First Impressions of Augusta National

I was lucky enough to attend Tuesday’s practice round, my first time at Augusta National. Here are (some of) my thoughts from the day!

Favorite Thing I Saw: I’ll split this into two answers. My favorite golf thing I saw was the group of Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Adam Scott, and Fred Couples pausing for a photo on the Hogan Bridge. It’s no secret that Koepka is my favorite player and seeing him bat it around Amen Corner is something I will never forget. I don’t know if this was the rumored “shocking” group on Tuesday, but I did appreciate the vibes from the PGA Tour welcoming committee surrounding Brooks for the entire back nine. My favorite thing, period? The joy on every patron’s face. It seemed like every person was having the best day of their life. It’s sappy but true!

Wildest Merch Item: As a Syracuse alum, I am no stranger to orange (or orange-adjacent) clothing. Despite this, I cannot and will never co-sign the PIMENTO big(ish) letter hat. Maybe it’s because I didn’t love the sandwich, maybe it’s because of my preconceived notions of big letter hats – regardless of Masters font – or maybe it’s the weird peachy color, but I could not be more out on the PIMENTO lids. Who asked for this? It’s a sandwich! Do you see me walking around in a PASTRAMI hat?

Food Takes: Speaking of sandwiches, the peach ice cream sandwich was a true highlight. I had the chance to inhale one as Brooks & Co. played the 14th and tried to savor every bite. The sugar cookies really elevated this glorious invention from a 10 to an 11. The BBQ was solid and the chicken salad sandwich was fantastic. I made sure to try both the lemonade and sweet tea, with the lemonade taking the title with a knockout. Maybe one day I’ll mix them together.

Hopes for Next Time: If I am lucky enough to grace the grounds of ANGC a second time, I do have a real checklist in mind. My main goal for Tuesday was to see all 18 holes. I did that, but I spent most of my day yesterday on the back nine, following groups of players that I had my eye on. By the time I hit the front nine in the afternoon, the players on the course were dwindling. I was really struck by the fourth and sixth holes and found the downhill par 3s visually appealing. I caught some guys off the first – Bernhard Langer, in particular – and a few on the fifth throughout the day, but if there’s a next time, I think actually seeing the front nine played start to finish is my number one priority.