What it’s prefer to play Augusta Nationwide as common golfer, footage, handicap, scores

They’re the long-lasting photographs that each golf fan remembers, the marvellous Masters moments at Augusta that go away mere mortals awe-struck, the thrives that earn immortality.

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Contemplate Tiger Woods unbelievable chip from beside the sixteenth inexperienced in 2005, a shot the commentator declared was “extraordinarily troublesome” given the ball had landed “in one of many hardest pitches on the complete place”, that defied credulity.

“Oh my goodness. Ohhh WOW!” the commentator bellows.

“In your life have you ever seen something like that?”

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What about Bubba Watson’s banana bender across the nook from deep within the woods on the tenth gap within the 2012 playoff to win the inexperienced jacket from Louis Oosthuizen, who himself conjured a miracle when scoring an albatross on the par 5 2nd gap named Pink Dogwood?

Because the caller intoned; “This one could possibly be very good. Oh ‘Come to papa’. YEEESSS”.

There may be the chip shot throughout the 1987 playoff on the eleventh, named White Dogwood, from Larry Mize that broke the center of Greg Norman and plenty of Australians.

Or the tee shot from Jack Nicklaus on 16 within the 1986 Masters. And Woods on the identical gap 33 years later that successfully helped him seal a win for the ages in 2019.

Over the following week, because the 2025 area seeks to enter the annals of the well-known event, these spine-tingling moments can be replayed in all their glory throughout the dwell protection.

About 18 hours after the Masters is full, one other group lives their childhood desires, with extra mortal members of the media granted entry to the course by way of an poll, an annual invitation among the many assorted traditions and quirks at Augusta.

It’s pot luck, with the writers receiving discover on the weekend of their success. They’re required to attend a particular briefing, pay heed to each guideline related to their invitation after which set forth on Monday on {the golfing} journey of a lifetime.

Conscious that many Australians who watch The Masters are common golfers, foxsports.com.au quizzed a few of these fortunate sufficient to dwell out the fantasy spherical on what it’s prefer to play Augusta underneath event mode … or close to sufficient.

The challenges abound, not least as a result of the pins are left in the identical place as they have been within the championship spherical on Sunday.

Securing golf golf equipment generally is a trick. So too sneakers. Avoiding the temptations on the well-known Tbonz Steakhouse which caters to followers and gamers alike after the 72nd on Sunday evening is up there as effectively. Then there’s the duty of discovering a driver accountable sufficient to comply with the strict tips of the Augusta Golf Membership to make sure you arrive on time.

On the eve of the 2025 Masters, we spoke to creator Evin Priest and famend journalist Mark Hayes about their expertise within the coronary heart of Georgia.

They add their recollections to these of Information Corp Australia journalist Julian Linden, Martin Blake from Golf Australia, Queensland Reds media man Jim Tucker and AAP scribe Darren Walton, who touched on the misleading digicam angles to beers earlier than Hogan’s Bridge, from utilizing the locker of a champion to utilizing the amenities on the right track.

EVIN PRIEST (2017)

Australian Golf Digest

Childhood course: Tura Seashore Golf Membership/Camden Valley Golf Resort

Main course: Bankstown Golf Membership

Handicap: 4

Rating: 89 (was off 12 on the time)

Australian creator and journalist Evin Priest’s coronary heart was racing by the point he stepped on to the opening tee to play Tea Olive, an attractive par 4 that’s the gateway to golfers Heaven.

Priest, who has simply co-authored a terrific e book titled Collectively We Roared with Steve Williams, the long-time caddie of Tiger Woods, had been breathless for the perfect a part of an hour from his entry by way of Magnolia Lane, which serves because the stairway to golf’s pearly gates.

Because the lucky few members of The Fourth Property who’ve been invited to play Augusta Nationwide the day after the Masters can attest, the principles associated to entry are particular.

An hour is allotted from the time the gate opens to permit the invitee onto the course previous to stepping on to the primary tee … and there’s a lot to savour in that hour, Priest stated.

