Augusta National invited me to play, so I did, and WOW!
I’ve always enjoyed watching or covering that little golf tournament amongst the dogwoods and azaleas, but never more so than now. That’s because for the first time ever, I played Augusta National.
You got a minute? Let me grab my invitation from the Green Jacket folks, and it says right here on Augusta National Golf Club stationary:
Monday, April 14, 2008 (that’s the day after last year’s Masters, by the way).
Terry Moore, 8:55 a.m., 10th Tee.
Please present this card at the Main Gate (Gate #2) for entrance to the Club grounds and at the tee for 18 holes of golf.
I’m still tingling.
Before this experience, I ranked Augusta National among my top five sports venues, which is significant. I’ve been just shy of everywhere — from various Olympic sites to Wrigley Field to Daytona International Speedway to Notre Dame Stadium to old Boston Garden to Lambeau Field — while spending three decades covering most major events. Well, after this experience, Augusta National ranks among my top 1a, 1b or 1c in sports venues.
It certainly didn’t hurt Augusta National’s place in my heart after I strolled into Amen Corner as a rookie on the course and promptly conquered No. 11. In other words, I wasn’t spooked by Raes Creek behind the green or the famous winds in the area. I dropped an eight-foot putt for par, and I thought about responding with one of those Tiger fist pumps. But I decided to go old-school — you know, act like you’ve been there before, even if you haven’t.
My Augusta National caddie was excited, though. Then again, maybe he was thinking about getting that tip at the end.
Later, on the No. 15, I didn’t repeat “the shot heard ’round the world” by Gene Sarazen, but I did the equivalent for me: I parred that hole, too. Courtesy of splendid tee and approach shots, I survived the 530 yards featuring that pretty but imposing pond in front of the green and that scary bunker to its right.
Oh, and I have to tell you this: On No. 16, which is played over water with three bunkers hugging the slopping green, I came within inches of a hole-in-one.
Keep this quiet, but I blew my birdie putt and made par. I also won’t tell you what I did on the other 15 holes.
All I know is that I played Augusta National, and life is good.
Anyway, if any of you wishes to share your Augusta National playing experiences, feel free.
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46 comments Add your comment
Herschel Talker
April 8th, 2009
11:02 am
Can I share my T Moore reading experiences? Obviously not as good as your Augusta experience.
ndadome
April 8th, 2009
11:34 am
I wish I had a playing experience to share, but can only try to hide my jealousy. Good for you, Mr. Moore. A friend and I had devised a plan to walk over from Augusta Country Club onto the 13th tee with a driver, five iron & putter, then play as long as we could before being arrested. Then we learned about the fine that accompanies the arrest and decided against it. Again, good for you, Mr. Moore. If Augusta National ever gets strapped for cash, all they have to do is hold a nationwide lottery to play a round, $100 a pop, and their crisis would be over. They could probably retire the national debt, for that matter.
chemdawg
April 8th, 2009
11:37 am
You’re stretching it a little Herschel.
Herschel Talker
April 8th, 2009
11:44 am
Thank you, chemdawg, but the fact remains that Terence’s column is a joke.
Green Tea
April 8th, 2009
11:54 am
Remember that one time when you wrote a crappy article? Oh yeah, you write crappy articles every time you write. You suck
C. Meyer
April 8th, 2009
11:55 am
Mr. Moore,
I am sure that it was a dream for you to be able to play such an exlusive track and have the opportunity to dream for a day. My father is currently on a quest to play the Top 100 courses in the world and of course this is one of those that he will probably not get a chance to experience. Any chance you can help an old man achieve his dream too?
Regards,
Casey Meyer
alphadog
April 8th, 2009
12:05 pm
Come on T.Moore! You got to give it up! What was your final score and handicap?
Dunwoody reader
April 8th, 2009
12:44 pm
How nice to read a Terence Moore article where the only “card” inferred is the scorecard. Thanks for sharing what it feels like to play the hallowed grounds and resisting the urge to make it into a social issue. I do agree with Alphadog – you’ve got to ‘fess-up.
kd bart
April 8th, 2009
12:51 pm
If I recall correctly, every year, Augusta National holds a lottery for members of the media to play the course on the Monday after the final round with the pin placements used in the final round. I don’t know how many names are drawn but you can only win once. So if you win one year, you can’t go into the lottery in any subsequent years.
