franchises here.
This is the Masters. People talked to each other. It was
fun, friendly and every step on the course was a picture opportunity. It felt like it did when the Olympics came to London. The atmosphere and respect every fan showed was incredible. We all knew we were on sacred ground and that created a special feeling. I went to the practice ground first. It’s huge and everything is perfect. It’s the best I have seen. The grandstand seats behind the range are different. These are no ordinary seats, they are all padded! Because I am a disciple of the golf
swing and golf coach I wanted to use this opportunity of going to the Masters to build up my slow motion video collection of golf swings for my YouTube channel.
I decided to go straight onto the
course, a great move as I went to the eighth hole, the long par five and had a prime position right behind the tee. I watched the greatest players walk straight up into my line and hit drivers around 280 to 300 yards; perfect! I spoke to a patron next to me, a pro
from Missouri, who had driven 13 hours through the night to get here! He and his friend had two chairs
in perfect position on the hole which, when they left, they said we could use. These chairs cost $45 each. It’s a Masters tradition that when you put your chair down you are reserving your place for that day. We decided to go to Amen Corner, which is the eleventh, twelfth and thir- teenth holes. What amazing holes they are; strategic, beautiful and legendary. My mind went back to all the history I had seen on TV over the years. seve,
Faldo, Woosnam, Lyle, Nicklaus, Tiger, the list of champions is a who’s who of golf legends.
After that experience and looking
at many of the holes, I decided to walk back to the eighth hole and again my luck was in. A couple next to us left their chairs and said we were welcome to use them. This time we sat right inline on the
tee box in the warm Georgia sun. We watched as past Masters champions Tom Watson, Ben Crenshaw, schwartzel, Woosnam, Lyle and Bubba Watson, the eventual 2014 Masters champion, and so many others walk on the tee and tee off right in front of us. I never moved from my Masters chair filming these golf leg- ends. sorry, not true, I had to move to film Bubba Watson as he is left handed! No jostling for position or fans push- ing to get a good view of their heroes here. This was great for my filming. I really felt as if I was in golf heaven! I was told there was no running by a
marshal. It’s not allowed at the Masters! I told him I wasn’t, I was just moving quickly to get past him to cross to the next fairway! He laughed, and all was good in the
world! The food is good too. There were Masters crisps, cookies, sandwiches and more, all branded with the Masters logo. It was great value for money. Beer was just $3! everything you could think of in the various merchandise shops were all branded with the Masters logo. Our last port of call was to the front of the famous Augusta National club- house, the front drive of which is called the Founders’ Circle. This is where we were told we could have our picture taken by the official photographer.
There was a biq queue but it was worth it, as we posed outside the clubhouse looking down Magnolia Lane. Did the Masters live up to its billing? Yes, one that we will never forget. It hit all your senses. The beauty of the course, its tranquillity - you could hear the birds singing and then you would hear the patrons’ roars through the trees giving their approval as the pros played another spectacular shot. For a golfer the month of April means
only one thing. If you would like the opportunity to go next year, you can go to the Masters website and enter the ballot.
I hope to see you there next year. Note to self for next time; don’t wait
all day for a $3 Masters beer! They stop selling beer after 5pm! Good luck and happy golfing.•
David Bown is available for golf lessons locally. You can contact him by phone on 07973 746872 or by email at
david@bowngolf.com
David Bown PGA AA Professional
www.bowngolf.com Authorised Golfing Machine Instructor Lynn Blake Certified Instructor Twitter @davidjbown YouTube golf channel at David Bown PGA
Youtube.com/bowngolf
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