The Masters Golf Tournament
Insights of Rick Smith.
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The Masters Golf Tournament is this week Obviously, this year has special meaning as the world looks for an escape from the news of the day and all eyes will be on Tiger Woods. As such, I thought it an appropriate time to highlight some of the insights of Augusta National Golf Course from Rick Smith, who is one of golf’s greatest teachers. Rick’s notable clients have included major champions such as Jack Nicklaus, Lee Janzen, Vijay Singh, David Duval, John Daly and Greg Norman. Rick was also Phil Mickelson’s personal golf coach when he first won the Masters in 2004 and in addition was the host of “the Big Break” on the Golf Channel. Several years back, I had the pleasure to interview Rick. Below are some of his thoughts expressed during that interview:
We’ve seen all of it on TV where you have the immaculate fairways, and the color just jumps off the set with sugar white bunkers and of course, the green jackets. Here are a few insights from behind the scenes that you might not know:
RS: I think the tradition of the Masters even makes it more special than the beauty. The tradition of knowing that Gene Sarazen holed out a double eagle on the 15th, Jack Nicklaus charged in ’86 to win with a 30 on the back nine at Augusta. You can almost see Bobby Jones standing there with Alister McKinsey on specific holes designing the golf course. All those things are part of what makes Augusta special and makes the Masters special and then when you take the people that have not won the green jack you know from Ernie Els, Norman to Lee Trevino, they obviously have not won here that makes it even more special.
JC: You mentioned the rules, what might a layperson not know about Augusta and its rules?
RS: No autographs on the other side of the clubhouse at the turn. None, and they enforce it. I think that’s good because it’s like saying to Michael Jordon in between the 2nd and 3rd quarter, “I need you to sign an autograph and will you please tell me about your family.” No one is allowed on the practice-tee other than the player and their teacher. At other events there’s vendors and phones going off, it can get pretty crazy. The other area where their rules differ is the clubhouse environment. It is very strict, and you can’t just get in. You can’t just have a ticket, to get into the clubhouse is hardest ticket in any sport. It’s harder that a Super Bowl ticket. Also, the fact is they have green everywhere. From green cups to green wrap around their sandwiches. By the way, the Pimento sandwich is famous at Augusta. They just do things different, it’s unlike any other event that you’ve ever seen. It’s almost like going back in time.
Here are some interesting facts about the game:
Golf is played all over the globe. Golf is one of the world’s oldest sports, boasting a rich history. Golf is a sport of skill, that can involve not only athletic prowess, but also brain power. .
· To this date, golf is only one of two games to be played on the moon. The other is a javelin throw.
· Long before the advent of tees, golfers played off of hand-built sand piles.
· In 1889, Ab Smith inadvertently coined the phrase “birdie,” when he hit a shot he defined as a “bird of a shot.”
· Making a hole-in-one during a round of golf is quite a challenge. However, the odds of making two are incredibly low, at one in 64 million.
· Only around 20 percent of golfers have a handicap below 18. The United States Golf Teachers Federation defines handicap as “a measure of a player’s current ability over an entire round of golf, signified by a number. The lower the number, the better the golfer is.”
· The word “caddy” comes from “cadet,” the French word for “student.”
· A regulation golf ball contains 336 dimples.