Eric Miller
April 8th, 2009
1:32 pm
Terence, nice article. Will you be following Miami in the Frozen Four?
Thomas
April 8th, 2009
1:46 pm
Four out of the first five commenters show a lot of intelligence and class, don’t they? Oh, yeah. They’re dawg fans. Nuff said.
DC Braves Fan
April 8th, 2009
2:00 pm
I always read comments about Terrence bringing race into things, yet when I read the article here, the only people talking about race are the people commenting. I often disagree with Terrence, but if you think he interjects race too often, why don’t you practice what you preach and put that issue aside with respect to a column that never touched on the issue. Evaluate each column on its merit rather than projecting your anger. I realize that the internet is a bit impersonal, but I suspect if you were sitting next to Terrence at a bar, you could cordially disagree in debating some of these issues. No reason you can’t attempt to do the same here.
DC Braves Fan
April 8th, 2009
2:01 pm
And score one for Thomas for criticizing those who make generalizations by . . . making a generalization. Nice work.
richbrave
April 8th, 2009
2:08 pm
When this run for the green is over TMo you can get back to the more mundane rantings about no blacks in baseball, at least not enough that speak ENGLISH as a first language. BRAVES – The most culturally diverse team in the majors MOORE; that’s nine, count ‘um, NINE representative countries. Thank you.
Bohgey
April 8th, 2009
4:10 pm
DC; Nicely put.
Every time I read an article by Moore, I have to resisit the urge to post a degrading name or make reference to his rather vanilla take on race and other subjects that can be controversial. I was listening to ESPN’s “The Herd”, with Colin Cowherd and Colin made a reference to media members that enrage and excite readers to make the sort of comments that Terrence’s writing evokes. I don’t think that Moore was who he had in mind. He was being very general. Colin went on to explain how much we need these writers that take the dark side and create controversy. Issues wouldn’t be made, subjects would be boring and newspapers would fold because no one would read the garbage. The AJC is this culturatively diverse media market’s highest brass and if they were all unbiased, I don’t think I’d be posting this now.
Seriously though, did you take any bentgrass home with you?
IRISH25
April 8th, 2009
5:09 pm
Hack course anyway……..
mark white
April 8th, 2009
6:15 pm
Thirty eight years ago I played a round at Augusta National. My company provided office equipment for the tournament and I happened to be the sales rep who handled the AN account. I was then and still am a hacker. Shot a 103. Only had to use one ball and I still remember every swing and putt I took. Next to pacing the waiting room for the birth of each of my kids, playing AN is still the most memorable experience of my 66 years.
old fart
April 8th, 2009
6:21 pm
Would you morons get off TM’s case? What a bunch of low-life losing bigots. Take off your sheets and crawl back under your rock.
falcon21
April 8th, 2009
7:07 pm
Glad you enjoyed it TM, wish I could the same. Good for you man.
falcon21
April 8th, 2009
7:08 pm
I mean do the same!!!
Thomas
April 8th, 2009
7:38 pm
Hey DC Braves Fan, that WAS a nice post. Sorry about my generalization.
dawgonit
April 8th, 2009
8:03 pm
I am going to experience one of the thrills of a lifetime on Friday. My 12 year old son and I are going to the Masters. I’ve always assumed this is one thing I would never get to do. I don’t care if it rains. I don’t care who I get to see. I don’t care that my son doesn’t know anything about golf. One day he’ll be at work and he’ll tell the folks in the office about the time his old man took him to the Masters. I just wish my dad could go too.
Gumbo
April 8th, 2009
8:20 pm
Good job, “Terry”. Must have been one hell of a thrill.
I agree on the race comments. I am a GA cracker raised in Stone Mtn, and I don’t always agree with TM, but DAMN – c’mon people, let’s move on.
Hey Thomas. I’ve never seen “intelligence and class” and “Dawgs fans” used in the same sentence. Oops, you didn’t either. Nuf said.
