AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The grass was definitely greener through the airy spaces in the high privacy bushes and on either side of the magnolia-lined driveway. And I was in the neighborhood, so why not fulfill a longtime dream to see the Augusta National Golf Club? Or at least try.
Augusta National, which we know better as the home of the Masters golf tournament, is not an average golf course where you drive by and see the course and players. It is on Washington Street, a main thoroughfare in Augusta, but those 20-foot-high bushes that encircle the grounds and the gate guardhouses are there for a reason.
When they say private they mean it. Forget the sweet talk.
After making serious attempts for two days to see something beyond the gatehouses, I didn't get my way, but I have a renewed interest in the Masters and will be glued to the telecast in April.
I just wanted to see the greens where Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and other greats won the tournament founded by Bobby Jones. I had hopes of seeing Amen corner, the challenging 11th,12th, and 13th holes that Phil Mickelson conquered in 2010. I had also circled Ike's Tree on a list of things not to miss if I made it in. The tree was named for President Eisenhower, a member, because he hit the tall pine so often he suggested that it be cut down.
Who is to disagree with the strict rules at the good old boys' club with 300 male members? That includes their stand against the National Council of Women's Organizations when its leader, Martha Burk, lost her battle against gender disparity.
The diehard traditions that are carried on by the all-male club are a big part of the mystique of the Masters. The television coverage that brings the verdant green grounds and blooming azaleas, dogwood, and wisteria into our living rooms whet the viewers' appetite to see the real thing.
It is no wonder that the course is beautiful and a naturalist's haven. It was built in 1933 on the site of a nursery, known for an incredible variety of trees imported from many countries, including magnolias and Chinese fir. Each hole is named for a tree or shrub. No. 1 is Tea Olive, No. 2 is Pink Dogwood; No. 6, Juniper, and No. 18, Holly.
Tom, a rotund man wearing an official guard hat and uniform, popped out of the guardhouse and interrupted my attempt to enter the course. Someone told me at the coffee shop down the road that the gate was open that morning and it would be a good time to get in. What they didn't tell me is that Tom would not wilt to my pleas. He didn't care that I had come all the way from Ohio and Michigan for the honor of seeing the prestigious grounds, that I just wanted a glimpse and to take a few pictures, or that I am really a nice lady who would send him oatmeal cookies as a thank-you.
Instead, his emphatic instructions were to turn around and leave immediately. If I wanted to take pictures I would have to park on a side street and take the pictures from across four lanes of heavy traffic.
I didn't give up. Early the next day, I drove to another entrance where the gate was open, only to be greeted by a guard whose name is also Tom, quite a coincidence. He was more cordial and pointed out some of the buildings in the distance, but like the first Tom I couldn't sweet talk my way in.
Locals have mixed views on their city's renowned event that draws visitors from around the world. Some say they have their own Disney World that week. People who win lottery tickets to the tournament sell them if they don't want to go, but the bigger money goes to people who rent out their homes. Elizabeth, who I met at the beauty shop, expects to be paid $1,300 for the use of her two-bedroom townhouse for three days. She said she had to furnish complete details to Augusta National, including the size of the closets and the television, and amenities such as a gas grill and a pool.
Mary Alice Powell is a retired Blade food editor. Contact her at: mpowell@theblade.com
First Published March 12, 2011, 7:59 p.m.
