This past week, thousands of people from all around the world, spent millions and millions of dollars to make the pilgrimage to Augusta to kneel at the holy grail of golf, eighteen holes of heaven, the mecca of greens, fairways and tee boxes otherwise known as “The Masters”. I know I’m getting close to being in trouble by making all these religious references, but to a lot of folks, golf is almost a religious experience, and I guess that’s why the golf course is where you might find some of them on Sunday, and that’s o.k. with me, cause sometimes you just might find some other folks at the farm on Sunday. O.K., I think I might have just heard a little thunder so let’s move on from that. It’s fascinating to watch the patrons who come through the turnstiles at Augusta National. Some come from halfway around the world, some from all the way around the world and some from as close as Swainsboro. This was the 88th year of the tournament, and it gets bigger and bigger every year. Estimates are the four days of the Masters create an economic impact of over $150,000,000. The “look” of the Mas-ters tournament and of Augusta National has changed through the years, but the culture of the event and of the place itself remains true to its storied beginnings in the early 1930s and its history since then. The Masters is one sporting venue where respect for the rules, the tradi-tion, the people around you and the love of the sport is still honored, expected, required, and maintained, and if you don’t believe that, just ask one of the gallery guards. He will let you know if your behavior is lacking.
Late on a Sunday afternoon with thousands of reverent fans around a green, you will swear you can hear everyone holding their breath waiting on the putt. It’s so quiet you can hear birds chirping way off in the distance. Then, like a scene from a movie, a 25-footer starts its roll across the grass, heading home and drops into the cup, and the roar of the crowd is so loud the ground vibrates. It’s just like that at the Masters. The intensity of the game makes you proud just to be there and to be a part of a moment. Whether you’re a spectator (excuse me, a patron) or a player, all you have to do is just enjoy the contest and play by the rules. Just bring your best game. And when the match is over, you walk out thinking what a shame it is that those same rules don’t apply everywhere. I guess it’s only natural for some to see a golf tournament as just a game, but it sure would be great if this world we live in that is so troubled and confused about so many things could just take a tip from the simple respect for tradition, unchanging values, and time-honored principles that still lives inside the gates of that golf course and within the heritage of The Masters.
