It’s different

Stormy weather threatened the day of my first Masters visit in 2022. We weren’t sure how many hours we would be able to spend on course. Every moment was savored, particularly after we were evacuated due to wind and rain and permitted to re-enter an hour later. We saw some of our favorite players, watched the Par 3 Contest and walked almost all 18 holes. I was taking in whatever I could.

It was a humbling experience to share in those moments and be at a place wildly heralded by the golf elite. It’s not just the media, club members and patrons who find the event special – players dream about it. The Masters is an opportunity for making golf history, shifting career trajectories and narratives, and spending a precious week making memories with family and friends. 

During the past year, the professional golf landscape has changed dramatically. Some players joined a different tour. The PGA Tour schedule touts elevated events. Rollback headlines are emotive. Inflation is affecting all aspects of life. Hole No. 13 was lengthened, and those changes have been documented and rehashed relentlessly. Not surprisingly, Masters merchandise offerings are ever clever.

The weather for our 2023 visit was much better – sunny, radiant and in the 80s. Yes, please! On television or in person, the colors and textures on this course are beautiful and arresting. Soft, round flowers and skinny pine straw all seem perfectly placed even if they’re not.

If my experience last year was more of a lark in perception, this year I was struck by something that had nothing to do with hole names, ice cream sandwiches or the swing mechanics of Adam Scott. Without agenda or intention, at Augusta National Golf Club, I couldn’t help but admire the conversations.

We walked the Par 3 course well before the first ball was struck. We stopped to shake hands and speak with some industry executives on the way. The renovation was impressive. The routing was sound, the views across DeSoto Springs Pond and Ike’s Pond were magnificent. Editor-in-chief Guy Cipriano predicted a number of hole-in-ones. He was right. The renovations were beautifully planned and executed. We conversed with some long-time superintendents and touched on SEC football. I had followed along with the renovation online, but still marveled over the changes and conditions of work performed in just a year.

As the crowds descended to claim their seats for the afternoon, we headed back to the main course. Stopping for some concessions, we ran into a group of several superintendents hydrating and enjoying a casual chat. Asking if they had seen the Par 3 course yet, they laughed and replied that it was too far away. (Um, what?) We passed that same group a few hours later and the cup stacks were larger, and they were still there talking, laughing, enjoying. It made me smile.

As we hiked the course, we frequently stopped to visit with architects, maintenance crew members and volunteers. Superintendents and directors from all over the country had traveled to ANGC, leaving their own courses, to be at a different one. To talk to their colleagues and friends. To spend time volunteering. To see what’s what. That I recognized several volunteers, and knowing the industry positions they hold and years of experience they possess, was eye-opening. Where does that happen?

It actually happens a lot. A lot of you volunteer with and for each other, at events large and small, formally and casually. We showed some superintendents who traveled to Augusta for part of the week a few photos we took, and they answered questions about a mowing practice we witnessed and a pin-placement device that we hadn’t seen in our travels. Everyone was friendly, patient, kind. Interested.

The biggest difference between my experience last year and this year was that I felt like I was among a large gathering of friends. I appreciated the entirety of my first Masters experience, and don’t get me wrong, it was amazing. Still, what made this year even better was being included in industry conversations. Thank you. I can hardly wait for next year.

Amongst the things that were different, there are things that remain the same. Cipriano is widely recognized and often approached. Managing editor Matt LaWell takes fabulous photos and easily interacts with marshals and patrons. They both think about work, sandwiches and snacks with equal zeal (well, not quite). New this year was passing travel time by them facing off in music trivia. Don’t challenge them in ’90s-pop or singer-song writer identification from the ’60s and ’70s. Their hit rate was shocking. Impressive, but shocking. I’m still not sure how I feel about that.

Whatever emotions exist about various golf leagues, bifurcation or awkward on-air commentary, it’s hard not to appreciate this game, this sport, for all that it is. It’s easy to respect hard work, a drive for excellence, and the unrivalled service of a truly fantastic event. An event that couldn’t happen – that simply would not happen – without the scientists and maintenance team members grinding for course and industry progress every day. You are to thank for much that changes and much that stays the same. I’m glad that every April, there is an extraordinary event where you gather and enjoy each other’s company.

It’s the Masters.

Lee Carr is a Northeast Ohio-based writer, certified turfgrass professional and senior Golf Course Industry contributor.