Last month, I got the opportunity to go to a practice round at The Masters. Whether or not you play golf, Augusta National is a place of wonderment. For a lifetime, I’ve been mesmerized by images of these azalea-lined, immaculate fairways. But you can’t appreciate the perfection 
without seeing it in person. If golf were a religion, Augusta is the grand cathedral—the men who walk vie these green hills our Gods.
The Masters patrons worship here with a reverence seen and heard only in the quiet confines of a basilica. While I’ve attended many other PGA events that were more like parties where there happened to be golf, the spectators at Augusta are reserved, save for that special birdie or eagle roar that electrifies the grounds, and extremely polite. Maybe they are paying homage to the living history here. Or maybe they are just terrified of losing a truly priceless badge forever. Masters patrons also spend an enormous amount of money
on merchandise. Augusta National brilliantly refuses to sell logoed merchandise anywhere but the seven days the event is held each year. As a result, the gift shops are continually filled with fans eager to part with $75 for the cheapest golf shirt or $30 for a hat.
For those who cannot get a badge to one of the four Master’s rounds, practice round tickets are almost as golden. For me, a practice round ticket is all the more valuable because cameras are permitted, albeit with lots of rules. Shooting sports photography from behind the ropes in the middle of the day is not exactly an easy task. Invariably, I was in the wrong spot. Despite coming home with only a few keepers, I had a blast and can’t wait to shoot, and worship, in American golf’s most spectacular cathedral again.
without seeing it in person. If golf were a religion, Augusta is the grand cathedral—the men who walk vie these green hills our Gods.The Masters patrons worship here with a reverence seen and heard only in the quiet confines of a basilica. While I’ve attended many other PGA events that were more like parties where there happened to be golf, the spectators at Augusta are reserved, save for that special birdie or eagle roar that electrifies the grounds, and extremely polite. Maybe they are paying homage to the living history here. Or maybe they are just terrified of losing a truly priceless badge forever. Masters patrons also spend an enormous amount of money
on merchandise. Augusta National brilliantly refuses to sell logoed merchandise anywhere but the seven days the event is held each year. As a result, the gift shops are continually filled with fans eager to part with $75 for the cheapest golf shirt or $30 for a hat.For those who cannot get a badge to one of the four Master’s rounds, practice round tickets are almost as golden. For me, a practice round ticket is all the more valuable because cameras are permitted, albeit with lots of rules. Shooting sports photography from behind the ropes in the middle of the day is not exactly an easy task. Invariably, I was in the wrong spot. Despite coming home with only a few keepers, I had a blast and can’t wait to shoot, and worship, in American golf’s most spectacular cathedral again.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment