You check out. But if you don’t feel like lugging around that piece of artwork, you can have it shipped home.
Then have an ice cream sandwich. The main concession stand is right next door.
Oh yeah, the food and drink
There are the sandwiches, 10 in all — egg salad, pimento cheese, chicken salad, barbecue, club, ham and cheese, chicken, savory tomato pie, chicken biscuit and breakfast sandwich. Most are wrapped in a green bag.
And there are snacks.
And there are drinks.
The menu isn’t champagne and caviar. But it gets the job done. And priced to get you seconds.
TV doesn’t do the place justice
This is meant to be no knock against those who broadcast the tournament. Their work is colorful and compelling. The viewer at home sees infinitely more action than you would on the grounds, simply because cameras have more eyes.
But your own are wowed by the elevation. It’s hard to find a flat lie.
And it’s really difficult to find something out of place. Don’t worry about dropping a potato chip on the ground, because you can practically eat off of it. (Editor’s note: Don’t, but you get the point.)
No. Phones.
;)
Masters-inspired artists play (and paint) by their own set of rules
Enough said.
It’s great to unplug. In your email, it’s great to write, “Out of office … AT THE MASTERS.”
But should you need to make a call — there’s nothing wrong with double-checking a shirt size — there are a few spots at Augusta National with free-to-use phones. Your loved one is going to love seeing the Georgia area code pop up — or be envious. But they’ll pick up.
Tradition(s) unlike any other
There are a few. Here is a partial list, not including Jim Nantz call the tournament “a tradition unlike any other”:
–The Champions Dinner, where the previous winner hosts past winners for a meal
–The Par-3 Contest, where participants, alongside friends and family, play the Par-3 Course on the day before the tournament.
–Skipping balls on 16, where, during practice rounds, players skip tee shots across the water on the par-3 hole.
–The white caddie jumpsuits — caddies all wear the same clothing.
–The words — “fans” are called “patrons;” the “front nine” and “back nine” are called the “first nine” and “second nine;” and the “rough” is called “the first cut.”
–Honorary starters — previous legends mark the start of the Masters with ceremonial tee shots.
–Green jacket ceremony, where the previous year’s winner fits the newest winner with a green jacket, the prize given to champions
–Patrons’ own traditions. Regular attendees — notice no use of “fans” — usually have their own must-dos. Same route in. Same meal. Same viewing spot.
The golf
Yes, they play that at the Masters, too.
;)
The story behind the Masters’ famous pimento cheese sandwich
What makes it special, though, is the context. The previous winners and losers. The past heroics and flubs. You remember the Tiger chip and the Jack putt. You don’t forget the balls lost into Rae’s Creek.