, then getting a bit excited, and they both seemed to be having some kind of tiff.  He finally came back over to us and said "Well, he decided he wasn't gonna take the $600, no, he wanted $900.  So I told him he could go fuck himself."

We all went pale and felt faint.

"So," he laughed and continued, "he said he'd take the $600, no problem." I ordered a large whisky.
The next day I drove up Magnolia lane, and at the gate I gave my name. It was on the list. As I drove in, I felt like I was entering some kind of fantasy land. At the clubhouse, they couldn't have been nicer. I was given the name of my "friend" and our tee time. In the meantime, I was told to hit balls, play the par three, do whatever I wanted. First, I went to the pro shop. Now this was before any of the property  expansion, so this was the member shop. My best find was a the club's edition of Clifford Robert's "The Story of Augusta National Golf Club", signed.
After the par 3, I headed to the tee. We were in carts, but I walked as my new best friend drove. He was 19, a skinny white kid and a member of the greens crew. After the first couple of shots it was clear her would shoot 120 if he played them all down. (He didn't, thankfully) I asked him "Where did you learn to play?" He said "Hell, I ain't never played anywhere but here."
It was a perfect day, a fun round, and when we finished a shop guy told us to head back out if we wanted to replay any holes or just start over and see how many we could get in. We went back to to and played through 15, then to 18 and done. When we returned as the sun was setting, the club had provided tables stacked with pizzas and kegs of beer. I was amazed at how we were treated as valued guests.

I hope someday to experience Augusta with a member, but this was absolutely an unbelievable day.

Appreciation day is the last day of the year.  It has changed a little.  It used to be all volunteers got to come back and play and the employees could bring a guest.  Now they pay some of the volunteers and don't invite all back tp play on last day.  AND more than one guy has been fired for taking money to "guest" a person. 

[Jonathan Cummings]

Have played three times there.  Was surprised at the number of golf carts.  I'll bet a good 1/3 to 1/2 of the groups have carts as well as caddies (Don't tell Melvyn :-)

[Steve Lang]

   Some great stories posted...


Never played it but went 1 under through Amen Corner at Tour 18 last time... the approach to 11 gives one serious pause, 12 green is really small and distance control essential, and wedging over to the sloped 13 green in 3 and staying dry can be a little nervy for any mortal...
[size=78%] [/size]

[Terry Lavin]

Not yet.

[Marty Bonnar]

Still waiting for my invite. Oddly, my Postman appears to have played it as he wears the green cap, polo shirt and green and yellow-striped socks and is always whistling the theme song. Strange, as I’m sure he doesn’t play golf.
Anyway, maybe one day...
F.

[Kevin Pallier]

I just hope to see in my lifetime - I am not fussed if I don't get to play it.


I have to convince my wife once the World's borders open up that its worth the premium to travel from Australia to go and watch the Masters in person one day.

[Mark Mammel]

"Appreciation day is the last day of the year.  It has changed a little.  It used to be all volunteers got to come back and play and the employees could bring a guest.  Now they pay some of the volunteers and don't invite all back tp play on last day.  AND more than one guy has been fired for taking money to "guest" a person."
Mike-I have no doubt that you're correct that heads have rolled on occasion. And it was "Appreciation Week" then. When I was there, it was pretty obvious that this practice by some of the caddies and crew was winked at since I doubt anything done there is a secret from the powers-that-be. My acquaintance from Augusta had been coming for years.
   

[Pete_Pittock]

Have played three times there.  Was surprised at the number of golf carts.  I'll bet a good 1/3 to 1/2 of the groups have carts as well as caddies (Don't tell Melvyn :-)

Probably E-Z-GO. also, Ike and Jones.