by Calvin Koh at Augusta National, Georgia
The Masters holds a special appeal to all golf fans. Even if you are not a golf fan, the Masters is just one of those transcendent sporting events that you simply cannot miss in the annual international sporting calendar.
Augusta National is indeed a very long way away from home in Singapore. It takes close to 30 hours door-to-door, flying out from Changi Airport to New York, followed by a domestic flight to Atlanta before a three-hour drive takes you to Augusta located in the state of Georgia.
Watching all the drama unfold on the TV is riveting. But coming to Augusta to walk the same hallowed grounds as the legends of the game and experience the sights and sounds simply takes the experience to a whole new level.
The manicured grounds are picture-perfect and the azaleas- in full bloom, are strikingly beautiful. There is a strange sense of serenity even on the ground which is a battleground for the 89 players fighting for supremacy this week.
The crowds at Augusta National during the Masters Tournament: Photo: Augusta National
The Amen Corner, a treacherous three-hole stretch from 11 to 13, is the most demanding and challenging section of the course. As players say their prayers before navigating their way safely past these holes, the walk through them does provide a moment of tranquillity amidst the intensity of competition.
It is a privilege to be at the Masters, where tradition runs deep. But along with tradition, comes its own peculiarities where rules which patrons- as they would like spectators to be referred to here, have to strictly abide by.
For a start, mobile phones and other electronic devices are completely banned on the course. A patron who takes out his phone will never be seen again. Running around the course is forbidden and backward-facing caps here are a strict no-no.
The gravitational pull of the Masters and why it is arguably one of the best sporting events in the world is visibly telling when you arrive at the golf shop where thousands of patrons wait very patiently in a serpentine maze to get in.
Standing in the queue to enter the golf shop can be as long as an hour as you marvel at the excess and the many shopping bags patrons walk out with. But it’s definitely worth the wait.
As long as they have the Masters logo- a yellow-shaded emblem of the United States, with a red flag at the bottom right, they are gold. After all, merchandise from the Masters is not available online or sold at any retailers anywhere in the world.
For me, my memories and incredible experience of the week at the Masters are commemorated in a green polo shirt that I certainly waited very long in the queue for.
Calvin is a seasoned communications professional who has covered numerous major professional golf tournaments and sporting events in his career. He runs his own sports marketing agency- The Picture Suite which is headquartered in Singapore.