“It’s an expertise you always remember as a result of Augusta Nationwide’s mission is to deal with you want a member for the day. I do know that sounds far fetched, however they do provide you with a tasting pattern of what members take pleasure in every time they go to,” Priest advised foxsports.com.au

“You’re allowed in precisely one hour earlier than your tee time and the drive up Magnolia Lane is especially particular as a result of the media don’t enter by way of Magnolia Lane — that’s for the gamers.

“You’ve then bought lower than 60 minutes to go to the professional store and get Augusta Nationwide merch, which is totally different to Masters merch and may solely be purchased when taking part in Augusta, meet your caddie, hit balls on the vary and take a look at the Champions Locker Room, for instance.”

Priest made certain to take a look at the locker allotted to Australia’s solely Masters champion Adam Scott, who shares it with three-time winner and all-time nice Gary Participant, earlier than teeing off.

On studying his title had been referred to as within the media poll, the Sydneysider had a number of experiences he wished to tick off on the course as effectively.

His work duties apart as he coated Sergio Garcia’s triumph, Priest might scarcely cease eager about what it might be prefer to play his first shot at Augusta and took a deep breath, partly to gradual the racing coronary heart, but in addition to savour the expertise of a lifetime.

“After the primary tee shot, which you’ve been eager about all weekend, taking part in the course is the closest factor a {golfing} grownup can expertise to the euphoria of going to Disneyland or Sea World as a child. You simply couldn’t be happier,” Priest stated.

“I wished to play effectively, however my focus was simply attempting to hit the perfect photographs I might on the photographs I’d dreamt about since I used to be a youngster — the tee shot on No.2, the second into the par-5 eighth, the tee shot on 10 and 11, in addition to clearly the well-known par-3 twelfth and par-5 thirteenth, the second shot on 13 and 15 and the tee shot on 18. And for probably the most half I hit lots of good photographs on all of them.”

Regardless of the rating, most golfers will stroll off a course wanting to return again if they will grasp the final and Priest has the great fortune of getting a roar of affirmation echoing in his head to this present day, having saved his finest for final … until his fortunate quantity comes up once more.

“On the finish of an important day, I wished to hammer a 50-metre slice off the left bunker,” he stated.

“I no joke hit a 270-metre drive so pure and with such a powerful slice spin my caddie — and I’ve this on video — yelled out, ‘My WORD’ in his thick southern accent. From the center of the golf green I hit a wedge on and simply missed the birdie putt.”

Priest’s spherical was full however the scrambling was not.

Such is the last-minute nature of the invitation, invariably it results in problems with different obligations, not that any Augusta invitee cares.

“The scramble to vary my flight out of Atlanta, which is 2.5 hours up the freeway, was not an issue since you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face,” he stated.

“What different sporting occasion on the earth permits the media to enter a lottery to play the world — and never simply any soccer stadium, however the world’s most unique and prestigious course — the day after competitors?”

MARK HAYES (2014)

Golf author

First Course: Tewantin Noosa Golf Membership

Main Course: Curlewis and Port Arlington Golf Golf equipment

Handicap: Then 11, now 6

To recommend Mark Hayes felt a whirlwind of feelings at Augusta in April 12 years in the past can be an understatement given the non-public {and professional} tumult he skilled in a day.

Among the many highlights of his journalism profession was the enjoyment of overlaying Adam Scott’s triumphant success in 2013 as he delivered to an finish the good Australian drought on the Masters.

The magnitude of the success, which meant hundreds of phrases of protection for the Herald Solar and stablemate papers again in Australia, made for a frantic end to the weekend.

It additionally hoped him get well from the heartbreak a day earlier when his desires of taking part in the fabled course have been dashed simply as he was envisaging driving up Magnolia Lane.

“I used to be advised by a mate that my title had come up and I used to be like, ‘Don’t mislead me.’ And he stated, ‘No. No. No. It has come up,’” Hayes recalled.

“I had been out on the course, however I got here again in as a result of I didn’t have my cellphone. And the joys left me virtually breathless. I began scurrying down the steps to the lobby the place the lobby is and for some cause, and I can’t even inform you the way it occurred, however this bloke … was standing in entrance of me and I heard him speaking to somebody, telling them his title had come up.

