With the Masters coming up next week, there are so many memories and reflections that are reminders of what this great state has to offer to the world.
Such as Stone Mountain, the Okefenokee Swamp, Coca-Cola, Vidalia onions, Georgia peaches, fruitcake, Ty Cobb, Georgia football under Kirby Smart, “Gone With the Wind,” unparalleled quail hunting, and the Masters golf tournament.
There is more, but the previously noted highlights bring much national and international attention and recognition to the Empire State of the South. Hallelujah and thumbs up.
In my view, no sporting event is equal to the Masters—the setting, history, class, and aurora of the Masters which stands alone. Wimbledon is close and also the Kentucky Derby, but the Masters is in a class by itself.
This will be my 65th Masters, and I consider it a highlight of my year to walk the grounds of the Augusta National Golf Club although there have been times that pollen has wreaked havoc with my sinuses. That I could do without.
My first time came about in 1960 during my senior year at the University of Georgia when my good friend Carey Williams, whose family owned the Greensboro Herald Journal, invited me to see the final round when Arnold Palmer birdied the last two holes to defeat Ken Venturi and win his second Green Jacket by a stroke.
The tournament press committee was very generous in those days by offering two complimentary season badges to weekly papers across the state, and I was the beneficiary of that especial perk that went to Carey’s family. The next year, I discovered that I could cover the championship since I was the sports editor of a daily newspaper, “The Athens Banner-Herald.” I was issued a working press credential, parking, and two complimentary season badges which went to my old high school football coach who had moved to Evans, Georgia. That covered the cost of a room for the week.
I ate all meals except for supper at the old Quonset hut which housed the press representatives—media had not entered the lexicon at that time. At the end of the day working press stiffs could enjoy a drink of whiskey, courtesy of the club, or beer. For a college kid with no allowance that was like manna from heaven.
The accident of geography allowed an eager Georgia boy to enjoy the ultimate in sports competition, owing to a press card and easy access to one of the truly great championships in sports.
I have always appreciated Dwight D. Eisenhower’s affection for our state. His love of golf and quail hunting brought him here often during his eight years in the White House.
He became immersed in the communities where he sought outdoor recreation. That included attending church services on Sunday and eating at local restaurants.
Times were different in those years, and security was not as detailed and comprehensive as it is today. In Thomasville, Eisenhower often mixed quail hunting in February with golf at the Glen Arven Country Club, a very fine golf course in the Peach State.
After recovering from a massive heart attack while playing golf at Cherry Hills Golf Club in Denver at age 55, he survived with speculation about whether he would run for a second term. He made the decision at Glen Arven in February 1956 while playing the 18th hole, a 504-yard par 5 hole.
The hole features a big mound near the final green which is known as “cardiac hill.” Ike reasoned that if he could climb that hill without complications, he would be healthy enough to run for office again.
His love of the outdoors, headlined by playing golf and quail hunting, inspired many Americans to appreciate the importance of physical fitness, diet, and exercise.
Everything about Augusta gets high marks. There you will find the most becoming and beautiful landscaping or any sporting event. The grounds of the tournament are pristine and kempt—the life expectancy of a spent cigarette is less than three minutes. Nature calls out to your senses. The fragrance is sensational, the color is magnificent, and the air’s freshness is world class.
Ole timers and seasoned Masters aficionados may see the scars left behind by hurricane Helene, but most fans will not see much change. With the priority that the Augusta National gives to the beauty and condition of the course, it will seem insignificant to most of the patrons who would give their right arm for a day at the Masters.
The long-range weather forecast for this year’s tournament is favorable, but it is April, and with the turbulent weather platters of late—and following the aftermath of Helene—nobody is waxing optimistically.
Masters traditions historically have been for pleasant weather and a dramatic finish on Sunday. Let’s hope for another encore.