Golf at.... The Masters!

Mr.Lob

Mr.Lob

G.O.A.T.
I've got Monday thru Sunday, practice round and tournament, tickets for the Masters this year. My brother got them thru the company he works at. A perk with doing business with various companies. A great freebie, as I understand these tickets are the hardest to get in all of sports. Has anyone been to the Masters before? Any tips on how to get around, what to do, what not to do, how to get close to the players, where they hang out? Any golf courses close to Augusta worth playing at?
 
It IS the hardest ticket to come by in sports! Hope you like pimiento cheese sandwiches and gazillions of souvenir vendors.

If you're trying to play while you're visiting, it's not an original idea so expect a hard time to find tee times and high rates nearby. If you can drive an hour, go across the border into SC and the Aiken area has a few to choose from that might not "Jack you up"!
 
stringertom said:
It IS the hardest ticket to come by in sports! Hope you like pimiento cheese sandwiches and gazillions of souvenir vendors.

If you're trying to play while you're visiting, it's not an original idea so expect a hard time to find tee times and high rates nearby. If you can drive an hour, go across the border into SC and the Aiken area has a few to choose from that might not "Jack you up"!
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Yeah, read about the pimento cheese sandwiches the other day... yuck. I'll take a turkey club.

I understand food and beer, mostly beer, prices are reasonable. About 3 bucks a beer. Looking to buy a couple souvenir shirts and a cap, also reasonable from what I've read.

We'll be bringing our golf clubs, as we aren't sure if a free round of golf is one of the perks. If not, we'll look at the surrounding area as you suggest. John Daly is our corporate host. So should be interesting.
 
stringertom said:
It IS the hardest ticket to come by in sports! Hope you like pimiento cheese sandwiches and gazillions of souvenir vendors.

If you're trying to play while you're visiting, it's not an original idea so expect a hard time to find tee times and high rates nearby. If you can drive an hour, go across the border into SC and the Aiken area has a few to choose from that might not "Jack you up"!
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I got a chance to go in 97. Tiger's first major. That was with old swing which was unlike anything I've ever seen. He'd probably not have lasted 5 years on the tour had he kept that up.

In any case... be prepared to see the best behaved crows/gallery in all of sports. I remember the pimento and barbecue sandwiches but don't recall gazillions of souvenir vendors inside the tournament. I also recall that food/beer were all at a very reasonable prices. They don't gouge their patrons. I really got the feeling that they weren't running a tournament for profit. If you can... get a good look at Magnolia Lane and check out the practice range.

The other big event in Augusta is James Brown's birthday.
 
eelhc said:
I got a chance to go in 97. Tiger's first major. That was with old swing which was unlike anything I've ever seen. He'd probably not have lasted 5 years on the tour had he kept that up.

In any case... be prepared to see the best behaved crows/gallery in all of sports. I remember the pimento and barbecue sandwiches but don't recall gazillions of souvenir vendors inside the tournament. I also recall that food/beer were all at a very reasonable prices. They don't gouge their patrons. I really got the feeling that they weren't running a tournament for profit. If you can... get a good look at Magnolia Lane and check out the practice range.

The other big event in Augusta is James Brown's birthday.
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Thx. If you look online, tickets for a one day ground pass are going between $1,100 and $1,500. Face value of those tickets are about $50. Not sure how tickets are distributed, but seems like Augusta is missing out on making a lot of money... guess they dont need it. Probably about the only club that I know of that doesn't put the almighty buck first.
 
eelhc said:
I got a chance to go in 97. Tiger's first major. That was with old swing which was unlike anything I've ever seen. He'd probably not have lasted 5 years on the tour had he kept that up.

In any case... be prepared to see the best behaved crows/gallery in all of sports. I remember the pimento and barbecue sandwiches but don't recall gazillions of souvenir vendors inside the tournament. I also recall that food/beer were all at a very reasonable prices. They don't gouge their patrons. I really got the feeling that they weren't running a tournament for profit. If you can... get a good look at Magnolia Lane and check out the practice range.

The other big event in Augusta is James Brown's birthday.
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Vendors inside the club grounds are forbidden...that's what the clubhouse sales shop is for. I was talking about the village of vendors on Washington Road and Berckmans (sp.?). You can buy anything imaginable out there!
 