“I requested him what his title was and he stated, ‘Marcus Hayes’. My coronary heart almost fell by way of the bottom. And I lookup and certain sufficient it says Marcus Hayes, not Mark Hayes with a ‘Ok’.

“I turned to him and launched myself and he stated, ‘Oh, my God’. It seems he was an important fella. However I used to be so near getting it and to have it wrenched out of my fingers was intestine wrenching.”

Hayes, not surprisingly, was somewhat gun shy the next yr when he returned to cowl Scott’s defence of the inexperienced jacket and had the same state of affairs unfold.

However there was no close to namesake in line to knock him off in 2014, which led to a sleepless evening following Bubba Watson’s second triumph as he imagined what lay forward of him.

“I simply keep in mind every thing operating like clockwork,” he stated.

“You’ll be able to’t go down Magnolia Drive earlier than your devoted time … and then you definately’ve bought a pyramid (of golf balls) to do on the driving vary, however they’re all Titleist balls and you’re hitting out on to this stunning vary.

“That’s what begins your thoughts racing, since you consider all of the gamers who had been there and achieved that and suppose, ‘Oh, my God. They have been right here yesterday.’ It’s all a little bit of a whirlwind in some respects. You get your individual locker for the day, which is wonderful in itself.”

Hayes, who was taking part in off a handicap of both 11 or 12, had a easy mission for his Masters day.

If he might handle to birdie a gap on the well-known course, effectively … it might not matter what he scored. For the document, although, he notched a 91. And that birdie?

On the thirteenth, he thought he was an opportunity, just for it to all go improper as he ended up taking a triple bogey, which included a three-putt.

However on the next gap, he hit an enormous drive and adopted that with a seven iron straight to the center of the inexperienced.

That, in itself, was not a assure, for Hayes’ caddie advised him that if the ball moved to the left, he would have a monster downhill putt to navigate, but when it fell to the fitting, it might dip down near the place the pin was. And it went proper.

That left him with a 3 to 4 inch putt that Hayes “couldn’t have missed”.

He had snared his birdie and from then on it was celebration time, with a birdie following on the 15 as effectively, earlier than parring 16 and 17 and ending off with a bogey after moving into hassle.

“I performed the final 5 holes of Augusta in one-under and I felt like I had received the Inexperienced Jacket,” he stated.

Darren Walton (2023)

Australian Related Press

First course: Coffs Harbour Golf Membership, New South Wales

Main course: Carnarvon Golf Membership, Sydney

Handicap: 10

Rating: 97

The directions have been spelled out to Darren Walton by the officers of the Augusta Golf Membership final yr as he ready for the most important spherical of his life. Each order have to be adopted.

“They offer you a pleasant invitation and say that you must be there one hour earlier than. It was not 59 minutes earlier than. It was not 61 minutes earlier than. You have to be there precisely an hour earlier than,” he stated.

“Brent Learn (Sydney journalist) drove me up Magnolia Lane within the rent automotive and I used to be warned that he needed to exit the property instantly after dropping me off.”

After arriving, Walton was taken to the Champions’ Locker room and was issued with the locker utilized by Canadian Mike Weir when he received the Masters 20 years earlier.

The long-serving AAP journalist felt nervous initially however “actually thought I used to be taking part in at my house course as soon as I settled down, as a result of it isn’t overly lengthy and the fairways are fairly forgiving, though the greens are treacherous.”

Walton managed to par the fourth, six and eighth holes on the entrance 9 to achieve the flip in an affordable place, having shot 43 regardless of three-putting the ninth, however his pleasure bought the higher of him on the break.

“I felt like Charlie within the Chocolate Manufacturing facility, that I had received the golden ticket. And after I had three pars on the entrance 9, I felt like ‘Augusta’ Gloop. However then Amen Nook bought me,” Walton stated.

“I had a few beers on the midway mark after which rushed to the tee field on the tenth … and was fully seduced by the wonder that’s the beast. It was probably the most stunning sight in my life. It’s only a majestic gap, however it’s an absolute monster.”

