masters  |ˈmɑːstə| noun 1 pro golf tournament referred to as “The Masters”: he was master of the situation.

My husband, Field, loves golf more than anyone I know. I’ve always enjoyed golf, but after our weekend trip to The Masters, I am a forever fan.

I fell in love from the moment we arrived in beautiful, Augusta, Georgia. The Augusta National Golf Club was spotlessly clean and perfectly prepped for the competition. It felt very intimate with only 99 competitors, compared to the 156 in the other 3 Majors.

It was a weekend full of golf. We would wake up early in the morning to play, freshen up and head straight to The Masters at Augusta National for the rest of the day. Field was having the time of his life, and I actually was too.

I was amazed at how quiet everyone was while watching the tournament. You could hear birds chirping and then sudden roars from the cheering gallery. The “gallery” is very respectful, and no one boos, or makes inappropriate comments. There is only encouragement and respectful “golf claps”. So refreshing!

We walked (no running allowed) along the course together all weekend, watching the competitors and working on my quiet “golf clap”. *grin* We did a LOT of walking that weekend, so if you are planning to attend–I recommend sneakers and comfy, cute clothing.

The 2017 Masters Tournament was the 81st edition of the Masters (established in 1934), always held on the first full week of April in the same location at The Augusta National Golf Club. I was cheering on Jordan Spieth, from Dallas, and was holding my breath as Sergio Garcia beat Justin Rose in a sudden-death playoff after they both completed the 72 holes in 9-under par. I was so happy Garcia won after his 74th attempt! He deserved it!

I learned so much about the game of golf that weekend that really impressed me. The logo has never changed, so a shirt from 2007 is going to look exactly like a shirt from 2017. I love that. Other than The Masters logo, there were no other logos in sight. It was refreshing to not be surrounded by advertising, and I realized that The Masters is perhaps the last major sporting event left where the emphasis is solely on the game. The player with the most Masters victories is Jack Nicklaus, who won six times between 1963 and 1986.

The tournament has a number of traditions that they keep up with each year, including the green jacket tradition. Since 1949, a green jacket has been awarded to the champion, who must return it to the clubhouse one year after his victory (though it will remain his personal property and is stored with other champions’ jackets in a specially designated room). In most instances, only a first-time and currently reigning champion may remove his jacket from the club grounds.

Bravo to The Augusta National Golf Club for creating such an incredible atmosphere for this event. From the restrooms to the grounds, everything was spotless. Thank you for being so good to your patrons, with affordable (and delicious) food and minimal lines. The maintenance staff was over the top, and I am incredibly impressed in every way!

Congratulations to the 2017 Masters Champion, Sergio Garcia! I’ll never miss watching The Masters again!

XO-
Sabrina

PS: Sorry I can’t share more photos with you, there were NO cameras or phones allowed on the course–no exceptions. You could be thrown out for improper conduct, phone or camera use and never allowed back in to The Masters–so I wasn’t taking that chance! Etiquette is huge there, and you could feel it! You can take a photo with a photographer in front of the white icon house behind the 18th hole, and they’ll e-mail it to you later…so, that’s one I’m sharing with you! -XO