Masters road trip

Reflections on an emerald jewel: Augusta National Golf Club

Some people might question the sanity of anyone who would willingly travel 2,000 miles in 71 hours, 33 of which were spent riding in a car, to walk for nine hours over 365 acres of grassy hills - very steep hills, I might add.

I guess you can call me crazy.

That's exactly what my older son, Aaron Gaffney, and I did last week.

From our perspective, an opportunity to walk the grounds of the Augusta National Golf Club during Masters Week made the high-intensity road trip worth any discomfort.

The journey to this emerald green jewel speckled with patches of brilliant pink, red, and mauve azaleas after years of viewing the miniature version on a television screen fulfilled a personal "someday I'm going to go there" goal. To walk the course where the greatest golfers in the world have competed since 1934 to wear the coveted green Masters jacket was truly a dream come true.

In fact, the magical beauty of Augusta far exceeded my high expectations.

There are no words or pictures that can adequately portray the splendor - and feeling of reverence - that prevails here. Augusta's founders, Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, had envisioned a challenging course where the 'masters of the game' would gather each year in sportsmanlike competition - such is the case 66 years later.

Designed by legendary golf course architect, Dr. Alister Mackenzie, Augusta is situated on what was originally the Fruitland Nurseries. The wide variety of trees and flowering shrubs that are a focal point of the course's design include numerous stands of the loblolly pine - some of which are 100 feet tall and 150 years old.

Even the 'giants' of the game over the years - Palmer, Nicklaus, Hogan - cast a small shadow compared to these true wonders.

That majesty was evident the moment we crested the hill that opens onto the course - the green of Augusta in the morning sunshine literally hurts the eye at first glance. Its beauty seems too much to bear.

While the expanse of rolling hills marked with spectacular trees and flowers is a notable aspect of Augusta, what isn't there is equally obvious - there are no gaudy corporate tents, no trash cans filled to overflowing, and no porta-poties - not a single one.

Instead, the patrons who visit Augusta during Masters Week enjoy real restroom facilities - as spotless and clean as the rest of the course which is patrolled constantly by an army as numerous as Arnie's who pick up every scrap of paper on every inch of the course.

Not that there's much to pick up - of the thousands of people who were on the course during Monday's practice round, all seemed to have as much respect for the grounds as we did.

Another area that both Aaron and I commented on was the array of food items available at the concession stands - and the low prices. There are no $3.50 limp hot dogs or soggy pizza slices at Augusta - and pop in a souvenir cup doesn’t cost $5.

We sat in the bleachers overlooking No. 15 green - where Gene Sarazen's double eagle in 1935 was the 'shot heard round the world - and enjoyed home-made club sandwiches ($2.50), and delicious, ice-cold pink lemonade ($1 - in a souvenir cup).

Sitting there in the sunshine watching various players test their skills on the trying par 5 hole, it was easy to see why out of the 39 golfers who went for the green in two during tournament play last year, only seven cleared the water that guards the front - this is an incredibly difficult hole.

Other famous holes provided similar impressions:

• The water on No. 16 is much closer to both the tee and green than it appears on television - and the green is as smooth as glass, only with lots of undulations.
• Gusty winds - particularly on No. 12 tee - are evident across the course. It really does swirl and change directions in the Georgia pines.
• No. 18 green is smaller than it looks on the tube - and the bunker that guards the left front is deep. The fairway also has a much steeper incline from tee to green than what appears on television - as do many others, like No. 10, No. 9, and even bunkerless No. 14.
• The first nine holes - some of which are never seen in television coverage - are as impressive as the second nine. The par 3 No. 6 presents a stunning view of the green below from the elevated tee, along with nearby No. 16 green. No. 7 is equally interesting with its rolling fairway that ends in a relatively small green - almost completely ringed by bunkers.
• Noticeable across the course are how close together most of the holes are. The noise level even with limited players on the course during the practice round was substantial, especially between No. 15 green and No. 16 tee; ditto for No. 11 green and No. 12 tee and green. There's absolutely no way that the players can't be aware of who's hit a great shot - or ended up in the water - just by the roar of the patrons.

Other signature items at Augusta also went well beyond the expectations we held in our minds: Magnolia Lane, with its 60, 150-year-old trees that line the roadway leading to the clubhouse, is magnificent; the lovely par 3 course where the Par 3 Tournament is held Wednesday during Masters Week is a miniature version of Augusta's glory; the Sarazen, Hogan, and Nelson bridges, and Nicklaus and Palmer plaques that pay tribute to Masters icons; the Eisenhower and Butler Cabins are gleaming white, while the member's clubhouse is like looking at a snapshot from another place and time.

And everywhere, flowering plants of multiple varieties and in all shades and hues lend fragrance to the air and beauty to the eye.

Today, when the final round is broadcast and the 2000 Masters champion dons the green jacket in the Butler Cabin, the visual images will be clearer and sharper than ever before - Augusta has become real.