Walton’s wheels fell off. He triple-bogeyed the tenth, named Camellia, after which double-bogeyed the eleventh, which is known as White Dogwood. And he was surprised when arriving on the twelfth gap, the well-known par three named Golden Bell.

“Essentially the most wonderful factor is that … when you’re watching on TV, it seems like a drop shot, like they’re hitting downhill. However that’s truly an phantasm,” he stated.

“The tee field is under the inexperienced and you’re truly hitting to an elevated inexperienced. That, to me, is one thing I couldn’t consider.”

Australian journalist Graeme Agars, who celebrated his fortieth Masters in 2023, had suggested Walton to take two golf equipment greater than he may suppose he wanted on the 141m gap.

However he didn’t pay attention and ended up within the water. A double-bogey there additional rattled his confidence and whereas the Sydneysider regrouped to par the 14th, the 500m fifteenth named Firethorn proved prickly for Walton. He finally recorded a 9 as his hopes of breaking 90 fell away.

Martin Blake (2012)

Golf Australia. Previously The Age.

First course: Stawell Golf Membership, Victoria

Main course: Yarra Yarra Golf Membership, Melbourne

Handicap: 11 (13 when he performed Augusta)

Rating: 98

On his third journey to Georgia to cowl The Masters, Martin Blake had simply returned from a number of hours on the course monitoring the Australian contingent on Saturday when all hell broke free.

Officers have been operating from all instructions to let him know that his title had been referred to as within the poll and that he would wish to get cracking in an effort to assure the invitation stood.

A part of him puzzled if he was being arrange for an elaborate prank however, certain sufficient, Blake’s title was on the poll board alongside fellow Aussie scribe Jim Tucker.

There have been a few obstacles to beat.

It was the primary time he had travelled to Augusta with out his golf golf equipment, so the Melbourne-based journalist jumped right into a cab and visited native programs, the place he was finally saved by a membership professional who was so amazed by the chance that he leant his personal golf equipment.

Standing on the primary tee the day after Bubba Watson hit one of the vital outstanding photographs in Masters historical past to edge Louis Oosthuizen on the second playoff gap, Blake had one other downside. So thick was the southern drawl of his caddie, he couldn’t perceive a phrase.

“Then once more, he couldn’t perceive me both, however we managed to get through the use of a type of signal language,” Blake stated.

Enjoying from the Members tees, Blake began effectively when thumping a drive straight down the center of the 406m par 4 referred to as Tea Olive, which helped him safe a gap par.

“It was very nerve-racking standing on the primary tee … however my reminiscences of the day are simply taking a look at Jim and we have been simply laughing with one another,” Blake stated.

“We have been pinching ourselves. ‘Is that this ever actual? Is that this truly occurring?’.”

Then writing for The Age, he stated he fluked a par on the par 3 sixteenth gap, named Redbud, regardless of slicing a ball far to the fitting and into the timber.

“I’d by no means seen anybody find yourself there and I needed to hit it again in direction of the water, straight down hill in direction of the water, however by some means managed to cease it on the inexperienced and make par,” he stated.

The one gap Blake wished to play completely was the well-known twelfth gap, a 141m par 3 generally known as Golden Bell. However the event bought the higher of him.

“We stopped on Hogan’s Bridge and bought our pictures taken on the bridge as we got here off the eleventh, after which I proceeded to knock one straight into the drink,” he stated.

“I flared it straight out to the fitting and anybody who has watched it’ll know that the creek runs at an angle and it bounced straight into the water.

“I dropped it and ended up in a nasty little spot and I flubbed it straight again into the water, so I ended up taking six on probably the most well-known par three on the earth. That was not perfect.”

Equally to his colleagues, Blake stated the undulation of the course is one thing that’s not simply identifiable for individuals who are watching on tv and that the situation of the course actually “must be seen to be believed”.

“There may be not even a weed there. And you actually do really feel like you’re on some kind of hallowed floor,” Blake stated.

“I do not forget that on the fourth, I took an enormous divot and thought, ‘That is sacrilege. I’ve dug up Augusta’. However I believe the course is playable … from the members’ tees.

“It is rather like the previous Lee Westwood line, like ‘Disneyland for Adults’. It was simply good, one of many highlights of my life and I can inform you I’ve dined out on it since.”

