Masters Tournament: A Tradition Unlike Any Other

The annual Masters Tournament signals the onset of golf’s best season.

The Masters Tournament heralds the onset of spring. Across most of the United States, the grass is turning green, the flowers are blooming, and the trees are starting to show life. Winter is passing into a golfer’s paradise that most everyday humans call spring.

While the NCAA Men’s Tournament crowned a new National Champion, the University of North Carolina Tarheels, CBS has been promoting the PGA Tour’s first Major tournament of the year. Jim Nance’s iconic voice can be heard over the background quoting the always famous line “A tradition like any other.”

News outlets, patrons, and players are converging on Augusta to take part in all the festivities leading up to the Thursday opening tee times.

The Sunday Drive, Chip and Putt National Championship kicked off a week of golfmania that includes the annual Par 3 Contest and daily practice rounds that are open to the public. Lucky fans have more than once opportunity to snag an autograph from their favorite player, or any other celebrity who might be joining the group’s practice.

Masters Golf Means Money

The city of Augusta comes alive on a yearly basis, handling the ground and air traffic and booking of hotels involved in accommodating 250,000 Masters visitors. Some local residents welcome members of the PGA Tour into their homes to stay while the tournament and festivities are going on.

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It’s always been an extremely welcoming city and many players have given them the respect they deserve over the years to host this monstrous event, including the entire staff at Augusta National. It’s also good business. The Masters Tournament generates an estimated $117.5 million to the local Augusta economy.

The grounds crew, kitchen staff, and all the Augusta National board members have worked tirelessly the last few weeks to make sure that the course and amenities will be in excellent condition to cater to not only the players, but to Masters patrons (there are no “fans” at the Masters Tournament, only “patrons”) as well. The Club will realize in excess of $35 million from ticket, concession, and broadcast rights revenues.

One can’t help but admire the work and dedication that each individual puts into making this weekend such an enjoyable experience, especially with some of the pay that a lot of guys and girls make for doing the manual labor part of keeping the course playable.

Next: Memories of the Par 3 Contest

So as the opening tee shots will commence bright and early Thursday morning, all eyes will be on the likes of Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Rory McIllory, Phil Mickelson, and the rest of golf’s biggest names as they try to dethrone last year’s champion, Danny Willet, and claim for themselves one of golf’s greatest prizes, the green jacket.

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