Mr.Lob said:
Thx. If you look online, tickets for a one day ground pass are going between $1,100 and $1,500. Face value of those tickets are about $50. Not sure how tickets are distributed, but seems like Augusta is missing out on making a lot of money... guess they dont need it. Probably about the only club that I know of that doesn't put the almighty buck first.
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LOL when we were walking in there were several guys with wads of cash offering $4K for our badges... 17 years ago!!!

I was fortunate... I was invited by a friend who's family had tickets from the very beginning. At least they have a lottery now. Any serious golfer/golf enthusiast should have the Masters on their bucket list.
 
A couple of my friends have been up there before, and told me it's the most beautiful place they've ever seen. Interesting to see what the harsh winter has done to the place this year, though.
Be prepared to walk up LOTS of hills: it's even steeper that it looks on TV, I hear.
 
eelhc said:
LOL when we were walking in there were several guys with wads of cash offering $4K for our badges... 17 years ago!!!

I was fortunate... I was invited by a friend who's family had tickets from the very beginning. At least they have a lottery now. Any serious golfer/golf enthusiast should have the Masters on their bucket list.
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I understand if Tiger Woods is high on leader board, on Sunday, then the ticket prices double. I would probably sell in a heartbeat for 4 grand... I'm more into tennis these days. But the tickets were given to my brother as a gift, so it would be rude to sell them.

Still a big golf fan, though don't play as much. Best round ever was 79 on a small public course. Usually I'm in the high 80's to low 90's on a good public course. Looking forward to seeing Tiger play. Hope his bad back is up to par. :-)
 
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Augusta won't be quite the same this year without Tiger and possibly Mickelson.

Any guesses on who wears green next Sunday? It's hard to go with a rookie but Patrick Reed knows that course, having played college at Augusta State.
 
Thread bump...par 3 exho tomorrow!

Aussies on fire with wins the past 2 tourneys on the PGA Tour...would have been three if Mr. Green Jacket hadn't choked here in Orlando.

Anybody care to predict a winner?
 
Andyroddickfan said:
But dude! It's the par 3!! What about the strong correlation between doing well at the par 3 then at the masters??

Who you guys got? Scott, kooch, mcilroy, day, lefty, bubba??
Leaning between mcilroy, day and scott.
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Scott...hard to repeat, no
Kuchar...could be his best shot
McIlroy...what a trio for R1&2...Spieth and Reed are Augusta rookies but are ready
Day...nicked up, otherwise I'd say as good a chance as any
Mick...ditto Day
Bubba...never count him out but I'm not convinced he'll win twice there.

And then there's my heartfelt pick...Ernie Els, with time winding down on a solid chance to win. He's in a Mick/Justin Rose trio...the winner just may come from that group!
 
If only John Daly had won it in 1993 he'd have a lifetime exemption. At least he still gets to compete at British Open and the PGA, both of which he will win this year, I have no doubt.

But you can still see John at augusta national in his Hooters tent.

On March 14, 2014, during the second round of the Valspar Championship, Daly shot a career worst 90 which included an 8-over-par 12 on the 16th hole.
 
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r2473 said:
If only John Daly had won it in 1993 he'd have a lifetime exemption. At least he still gets to compete at British Open and the PGA, both of which he will win this year, I have no doubt.

But you can still see John at augusta national in his Hooters tent.

On March 14, 2014, during the second round of the Valspar Championship, Daly shot a career worst 90 which included an 8-over-par 12 on the 16th hole.
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And miss happy hour at Hooters? No way Wild Thing makes that trade!
 
It's a pretty cool event. The pimento cheese sandwiches are just meh. My mom made much better ones :-) In the last few years, they've broadened their food menu, which is good because egg salad on white bread can only take you so far lol.
 
stringertom said:
Augusta won't be quite the same this year without Tiger and possibly Mickelson.

Any guesses on who wears green next Sunday? It's hard to go with a rookie but Patrick Reed knows that course, having played college at Augusta State.
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Not a Tiger fan, always thought the guy had made a deal with the devil, as always found a way to win. Clutch. Ever since caught cheating on his wife, with 20 other women, he has become but a mere mortal again. But, disappointed I won't be able to see him in person. Maybe at the next Ryder Cup.

