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\nOne of the things I’m most proud of as a native Georgian is Augusta National Golf Club.\u00a0 I’ve only been there once, but I can tell you that it is an experience that will stick with you for a lifetime.\u00a0 I was recently listening to an interview where Jim Nantz, longtime CBS broadcaster, said that when he’s describing the place to people he never worries if he’s overselling it.\u00a0 If anything, words fail to describe the beauty of the place and the painstaking care that each blade of grass receives.
\nIn this same interview, ESPN’s Marty Smith discussed with Nantz and others the fact that going to Augusta National is like taking a journey back in time.\u00a0 No phones are allowed on the premises, and if that makes you cringe, consider this: Everyone at the course is just as much in awe of the place as you are.\u00a0 No one is in a hurry.\u00a0 There is no pushing and shoving to get somewhere on time.\u00a0 There is only the awe-inspired look on each and every one of the patron’s faces there.
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\nThis time of year the Georgia spring is just coming into its own and the rolling southern hills decorated with radiant azaleas provide a radiant glow throughout the place.\u00a0 Pine trees shade much of the course and streams of sunlight dance across the fairways as childhood memories of running through the grass on clear summer mornings are evoked.\u00a0 A peaceful, settling beauty invites you for a stroll across the grounds, and history whispers to you at every turn.
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\nThink of it, it’s just as if you’ve been transported back in time.\u00a0 No distractions and no added anxiety of responding to the people at your fingertips.\u00a0 Only the enjoyment of having the opportunity to be caught up in the moment and soak in an unfiltered experience that is truly the stuff of lore.\u00a0 One day you’ll tell stories about this place and words will fail you.\u00a0 Imagine stepping into a painting that a master painter has been working on for months, even years.\u00a0 That’s what it’s like stepping onto the grounds at Augusta National Golf Club.\u00a0 Common sense and common courtesy return to the forefront of interaction instead of technology and FOMO (“Fear Of Missing Out” for the old folks, haha) dominating every second.\u00a0 Here, pure and personal communication hold true and the fact that you’re all thrilled to be there gives you immediate common ground with thousands of strangers, some of whom have traveled internationally.\u00a0 What a unique and incredible experience!\u00a0 I don’t know of any other sports experience that compares.
\nI’ll close with a quick story from my experience there.\u00a0 My brother and I were there on Sunday for the 2008 Masters, and were following golfer Ian Poulter for a few holes near the beginning of the day.\u00a0 We had walked some distance ahead of him and heard a golf ball hit in the top of one of the pines near us.\u00a0 It was Poulter’s and it ended up only a few feet away from us.\u00a0 We saw our opportunity and ran over near the ball and were present when they arrived.\u00a0 Although we did not speak to him, we were right there as he and his caddie discussed the shot from the rough and what the right play would be.\u00a0 I was soaking this up because Poulter is a favorite of mine and how many sports events allow you to stand literally only feet away from the athletes as they play on one of the world’s biggest stages?\u00a0 Unbelievable, and an experience I’ll never forget.
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\nAugusta National is a magical place, and I’m looking forward to more magic in this year’s Masters!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"