Missing the 2016 Masters

To say the 2015 Masters was awesome is a complete understatement.  It was so good I am greatly missing being at the 2016 tournament.  We are talking ‘Major’ withdrawals, people. No pun intended.

What was so special about the 2015 Masters, you ask?  My 10 year old son and I had just finished watching Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods complete their practice round.  We lined the gallery ropes behind the green hoping to catch a glimpse of the two greats.  What happened next was magical in so many ways.  As the two were making their way toward us, Jordan spotted my son and immediately tossed his Titleist Pro V1x golf ball to him.  While we were well on our way to becoming Jordan Spieth fans, we went from liking him to obsessive stalkers in a split second.  Okay, maybe not stalkers, but you get the idea.  My son must have checked his pocket 100 times that day, making sure that golf ball was still there. While that golf ball meant a lot to him that day, it only grew in its importance the moment Jordan put on his first green jacket a few days later.  Unfortunately for my bank account, he now only wants to play Pro V1x’s, putt with a Scotty Cameron putter and wear Under Armour everything.  You know what?  It is all worth it.  That day in 2015 flipped the switch for my son and his passion for the game of golf is immense.

Jordan Speith tossing his golf ball to my son. Yes, that is Tiger.

If you have never been, it is so hard to describe Augusta National.  There are four primary colors.  Green: The grass is such a powerful color of green and finely manicured, you can only imagine that golf in heaven would be equally perfect. Heck, they look for dirt spots around the grounds and fill them immediately with green sand.  White: The bunker sand is so white you can hardly look at them on a bright, sunny day without sunglasses. All the players in white pants would be camoflauged if it weren’t for their colored golf shirt.  Brown: The only thing brown are the trunks of the enormous pine trees and the pine straw that defines the natural areas around the courses.  Like I said, you will not see dirt at Augusta National.  Pink:  The color of the azaleas.  You ever notice how your azaleas aren’t in full bloom during The Masters but you turn your TV on to see that the azaleas at Augusta National are the biggest and most vibrant flowering blooms you’ve ever seen?  Well, they have their own crew that hides in the azaleas holding the blooming off until Masters Week.  Okay, so they don’t have an official azalea crew but they do have plenty of tricks up their sleeves on timing them just right.

My point to all of this is that nobody does a tournament like The Masters.  It starts at the top and their Chairman and his committee leave no stone unturned.  They do this not only for the players but also for their patrons.  Yes, don’t dare call them spectators!  At Augusta, we all are considered patrons and the members, staff, volunteers are 100% thrilled with you being there.  In fact, I call it the Disney experience of Major Championship golf.  I’ve enjoyed great conversations with hole marshals.  I’ve been served a family meal for four with drinks for under $20, all with a smile.  I’ve even had bathroom attendants genuinely concerned if I am having a special day at The Masters.  When I say, they think of everything, they absolutely think of everything.

Perhaps the greatest thing The Masters tournament did in 2015 was to show my 10 year old son the time of his life.  Yes, Jordan added the icing on the cake but I’ll never forget the wide-eyed look on my son’s face for every minute of that 10 hour day.  The Masters sparked his passion for golf and for a dad who grew up loving the game, I was given a lifetime of memories to be made with my son on the course.  My gratitude to The Masters Tournament will never, ever end.

So, yes, I miss the 2016 Masters for so many reasons but we started another tradition at home.  Sitting on the couch together for five plus hours soaking up every shot and every roar like I did with my dad as a kid.

It truly is a tradition unlike any other. Once you experience it you will never be the same.