I'm going with Bubba Watson to earn the green jacket this year.

Brother put value of our tickets at 10 grand apiece. Said friend suggest paying someone $300 to set out our chairs early in the morning to save a spot. Don't know about that. We have Thursday thru Sunday tickets, skipping practice rounds.
 
Ryan Moore will not win the green jacket...wins the par 3 with a -6!

Rory McIlroy will wear shades the rest of the week to protect his damaged eyes after fiancée Woz shows up with flaming pink hair!
 
I'm going to go with Dustin Johnson to win this year. My second choice is Angel Cabrera.

Sentimental choice is Sergio Garcia.
 
r2473 said:
I'm going to go with Dustin Johnson to win this year. My second choice is Angel Cabrera.

Sentimental choice is Sergio Garcia.
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I thought you didn't care!

One of the few with positive sentiments towards Garcia, too! Do you think Hingis still cares for him?
 
stringertom said:
Scott...hard to repeat, no
Kuchar...could be his best shot
McIlroy...what a trio for R1&2...Spieth and Reed are Augusta rookies but are ready
Day...nicked up, otherwise I'd say as good a chance as any
Mick...ditto Day
Bubba...never count him out but I'm not convinced he'll win twice there.

And then there's my heartfelt pick...Ernie Els, with time winding down on a solid chance to win. He's in a Mick/Justin Rose trio...the winner just may come from that group!
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Guess you didn't see this before...I want Ernie but my mind says Rose for the win or Mickelson if his body can hold up. If it's a newbie, Spieth or Reed...but I doubt it.
 
Waiting for Bubba to shoot a green round, but he's still looking too good :(

Westy would be right up there if he could putt, so I'm hoping for Justin Rose to put two great rounds together and get involved if Bubba stacks it at some point
 
Ash_Smith said:
Waiting for Bubba to shoot a green round, but he's still looking too good :(

Westy would be right up there if he could putt, so I'm hoping for Justin Rose to put two great rounds together and get involved if Bubba stacks it at some point
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Bubba has come back to the pack...this will be an exciting Sunday!

I was picking Rose b4 Thursday's round and he has recovered nicely but it will take a 65 or 66 by my guess for him to win...lots of guys to jump over.
 
Westy could take it Sunday. In good position. Looks like I won't win my pool so I'm cheering for Freddy.

Spieth playing well. Nerves held today, will they hold tomorrow? Too bad scott wet the bed today. Even if he went +1 today he would of had a chance.

-6 for the win?
 
Andyroddickfan said:
Westy could take it Sunday. In good position. Looks like I won't win my pool so I'm cheering for Freddy.

Spieth playing well. Nerves held today, will they hold tomorrow? Too bad scott wet the bed today. Even if he went +1 today he would of had a chance.

-6 for the win?
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No, I say -8 or lower sounds closer...benign winds (5mph expected) will allow at least one of the top 7 to shoot a 67 or 68. It's gonna be fun!

Spieth is my pick...having Crenshaw mentor him will be similar to Player's influence on Immelman and then Schwartzel (also Oosthuizen but Bubba used that "get outta jail card" to beat him in the playoff). The kid is a quick study so I'm expecting him to hold up in the clutch!
 
Jordan Spieth hole-out from the bunker at #4 was amazing! Really?? A 20-year-old at his first Masters??? Pure genius!
 
Rock Strongo said:
How he did that, I don't know.

I still think he might choke.
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Two-shot swing at #8 and a tie. Let's see if he really has "an old soul in a young body". One more hole until the traditional "the tourney doesn't start until the back nine on Sunday".

Couples now out after a double bogey at #10.
 
Rock Strongo said:
Things aren't going well for Kuchar...
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Meanwhile your countryman and my fellow FSU alum, Jonas Blixt, wound up T2 beating his playing partner Kuchar by a couple of shots. If he had made some putts he might have pressured Bubba a bit.

Hats off to Watson. He could have been steamrolled the way Spieth played the first seven holes but he stayed close and took his opening.
 
Mr.Lob said:
Not a Tiger fan, always thought the guy had made a deal with the devil, as always found a way to win. Clutch. Ever since caught cheating on his wife, with 20 other women, he has become but a mere mortal again. But, disappointed I won't be able to see him in person. Maybe at the next Ryder Cup.

