Nine banned things golf fans must never do when watching the Masters at Augusta National
THE MASTERS is on every golf fan’s ultimate bucket list.
It is the chance to watch the best players in the world take on one of the most famous courses.
The Masters, staged every year in April, has countless iconic moments through the years.
And golf lovers are able to catch a glimpse of the action throughout the course, including greenside on the 18th as the champion is crowned.
But with 40,000 spectators piling into the Augusta National Golf Club over the four-day tournament week, there are plenty of strict rules in place to ensure order is maintained.
Failure to abide and you can expect to be turfed out in an instant…
Golden rule
The absolute rule you must remember is the people in the Masters crowd are not ‘fans’.
Nope, not fans.
They are ‘patrons’ and must, must, must always be referred to as ‘patrons’.
No exceptions.
Pack light
It’s probably easier to say what you can take into Augusta National, given how long the list of prohibited items is.
So where do we start, other than the usual things like booze, backpacks and beepers?
Got a small child with you? Well, you can’t take the pram in.
Fancy taking a commemorative photo of your trip to golf’s promised land? Forget it. Cameras are only allowed on practice days.
Want to show your support for your favourite player with a banner or a sign? Not a chance.
And if you think you can sneak a periscope in to get a better view then think again.
Watch your mouth
They pride themselves on their politeness at Augusta – that’s why the Masters, in terms of atmosphere, is about as far removed from the Ryder Cup as is possible.
Therefore any form of heckling is strictly forbidden at the tournament.
So much so that there is a long list of phrases at the Masters that are – unofficially – frowned upon.
These include:
- Dilly dilly (from a Bud Light TV ad, nothing to do with Claudio Ranieri)
- Babo booey (from US shock jock Howard Stern)
- Get in the hole (usually yelled by a drunken jock when someone tees off at a mammoth par-5)
- Mashed potato (first shouted at Tiger Woods by a fan in 2011)
Same goes for the media
In 1994, the CBS analyst Gary McCord was banned from working at the Masters when he described the 17th green as being so quick that it looked like it had been “bikini-waxed”.
He then compounded the error by adding that the “body bags” of those players who had come unstuck there were behind the putting surface.
He’s never been asked back.
Keep off the grass
Ever wondered why everybody seems to be perched on little seats at the Masters?
Well, that’s because you’re not allowed to sit or lie down on the grass and why everybody brings their own portable chairs.
You can forget sunbathing too.
As if you’d do that at a golf tournament.
No phones please
It may not come as much of a surprise to learn that mobile phones are banned at Augusta.
But it might when you learn just how strict they are at enforcing this rule.
Yes, if you’re seen with a mobile – even if it’s in your pocket – you’ll not only be asked to hand it over but you’ll also be escorted off the premises.
Running the risk
We’ve all watched golf tournaments on television where eager fans run from to hole to hole or scamper around to try and get closer to an errant tee shot that’s been hooked into the rough.
But if you so much as break into a jog as you make your way around Augusta National you’ll soon find yourself issued with a warning from a marshall.
The art, apparently, is mastering the power walk.
That way, you can get to the best vantage points as soon as the gates open at 8am each morning.
No tickets? Get tout of here
In the rare event that you happen to have a spare ticket for the Masters and fancy cashing in then think again.
There’s a strict 2,700-foot boundary surrounding the course and if you’re caught trying to flog any spares you could find yourself in a spot of bother with the local police.
But there is good news.
If you’re outside of that boundary you’re perfectly entitled to buy or sell tickets so long as you’ve got all the relevant paperwork.
Sign your visit away
Picture the scene.
You’re enjoying a sunny day at Augusta National when, suddenly, Tiger Woods walks by just on the other side of the ropes.
I know, you think, I’ll get him to sign my ticket. It’ll be a nice memento.
Well don’t, okay?
It’s strictly forbidden on the course at Augusta.
In fact, the only place you can ask for one is near the practice area and even then you’d better be quick.