By Steve Stricker

Columnist

If one was not interested in golf, they might think to watch it on TV could equate to watching grass grow. Oh contraire! Watching golf on television is very quick paced as cameras continuously move from one golfer to the next with multiple angles that are rapidly switching. And my grass is growing way too fast.

Then toss in some of my favorite entertaining holes in golf such as the Masters Amen Corner 12th hole; 17th Island Green at TPC Sawgrass; 16th hole at the Phoenix Open surrounded by bleachers filled with thousands of rowdy patrons – the most un-golf like, non-polite, most fun hole on the PGA tour, and the 17th Road Hole at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland where golfers have to hit their tee shot over the corner of The Old Course Hotel…so fun!

In September 2009 with then Scottish fiancé, her wonderful mum, drove them on my first extended adventure on the “wrong” side of narrow, twisty “roads,” steering wheel on the passenger side, manually shifting the six-speed awesome diesel with my left hand to St. Andrews, the first University in Scotland (1431), third oldest in the English-Speaking world, and my second favorite golf course, The Old Course, the oldest golf course in the world,1400 AD – Slante Mahth!

Surreal does not describe how I felt to actually be standing on the St. Andrews Old Course after forever watching it on television.  Only members were allowed in the Royal & Ancient Clubhouse begun in 1854, so I touched a brick of it, plucked some grass on the historic 18th Green in front of it, whilst staring at the famous Swilcan Bridge, and across from it the North Sea and long beach, West Sands, where “Chariots of Fire” was filmed.

When son Stephen was then Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Samford University in Birmingham, AL, he called one memorable day to say he finally received two tickets for the Tuesday, April 9, 2013, 77th Masters practice round at the Augusta, Georgia National Golf Club and asked if I wanted to go…YES!  Monday April 8, I drove to Birmingham, picked him up at work, took I-20E a little over two hours to Atlanta for the night – less driving and much cheaper than Augusta hotels.

Tuesday the 9th dawned clear, and as the sun peeked over the horizon, we were well on our way.  Three hours later we took Augusta exit 200, followed the well-marked route, and parked for free in a grassy field a hundred yards from the Golf Club on an almost cloudless day that would reach 80 degrees with cool breezes. We were astonishingly there at my number one golf course in the world for the first time – The Masters!

The large Rolex clock above the numerous airport-style screening stations indicated 9:10 am.  There is a lengthy list of rules and items banned from the Masters, including cell phones – cameras were allowed because it was a practice day, but a “no-autograph” policy was undeviating.  Any infraction of these rules would result in one’s pass being instantly revoked and banned from attending the Masters for life.

The Masters is satiated with tradition – no electronic score boards, prices for sandwiches, beverages unchanged for decades (Masters club $2.50, domestic beer $3.00), course was immaculate, attention to detail, friendliness of the huge staff, politeness of patrons, smooth flow from snack lines, crowded but fair-priced Golf Shop, to restrooms – amazing. 

Stephen threatened to kill me as I continuously poked him in the side seeing one famous golfer after another as he was taking a photo.  Then, standing on the 11th fairway, my hero Steve Stricker walked past a few feet away and I loudly said, “Steve.”  No response.  “Steve Stricker!”  As he looked my way, I pointed to myself, then to Stephen, and said: “Steve Stricker, Steve Stricker,” and he cracked a huge smile that Stephen caught on film…incredible!

The 89th Masters begins tomorrow, Thursday, April 10, and as with actually being at the St. Andrews Old Course, attending the Masters was an out-of-body experience! Go St. Andrews, the Masters, & GO REBEL BASEBALL!

 Steve has lived in Oxford since 1988 and completed his Ph.D., in Counseling from Ole Miss.