Gumbo “GT class of ‘84″
Terrible Truth
April 8th, 2009
9:05 pm
Glad you got your round in, BTM, I hear Martha Burke is still pressuring the PGA behind the scenes to move The Masters from Augusta National.
falcon21
April 8th, 2009
9:09 pm
dawgonit, you and your son will remember Friday and the Masters forever. You sound like a good DAD. Wish I could take my son but I gotta work and I mean gotta. Gumbo, I am a huge Dawgs fan and don’t think I said anything negative about TM. I am happy for anyone that has a chance to see the Masters in person and play at Augusta.
Keeping It Real
April 8th, 2009
9:23 pm
Terrence,’
I have been there twice(once with my wife) There is nothing like it. I can only imagine what it felt like to play the course. Also,ignore the envious yahoos attacking you on this blog. Too bad that they are not able to see the gratitude in your heart for being given the opportunity to play the course. GO TIGER!!!!
Percy Harvey
April 8th, 2009
10:14 pm
I wish I could play at augusta, but they wont let me smoke my blunts while i play there.
go gator.
chemdawg
April 9th, 2009
12:36 am
I fail to see how my comments lack “intelligence and class.” I guess six words was enough for you to pass judgement.
Bobby Jones
April 9th, 2009
2:26 am
Why not write about how you showed up in jeans and needed to get rain paints from the pro shop or how you stiffed your caddie on the tip?
Jim
April 9th, 2009
8:00 am
You are right chemdawg – 6 words are enough to pick up on the intent of guys like you. And just to set it straight, it should have been “six words were enough, not was enough”. So yeah, a bigot who does not know how syntax works is about right.
Jim
April 9th, 2009
8:30 am
My apologies chemdawg – No reason to start a day with negativity. You are entitled to your opinion. Have a great day.
JoeFann
April 9th, 2009
8:42 am
While I’ve never been fortunate enough to play the National, I have been able to attend several Masters through several decades. I remember as a child in the 60s walking back across the front nine late on a Thursday evening, long after the last groups had gone through. The flags had been removed from the greens, but no one was in sight. I slipped under the ropes and pulled a ball from my pocket and rolled it across the third green. Even then, the greens were like greased lightning! I tried to imagine then (and now!) what it would be like to play a course like that in that kind of loving condition.
The best memory, though, was four years ago when I was able to attend the Wednesday practice round and par three contest with my own young teenage son. We walked the pristine course, saw Nick Faldo hole a second shot on fourteen, walked the par three course, and my son gathered 50 or so autographs from the greats and near-greats. I remember walking back up the hill to the clubhouse in the late afternoon with my arm around his shoulders, and telling him, “Son, I feel so lucky to be here with you today. I wasn’t sure we’d ever have this chance.”
Now that he’s a high school golfer, I’d give my left one for a chance to play there with him. Maybe the right one, too!
Steve-o
April 9th, 2009
9:09 am
That was a good article TM. Though I often disagree with you and have said so in emails to you and on this site, I find it disgusting that people would inject race into today’s post when race isn’t even a factor in your article. I’m afraid that many of my white brothers hide behind the keyboard to express their bigotry, rather than the matter at hand; and that’s sad.
I’m happy that you got to experience Augusta; we should all be so lucky.
some sense
April 9th, 2009
10:26 am
This is to all the AJC bloggers. For all you do to keep your readership informed, is it really worth it to endure the invective, criticism, and general redneckism that typically come back???
My best to you all.
Ron
April 9th, 2009
11:39 am
T.M. ,
Thanks for the article and congrats on playing the National. I’ve only been playing golf for about 10 years, but playing the Augusta National is definitely on my bucket list. I’ve grown up about 20 miles from the golf course and still reside here. So, before the Lord calls me home, I plan on playing it one day. Everybody have a good weekend and enjoy the Masters 2009.
tmofoprez
April 9th, 2009
5:11 pm
TMo, this grit eating, southern born, caucasian scotch american is about as envious as I could be. Good show, brother!
Buzz29
April 9th, 2009
5:58 pm
I thought you had to be a real journalist to play on Monday. I guess Mr. Payne is letting the standard slip.
