My Masters

BEST BEHAVIOUR

Naturally, patrons are expected to behave appropriately or risk losing their lifetime privileges. Some behavior is frowned upon: no running within the grounds, no shouting to one another, no cheering of bad shots, no taking of other people’s seats. It’s all very civilized. As such, this is the only professional golf tournament I’ve ever seen with no marshals waving “Quiet Please” signs. The patrons police themselves. We found ourselves talking in whispers 50 yards from the action. In April, HK Golfer reported that Luke Donald was once put off by the sound of someone eating crisps – and I can well believe it; the silence is quite remarkable.
Where marshals are front and centre is at the crossing points on certain holes. Invariably pleasant and polite, they nevertheless guard their fairways zealously, ensuring that the players have passed before allowing everyone across. Apart from the cross points, no-one is allowed inside the ropes, not even accredited photographers.
By the eighteenth we chatted to the lofty Dave Viestenz (“tallest marshal in the USGA”) who described the process of volunteering and was clearly proud to be involved in such a high-brow tournament. In a similar scenario for marshals at the UBS Hong Kong Open, Viestenz and his colleagues are invited to play the course a month or so after the event has finished (where do I register? – Ed).
By the side of the ninth green on Friday, we witnessed a classic Masters moment. After the approach shots had been hit by each group, a red-jacketed official approached the spectators and, in a low voice, gave a potted bio of each of the players, their year so far and their previous performances at the Masters. It was one of many such memorable moments and highlighted one final piece of advice: if at all possible, do not attend the Masters alone. This event needs to be shared with at least one friend of long-standing, ideally another golf nut. Half of the fun is pointing out people, sights and sounds, in real time, to someone who knows exactly what you are talking about. “My God, the tenth is a ski slope!”, “Look, it’s Rae’s Creek!”; “This is where Larry Mize chipped from!”, “Hey, it’s the Sandy Lyle bunker!”, “That wouldn’t happen at the Open”, etc, etc. When all is done, your trusty companion will be the only one who you can really talk to at length about what you witnessed at this most exclusive of venues – without sounding like a pretentious idiot.

HK Golfer is working with accredited agents to offer readers Masters tickets in 2012. Please contact us at masters@hkgolfer.com if you are interested in attending.