Every now and then, you truly feel that you're experiencing something so special that you have "goosies" aka... goosebumps. For me, that experience was last week in Augusta, Georgia. I'm not quite sure that the words I pen here will even be adequate to describe it or give justice to the entire experience. The Masters definitely lives up and far exceeds any expectations I ever envisioned. Augusta comes alive during that week with true southern hospitality in many ways. If there was any disappointment, it would be in the choice of hotels, but.. even that couldn't dampen my spirits too long.
I've always enjoyed golf and have been known in my "younger" days to even have picked up a club and "tapped" a ball or two. I've been known to put together some pretty fabulous golf outings for colleagues and for me, I love riding the course and enjoying the day with my fellow friends who play the sport so well. Last week, my love of the sport was elevated in ways I could not even imagine.
Since I had never been to the Masters, I didn't really know what to expect. I was a little confused about the whole operation of how you picked up tickets, got in, etc. I have some friends in the industry who are "pros" and with their guidance, I was quickly immersed in all the excitement. The one thing that really blew me away... no cell phones allowed inside Augusta National and cameras were only allowed on the practice days. How could I possibly go without a cell phone? Guess what... it was quite liberating.
The first event that took me by surprise was the final practice round and par 3 tourney. As we walked inside, I was overwhelmed by the crowd, the beauty and just the fact that I was standing inside Augusta National during the Masters. Yep... Goosies... All over the place.
Walking the course, you realize that television does not do justice to the beauty and magnitude of this tourney. Yes, those commercials do a great job of describing it.. but it's so much more than that. The Par 3 tourney really gives you an insight as to how many people are inside those gates. Wow! This day really gives you a glimpse of the golfers, their families and personalities. I loved watching them engage with the crowds.
The tournament, itself is a whole other story, but in a very good way. On Wednesday, I had decided that my golfers were going to be Fred Couples, Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia. You're probably saying... yeah, right, but it's true... I really decided that early that those were going to be "my guys" to follow.
On Friday...it was extremely cold in the morning and I quickly donned about 5 layers because there was no way, I was missing one second of this experience. The first moving day as I was told.. I was so blown away by my friends process of watching the Masters.... it truly gave me an experience that I won't forget. The experience started by getting up at ... ummm... 5:45 in the morning, so we could be up and at it by 6:40 a.m. --- YES... I was on time! After getting our badges, coffee, we were off and running. I quickly learned that one of the secrets to the Masters is to get there early on tournament days, get your chairs placed where you want to end up... and go enjoy the course until it's time to come back to your final spot. We started at the 1st and 2nd holes watching the first several groups. Then we moved to #4 where we sat and watched for quite a while.. it was here, that I decided that my picks were definitely going to be good ones, although Phil was having a rough day on Friday.
From #4, we moved to Amens Corner and the sun came out and life was great. What a fantastic view and vantage point. You can see the end of #11, watch #12 entirely and see them tee off of #13. I was hooked... and knew that I would definitely be back. After eating the "traditional" Masters sandwich and having a few beverages, we strolled over to #15 and #16 before finally making our way up the hill to #18 where our chairs readily awaited our arrival. We were right behind the pin on #18 and honestly... it was here that I finally realized how "surreal" this whole experience was for me. i looked around and saw the crowd, the television crews, the golfers as they came up on the green and I knew that I had a huge check mark on my bucket list.
I felt overwhelmed, a sense of gratitude, humbled and extremely excited to be able to experience this. I really have had a blessed life of opportunities and experiences and am so grateful to my colleagues who include me in these. I would say to anyone who has an opportunity to go... don't pass it up. For me, I will have these dates on my calendar counting down the days until next year. (And just so you know... I predicted that Bubba Watson would be wearing a green jacket at the end of the day.. ) For my first Masters experience, it could not have turned out better to have him win it. He's from the SEC, an alum of Georgia, a true Southern guy, very humble and I loved the way he played the game and the fact that he looks really good in all white... was definitely a perk in picking him.
Until 2013... Congratulations Bubba and thanks to my dear friends who showed me a whole new world. Birdie, Eagle, Bogey, Double... I'm ready for the next one! FORE!
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