The Masters: Augusta’s Call to Fame

Andy Napier
March 31, 2010
Filed under Opinions and Views, Rants and Raves, Sports, Spring Sports

Growing up across the river, South Carolinians are afforded a special opportunity each year during golf’s greatest spectacle. We get to stand by and watch as our relatively small city transforms into a metropolis of foreign golf nerds and rich/weird/old men. Not unlike the migration of the monarch butterfly, these golf addicts tend to travel in packs to their destination; they also manage to turn every restaurant (especially Hooters) in both Augusta and North Augusta into a jam-packed collage of high shorts and golf hats.

But, then again, it would be unfair to say that the Masters Tournament is totally bad. After all, anyone who has been to the historic course will never forget the experience. Some North Augusta residents go almost every year (when getting tickets is possible). Other families, like Junior Sara Pate’s, get to make an easy buck and take a vacation by simply renting their house out.  Pate says, “Other than the cleaning, it’s almost free money.”

This year’s tournament is expected to play out nicely. Many golf fans were expecting a no- show from Tiger Woods. But, after some stroke perfection, the golf giant is ready to come back on top…of the golfing world, that is. Woods has won the event twice already and hopes to maintain his leadership as possibly golf’s greatest of all time.

The Augusta National, which most of us pass by without notice on our way to Carrabba’s, is perhaps the greatest golf course in the world. To us, it seems kind of strange because we never actually think of Augusta as being the golf capital of the world. We usually think of it as another location to cure the boredom of North Augusta. However, in less than a week, Bruce Banner will turn into the Hulk, and a huge increase in both population and Cadillac’s will overpower the residents within a thirty mile radius of the National. So, grab your spiked shoes and put on your plaids, it’s about to be MASTERS WEEK!