First 4 views from the floor at Augusta National
AUGUSTA, Ga. — The first and most important truth of the golf championships: Nothing ever changes at the Masters.
Unless, of course, you’ve been lucky enough to step on the floor at Augusta National more than once. This is when you see it everything changes at the Masters, all the time, from the great, closed white structures that rise and fall without a whisper, to the shapes and colors and angles and contours of the golf course that has hosted the tournament every year for ninety years.
Yes, change is the way of the world – and especially at Augusta National on the Monday of the Masters, the same day the golf world arrives for the first time after 360 odd days of loneliness without it. And after a 4 am wake up, a 6 am flight, a 2.5 hour drive and a short change session in the parking lot, change is what I got this Masters on Monday, surprisingly mild from Augusta National.
1. A new sign
Signs are a very important part of the Masters tradition – written in the Masters’ meticulous type and carry a very clear tone. But as I walked around the golf course on Monday afternoon, I saw one that I hadn’t seen in my previous five trips to Augusta, a sign that came with a lot of trepidation.
Alcohol Sales End At 5 PM
A Masters volunteer held a sign on the board near the starting box, and I later found out that the message had gone all over the place on the Monday of the tournament, when one group of men made a beeline for the concession stand at Amen Corner.
“I hope it’s not 5!!”
2. Construction madness
It’s not hard to gain appreciation for the new Player Services Building – the new multi-million player gaming center that came out of thin air between last April and Monday morning. To the trained eye, this new structure sticks out on the horizon like a sore thumb, looming at the far end of the practice range as a ubiquitous reminder of what Augusta National can do — and often. it does – summon the world’s most brilliant new buildings with impressive indifference.
Of course, to the common eye, the structure not sore thumb – far from it. It fits the Masters’ white-shutter-and-black-shingle aesthetic like a glove, and offers no shortage of pampering for golfers in the sport’s first major. In other words, it’s a worthy addition to the growing city of identical white buildings used to house golf’s largest church. And hey, maybe members can find a good gym at it during the season.
3. Candy Crush
The biggest addition to the Masters this year isn’t a player or a pin — it’s a piece of candy. Masters theme candy. And today I did the honors of trying Masters’ new “Candy Bar” – a dark chocolate, caramel, savory rice and hazelnut crunch offering from Atlanta-based Bitzel’s Chocolate.
Long story short, it’s fun. I’ll probably eat at least five of them before the week is out. Although I wish it could be sea salt on top of the candy bar instead of hazelnut, both for our tree allergic kings and queens and to add a sweet tang to balance the sweetness of the candy bar.
4. Caddy cabaret
Late Monday afternoon at Amen Corner, the sparkling greens of holes 11-13 were replaced by a white-robed group — half a dozen costumes for Augusta National’s caddies. The team was led by Scottie Scheffler supercaddie Ted Scott, who spent a long time chipping each green. (I guess, this is the kind of unmentionable job that gets your partner four green jackets.)
It was funny to see the other caddies (including day loops Jason and Min Woo Lee) follow Scott’s lead on the 12th green. Together, they move in a carefully calculated tango around the stack as each gathers their mind for the week, writing down grades and other vague information in their notebooks. Maybe this time won’t mean anything come Sunday afternoon, but no one knows what Monday afternoon will be – and they wouldn’t prefer to spend Sunday evening wishing they were here for a few minutes.