I'm going with Bubba Watson to earn the green jacket this year.

Brother put value of our tickets at 10 grand apiece. Said friend suggest paying someone $300 to set out our chairs early in the morning to save a spot. Don't know about that. We have Thursday thru Sunday tickets, skipping practice rounds.
Click to expand...

Just got back from the Masters. Great time. Great weather. Bubba came thru as I predicted.

Observations: Walking in for the first day and watched Ernie Els and Phil Michelson on the driving range. Wow, long and straight with effortless swings.

The course, of course, is quite beautiful. The pine needles are quite slick, and are anywhere from a half inch to two inches thick. Some people plot down a chair and sit there the whole day. Others follow their favorite from tee to tee, which we did briefly, but is a bit tiring. Many hills to walk up and down at Augusta. We walked around the first day, the remaining days we spent time at amen corner and between the 9th and 18th greens.

Food was awesome. It was $3 for a beer, $1.50 for soda, $3 or $4 for. Bbq sandwich. Did not try pimento cheese sandwich. No name brand anything. Staff asked me to take off the label of my Deer Park water bottle as I was entering. Peanuts, marshmallow pies, chips, are all labeled "Master". Beer was not labeled, but was told it was Coors. They did have a selection of candy bars though.

Some people who I crossed paths with,Nick Faldo, and a name a few of you may recall... a Mr. Rod Laver. I passed Laver at entrance of club, picked him up only 3 or 4 strides before passing. So really didn't get a chance to say hello. He appeared to be by himself.
 
Mr.Lob said:
Just got back from the Masters. Great time. Great weather. Bubba came thru as I predicted.

Observations: Walking in for the first day and watched Ernie Els and Phil Michelson on the driving range. Wow, long and straight with effortless swings.

The course, of course, is quite beautiful. The pine needles are quite slick, and are anywhere from a half inch to two inches thick. Some people plot down a chair and sit there the whole day. Others follow their favorite from tee to tee, which we did briefly, but is a bit tiring. Many hills to walk up and down at Augusta. We walked around the first day, the remaining days we spent time at amen corner and between the 9th and 18th greens.

Food was awesome. It was $3 for a beer, $1.50 for soda, $3 or $4 for. Bbq sandwich. Did not try pimento cheese sandwich. No name brand anything. Staff asked me to take off the label of my Deer Park water bottle as I was entering. Peanuts, marshmallow pies, chips, are all labeled "Master". Beer was not labeled, but was told it was Coors. They did have a selection of candy bars though.

Some people who I crossed paths with,Nick Faldo, and a name a few of you may recall... a Mr. Rod Laver. I passed Laver at entrance of club, picked him up only 3 or 4 strides before passing. So really didn't get a chance to say hello. He appeared to be by himself.
Click to expand...

More: It was pretty cool to be so close to some of the greatest who ever played. Often while players crossing from green to tee, other times if a player hit into seated area. Really close to Fred Couples, Phil, Tom Watson,Bubba Watson, KJ Choi, Ricky Fowler.

The players were oh so calm. Rarely even speaking to their caddies when moving from place to place. Kucher approached the 18th tee whistling once. No audible obscenities.

Service: Impeccable. Unbelievable. Staff always greeted you with smiles and "Enjoy the Masters". The lines moved swiftly due to the abundance of staff and facilities. Usually in and out of concessions and restroom within 3-7 minutes tops. Restroom floors, you could eat off of. The second you stepped in the restroom, you met up with the air traffic controller dude, who greeted you and directed you to a urinal or a stall. If you needed a stall, they had a attendant open the door and clean the toliet seat for you. Upon exiting you hear,"Thanks for attending our restroom, enjoy the Masters".

The crowd: Amazing how quiet and respectful everyone was. No calling out or nutty behavior. Polite applause for all contestants. Words of encouragement and support when players moving between crowd. Most players remained focused. A few nodded and smiled. KJ Choi seemed like a really nice guy. A slight tip of his cap even if only one individual is applauding. Gimengues(so) also seemed really cool. Gave a high five to Rickey Fowley on 9 after Fowler made an incredible long putt to save par.
 
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