Beachdawg
April 9th, 2009
8:51 pm
I was fortunate to play Augusta National 11 years ago and it will remain a hightlight til my dying day. My claim that day was that I parred Amen Corner and I, like you, can’t brag on many other scores on the card that day. My host took me into the clubhouse, toured the locker room, the champions locker room, and got to see all the memorabilia that’s in the clubhouse ie. golf clubs, etc. Being from Georgia and watching the Masters as I grew up made it so very special. Half a year earlier I’d played golf in Ireland and met a gent who has a shrine in his home dedicated to the Masters. At the time I was wearing a Green Masters sweater vest which he lusted for during the week of golf, and I eventually gave it to him…I told him..”wear it well and in good health.” He said, “Oh no, I could never wear it, I will have it in a frame and hang it in my room.” So the golf that day was great, but maybe because it’s hallowed ground and respected by people world wide.
chemdawg
April 9th, 2009
9:31 pm
Yeesh, jim, that’s a little harsh. My comment was addressed towards “Herschel Talker” so I suppose I was defending Mr. Moore if anything. It’s obvious I don’t need a lesson on grammar or social etiquette from someone who can’t even understand the basic meaning or context of what I said.
KJ
April 10th, 2009
12:33 am
Wow, leave it to the NATS fans to use an article about Masters golf to take yet another cheap shot at UGA. Keep it coming boys, your obvious envy and insecurity never fail to amuse.
BnB
April 10th, 2009
8:04 am
Terrence has got to laugh and shake his head at the same time every day at the bile he get slung at him no matter what he writes. I guess when you make a living yanking people’s chains it is to be expected but give it a rest guys. As for golf….meh! But having seen all he has seen in the sporting world and to consider this up there is remarkable. Yard billiards just never has pushed any buttons for me no matter how nice the yard is.
TheAntiMe
April 10th, 2009
8:52 am
That’s really cool, Terence, especially since that quaint little golf course holds a ton of history. As someone who always seemed to have my best rounds at the local Putt Putt course (I was a Master on that Windmill hole) I can only imagine what a rush it had to be for you.
Jeff Collins
April 10th, 2009
9:42 am
My grandfather passed away this past February one month shy of his 91st birthday. He was a lifelong member of First United Methodist in Smyrna. Many years ago his Minister moved to First United Methodist of Augusta. Because of their friendship, Pop was invited to play 3 TIMES at Augusta! I would give anything to have witnessed Pop playing on those days. The only story I know from his 3 rounds is that he putted into the lake on 15.
UGASlobberknocker
April 11th, 2009
9:22 am
Terrence, when you get away from the race issue; you are a very entertaining writer who I believe connects with real people better than most. I wish you wrote a column like this more often.
Josh
April 11th, 2009
9:42 am
I don’t consider golf to be a sport, but good for you Terrence! (As for the idiot posters like Herschel Talker, do you have a life beyond criticizing a sport columnist every time he writes an article? Mr Moore’s not the one who sounds like a broken record; you are.)
oldmac
April 11th, 2009
10:31 pm
Reminds me of my first visit to the Masters. Me and a buddy had season passes so we rented a room from a local. The family had more than one bedroom and one of the others was rented to a sportswriter from Indiana. This guy was a smarmy, winey little POS. Our room rental included a nice breakfast which we shared with slimey little moron. Sat AM as we were enjoying breakfast, he announces to us that he got picked in the lottery to play Augusta on Monday in the press event but he started complaining about there were two groups and he had to be ready to go at 8am. He also reminded us that he would have to borrow some clubs and would play in tennis shoes. A crime against nature for sure.
After a couple of conversations, my buddy and I decided that we had to prevent this gas-bag from getting on the course-at least not to play so we hatched a plot. We new he had to be on the course by 8, (I think check-in was 7)-so we waited until he was in bed Sunday night and re-set clock back an hour so when he came whistlin’ down the hall at what he thought was 6:45, he was already too late to get to his tee time. Sorry dude-you earned that. Hope you found a career you are more suited for-(fast food would be perfect.)
JB