Jim Tucker (2012)

Queensland Reds communications, previously Courier-Mail

First course: Warringah Golf Membership, Sydney

Main course: Indooroopilly Golf Membership, Brisbane

Handicap: 13. Now off 9

Rating: 92

Jim Tucker’s nerves have been jangling when he stepped onto the primary tee alongside Blake for his dream spherical at Augusta in 2012.

As soon as once more, the strict edict related to the invitation to play Augusta required some fast considering.

Tucker, who filed his final story on that yr’s Masters at 1.30am on Monday morning, had arrived in Georgia with none golf golf equipment however ventured into the storage of his rental home and located a set owned by the son of their landlord.

One other problem got here with truly discovering a solution to Gate 3, Augusta Golf Membership, to take up the invitation on Monday.

The membership made it clear that arriving by way of a cab for such an auspicious second wouldn’t do and so Tucker, who had by no means pushed in the US earlier than, employed a automotive and picked up Blake on the way in which.

“It was like ‘Driving Miss Daisy’. It was fairly a fraught journey simply to get to the course after which I used to be frightened I’d take out a magnolia tree on Magnolia Lane,” he stated.

As soon as there, nevertheless, the geniality of the membership got here to the fore.

Tucker was proven to the Champions’ Locker Room — he used the locker of Fuzzy Zoeller, who received the Masters at his first try in 1979 — after which invited to breakfast.

A go to to the professional store was additionally so as. Tucker is right-handed however he putts left-handed, not that it mattered as a result of the borrowed package was and not using a putter.

The membership professional advisable the most recent mannequin Scotty Cameron putter but it surely scarcely did him any favours, with the Brisbane-based media specialist having 40 putts in his spherical of 92.

Other than the magnificence of the course, a few reminiscences stand out for Tucker.

His caddie was named Warren Leffler, who had performed on lower-tier excursions and, “after some prodding from his fellow caddies”, divulged that he had as soon as scored an albatross on the 500m fifteenth title Firethorn.

Enjoying alongside Tucker and Blake was knowledgeable named Bob Casper, whose father Billy Casper received the 1970 Masters and likewise two US Opens in a profitable profession.

Bob Casper, “a beautiful man” who shot 33 on the again 9, had introduced a good digicam for the spherical which allowed Tucker and Blake the prospect to safe treasured pictures of their day.

However he additionally relayed tales about his dad, a prolific tour winner who died in 2015, and stated that after his taking part in days have been completed, he would proudly put on his inexperienced jacket to Augusta and place himself close to the clubhouse, completely happy to speak to anybody who walked by.

“He simply liked the neighborhood that that membership is,” Tucker stated.

“We solely see it throughout the event, however for the week of the Masters, it’s a splendidly welcoming membership. All of the members will do you any favour you possibly can dream of out on the course.”

The eleventh gap, a 475m par 4 named White Dogwood, stunned Tucker, who stated “it’s a a lot better gap than you actually would have seen on TV”.

If a participant is lucky to drive straight, Tucker stated; “You do see the entire panorama of ‘Amen Nook’ in entrance of you. It’s a patch of sacred floor for golfers and from that perch, halfway down the eleventh gap, you possibly can see the entire of Amen Nook.”

Tucker bought on a roll when parring 10 by way of 12 and had a 30 foot putt for birdie on the thirteenth, solely to 4 putt.

Among the many highlights was attempting to imitate the well-known shot Watson hit a day earlier within the playoff to clinch a outstanding win.

“The caddies present you the place all the good photographs have been hit, from (Phil) Mickelson’s shot from the timber on the thirteenth to the place Larry Mize chipped in on the eleventh,” Tucker stated.

“But it surely was the yr Bubba Watson performed his freak curveball shot from out of the timber on the tenth, on the playoff gap. A right-hander might by no means play that shot and it needed to be a loopy, one in one-thousand curveball from a left-hander to try this, and you’ll’t think about there being a greater shot ever performed at Augusta. It was simply not possible to understand.”

