What is your best Master's Memory?

[Bravo]

I see some of your point. There is no doubt that the membership is comprised of extraordinairly wealthy people who thumb their noses at virtually everything short of having a loaded gun pointed at them...and frankly some of this attitude will rub anyone raw - including me.

Weirdly, as some of you know, I know a member or two - including a member of my high school class. Additionally, another guy about my age here was recently admitted into membership. And as you can imagine, he comes from an extraordinarily wealthy background. These are people with incomes that run in the $50M range per year. That's right income - not net worth. They are paying taxes on this kind of dough every April.

So why do I love it so?

1) It comes from going there and being treated like a King as a Spectator. The members are rich but they only charge you $3 for a nice, big roast beef sandwhich and $2.50 for a beer. I dont know what the face value of the tickets is but it is absolutely absurdly low. Compare these prices with what you are charged at the other three majors. You are being treated like a Guest when you go there...

2) The membership makes huge sacrifices - all for the tournament. As everyone knows, the course is effing closed from mid-June through October so they can have Rye grass on the fairways so the course is green in April. Imagine being a member from New York or Chicago and not being able to play there in the summer.

Over the years, they have continued to erect strategically located grandstands which enable you to see so much of the course from one spot. Such as the grandstand at Amen. You can see approaches on 11, the full shot on 12 and the tee shot on 13...

Yes they are arrogant but at the same time - they have an attitude that they are "serving the world of golf" through a dedication to having the absolute finest for the players AND the fans. I have seen the Masters, the USOpen and the PGA Championship and there is utterly no comparison from a specator standpoint.

I wish everyone could go there...I walk away with respect and thanks for their efforts to keep prices down, spectators low (so you are not crushed) and great, great conditions...

 

[Rockford35]

Good writing.

I see your point, but I have never seen from your point of view.

We are equally biased in our reasoning, me for lacking and you from experience.

Cheers Bravo,

R35

 

[DaveE]

Mixed blessing

Well it looks like this years Master's memories will start with more rain. The delay might be bad news but I'll bet most of the players are happy to see it.

From what I've read, the greens were super hard and fast in the practice rounds so a little rain is probably a welcome sight. I knew there had been quite a few rain delays this year but pga.com says this is the ninth so far in 05. Amazing.

 

[Dave Ireland]

1988 Sandy Lyle - Firstly at a monetary level I won a couple of hundred pounds on him. I think you also have a heightened sense of ocassion and live every shot for a player when you have him backed - the bogeys hurt you as bad as him etc , I can remember on a couple of occasions getting ready to tear up the betting slip - I can see him pull the visor over his eyes after hitting water on back nine (poss 12th). I'm nearly sure that he chipped in on 16 after flying past the pin and leaving it high. Then the 18th - I'm pushing him on for a birdie, he plays 1# iron off the tee to take the bunkers out of play and proceeds to run thru the fairway and up close to the lip of the bunker, must've milled it 280 or so. Then the commentary takes over informing us there's no way that he can make green with his 2nd - so now I'm pleading for a par. He stands in the trap with a #7 iron, commentators saying this could catch the lip and leave him still in there - then Sandy plays what is still the greatest pressure shot I've ever seen and him like a meerkat jumping up and down in the bunker to try and see the end result. I can still remember him coming up to the green and shaking his head that the ball hadn't rolled further back towards the hole off the slope. I think him actually draining the putt after all that was nearly incidental to me as I was still in the hoping for a par mode.

Secondly, Sandy Lyle proved that a Euro could win The Masters, I think he was the first non-American to win it, but in all the years that we'd been watching golf from America (Ryder Cups aswell) we'd never seen any sucess

 

[dave.]

Faldo and Norman hugging was a good memory,but nothing comes close to Nicklaus raising his putter up like a sword..........................

 

[Bravo]

I remember the Sandy Lyle shot like it was yesterday. It was as you described...he hits an iron off the tee but is so pumped up that he hits it into the bunker anyway. And close to the front lip.

Then, a magnificent shot to within 5 feet and he drains it for the championship...

 

[dave.]

Great shot ruined by sweaty armpits

 

[Dave Ireland]

Great shot ruined by sweaty armpits

LOL ....... your memory is truly astounding Dave .....