............ if they were to take 2-10,000 of the prized Masters weekly badges sold to "Patrons" for $90 for a week (And later re-sold for thousands and thousands of dollars under the friendly wink-wink look away system completely against the strict Masters Committee policies) and instead held lotteries for 8-40,000 one-day tickets that would be issued as bronze name-engraved non-transferable ultimate souvenirs that the regular golfer would prize? After all, there isn't even a waiting list any longer for the Patron Badges. How likely is the average golfer ever to see a real competition round at the Masters without a business perk or a second mortgage? I suppose that the practice round lotteries are a nice gesture ........
Ironic that the founding fathers left England for relief from the tyranny of the Crown and the USA is supposedly the world's great bastion and spreader of freedom (whether you want its brand of freedom or not).
Yet - all but a very few of the UK's greatest golf courses can be played by visitors who posses a legitimate handicap card and are willing to play at certain times while in the USA, emulating the storied ANGC nearly all of the top private clubs in the USA are absolutely off-limits to anyone not knowing a member.
I contend that too many Masters attendees are there receiving a business perk, rather than out of the love of the game, yet another way the Masters and ANGC is in the end not really good for the game. After all, they have also given us dyed ponds, unrealistic green conditions (making lives for our supers very frustrating) and are continually going against the original design intent of Bob Jones and Dr. Mackenzie.
...... cue that awful
music now .....