Julian Linden (2011)

Information Corp Australia

First course: Bathurst Golf Membership

Main course: Wollongong Golf Membership

Handicap: N/A

Rating: Didn’t rating

For a second on Julian Linden’s first go to to Augusta in 2011, he was on the cusp of the best sporting expertise an Australian golf fan might think about.

Based mostly in New York on the time as Sports activities Editor for the Americas for Reuters, Linden’s good mate Larry Effective had entered him within the poll for Augusta and, to his astonishment, his fortunate quantity got here up.

However by way of to the 72nd gap on an spine-tingling Sunday, the likelihood lingered that Linden could be about to report on an Australian first as Adam Scott and Jason Day launched dynamic bids to safe the Inexperienced Jacket.

“One of many difficult bits about successful the poll is that you’re so enthusiastic about taking part in the course, it’s virtually exhausting to focus on the ultimate spherical of the Masters, which you’re purported to be overlaying,” Linden stated.

“It was a day when Adam Scott and Jason Day each made an important cost and I believe they teed off on the 71st gap as co-leaders. So I believed all of my chickens have been coming house to roost, however that was the yr that Charles Schwartzel reeled off birdies on the final 4 holes to win.

“So whereas I used to be excited, there was additionally an air of disappointment as a result of I had been so near seeing an Aussie win, an Aussie break that drought. It was like, ‘Oh no, the Masters curse continues.’”

The Bathurst bulldog was so unprepared for the prospect of really taking part in at Augusta that he was compelled to supply every thing earlier than his spherical on the Monday morning.

He opted towards drowning his sorrow on the near-miss by Scott and Day at Tbonz and was in mattress fairly early awaiting a 7am alarm and a touch to an area golf membership to rent golf equipment, buy golf golf equipment and supply appropriate clothes for the spherical of a lifetime.

“Each different day as a journalist, you are available in by way of the general public entry, which is on one other street, however when you might have a ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Manufacturing facility, you come up the driveway of Magnolia Lane … and it’s like driving to the White Home. It’s phenomenal,” he stated.

“While you win the lottery, you get to make use of the Champions Locker Room, the place the place solely Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo, whoever, are allowed into, so it’s a tremendous privilege.”

After having fun with a southern breakfast, Linden stated, gamers head to the observe fairway, the place their caddie, golf equipment and a pyramid of 100 balls are ready.

Ready on the first tee is the membership chairman, who welcomes the gamers and poses for images.

Gamers nonetheless feeling peckish after breakfast or seedy after a later end at Tbonz can order steak sandwiches or burgers at totally different stops, whereas having fun with a beer or two throughout the spherical is much from frowned on.

Images for social media are a no-go however private photographs are allowed, so too any which may function in a information article in regards to the expertise.

“It’s such an expertise you wish to do every thing whilst you can and it will get to the purpose the place there are a few holes with bogs on there and also you wish to go simply to see what they’re like. Not surprisingly, even the bogs are magnificent,” Linden stated.

“I’m fairly certain it’s the twelfth, as a result of blokes have been on the course for 3 hours and they’ll wish to have a slash.”

Linden is an occasional golfer and somewhat than check his capacity towards the cardboard, he finally opted as a substitute to take up the provide from his caddie to play photographs from areas the place the greats of the sport had created memorable Masters moments.

“You get seduced by the great thing about Augusta however it’s got tooth that chew you on a regular basis,” he stated.

“The very first thing that strikes you in regards to the course is how vast the fairways are. The whole lot in regards to the course is completely pristine and lovely and great.

“The primary fairway, it looks as if you possibly can’t miss it. It’s as vast as a soccer area. But it surely seems that you would be able to. And since there are the next variety of doglegs than ordinary, for those who slice and go proper, you make these holes a lot longer than ordinary.

“We performed some photographs from well-known landmarks … and there are a variety of holes there the place it is sort of a mirage. You goal left for it to return again proper, regardless that your eyes are telling you one thing totally different. It is extremely difficult.”

The 18th can be particularly difficult, Linden stated, and never simply due to the check it gives your golf. There may be additionally the sinking realisation that, having liked each side of the course, the prospect could be very actual you’ll by no means get the chance to play Augusta once more.