From the tournament’s inception, the goal has been to put on the finest golf tournament possible. According to revered golf writer Herbert Warren Wind there were many factors that turned the Augusta National Invitational tournament into the spectacle that it is today, including Bobby Jones’ influence, the quality of the field, and the diligence and precision of Clifford Roberts, just to name a few.

Yesterday was one of the most exhilarating days of golf I’ve ever experienced. The energy of every patron marinated across the hills of Augusta National Golf Club and baked in as the afternoon sun blanketed the golden grounds.

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There’s something comforting about having a golf club only a few paces away. The office, the living room, or even a lightly trafficked hallway are all locations where I’ve received enjoyment from its mere presence. Then, to stand over it, take a few putts or practice swings with your work attire or gym clothes on keeps the game familiar and fresh even in the most unsuspecting times of the year. As we all ramp up for this golf season, a good way to start is by taking one club out of the bag and put it somewhere you frequent often. You’ll get more inspiration from the club being in your hand than any book, article, or blog could ever assemble.

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I know, a Masters’ post might be a little early, but the dogwoods and azaleas are already blooming in Atlanta and the weather has me thinking of the Masters Tournament daily. After doing a little digging, I came across some inspiration for us all. With the help of The Masters Tournament Spectator Guide, we’re able to experience what we can for now.

I chose the 1981 guide because it was the closest one I had to the original. This guide is more than just a hole-by-hole recap of what to expect. It takes you in the mind of Jones, the purpose behind the design, memorable stories, and strategy for different playing scenarios. After reading the guide, it’s clear he knew what to expect for years to come regarding patron traffic and premiere golf viewing experience.

The following includes pictures and excerpts of the Spectator Guide written by Robert T. Jones, Jr.:

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There are hundreds of stories that depict Ben Hogan as a man of many sides: harsh, determined, exact, closed, detailed, mysterious and even humorous — in the right circles. Regardless of popular perception, there is arguably no other man in the history of the sport who understood his game and golf better. Except for a few films, interviews, and one of the most popular instructional books, Hogan left us little to study. This post is focused not so much on the tangibles he left, but more on what we can learn from the golfer and man that was Hogan and how we can apply it to our game and life.

Ben Hogan

Have clear motivation early on.

In a 1987 Golf Magazine Interview, Hogan was asked, “What was it that drove you so hard? His answers were clear and short:

“Three things. One, I didn’t want to be a burden to my mother. Two, I needed to put food on the table. Three, I needed a place to sleep.”

Hogan was $86 dollars away from giving up the game. Luckily for the golf world, he earned a couple hundred dollars that week and his career continued.

After he became settled and more comfortable financially, he didn’t allow for life’s luxuries to deter his focus.

GOLF Magazine: Once you and your family were eating well and sleeping comfortably, then what drove you?

HOGAN: Pride. Determination. I saw an opportunity. And when you see an opportunity, you practice and work, at least from sunup to sundown.

The best round is one when your playing partners are at ease.

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Every year there are thousands of golf enthusiasts who give and receive golf-themed gifts that are borderline embarrassing and likely never to be used. The golf club candle, your NFL team branded groove cleaner, or the overpriced, comprehensive-divot-repair-kit are just a few of the gifts that hopefully won’t make it out of the garage. However, this year, there’s a solution: below, there are 5 gifts any golfer would like – except maybe a teetotaler, but the other 4 will suit him well.

Golf Gifts for 2010

Stationary

Golf is a game where relationships form and there’s nary a better way to express your formed friendship than a hand written letter. A letter about anything: your partner’s fine performance in last week’s match, a thank you note for the member-guest, or just an old memory on the course that you’ve recently reflected upon — demonstrated by Ben Hogan’s letter to his host at Shinnecock Hills.

Stationary as a gift is tricky though. You have to “guess” the style of the recipient, but if you want to skip the guessing part and go with a timeless selection, I’d suggest something very simple. Below is a good (not great) example:

It’s tough to make out exactly who the golfer is, but the position at top is similar to that of Old Tom Morris. A nice twist would be to include Hogan or Jones somewhere on the card instead, or even a good golf quote at the bottom.

Golf Photography

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Memberships are down, fewer patrons are attending tournaments, the economy is still recovering and the Tour’s main attraction is searching for his game. If I could put one blog post in front of Tim Finchem, it would be this one.

My message would be simple: golf tournaments should adapt to these times. Not golf, not the players, but tournaments – the entire experience. The on-course experience carries over directly to the TV viewer. When the fans are into every shot, the viewers are in it as well.

These aren’t the boom years of the Tiger Slam. The PGA Tour now has an opportunity to let fans feel much more engaged with golf’s best.

Opportunity

Every time I’m at a tournament, I always hear a fan exclaim how excited they get when players or their favorite player walk by in between holes. This is valuable for the Tour to know. Let the patrons get closer — closer to everything: the players, the green, maybe not the fairway.

Here is a great example of a classic golf gallery:

Photo/Getty Images

I love this photo. It shows appreciative fans who want to see one of the greatest work his craft. This is how golf should be spectated…even today.

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The game’s greatest players have all played St. Andrews at one point or another and it’s fascinating to see the stories each one has in developing respect for the birth place of golf.

Photo Courtesy of Robert Matre

In a Sports Illustrated interview in 1970, Jack Nicklaus knew what it took to fully understand the greatness of The Old Course:

A golfer must play [St. Andrews] at least a dozen times before he can expect to understand its subtleties. If a player becomes irritated at the bad bounces and unusual things that happen at St. Andrews, forget it.

Two of golf’s greatest players have made the mistake of becoming “irritated at the bad bounces and unusual things that happen at St. Andrews” and have paid for it mightily in pride and in the press.

Lee Westwood – “I wouldn’t put it in the top 100 courses in Fife.”

Photo from Life Magazine

During an Alfred Dunhill Cup in the late nineties, Lee Westwood was asked by Mark James if St. Andrews was among his top 50 favorite golf courses. After he expressed his disapproval, Westwood added “I wouldn’t put it in the top 100 courses in Fife.”

A decade later, Westwood is still questioned by the media (2010) about his comments, “I regret saying that (to James) because it keeps being brought up every time St. Andrews is mentioned …But at the same time, it encouraged me to see the subtleties and grow to love it.”

Two years earlier, he stated: “I didn’t think it that poor a course and I certainly didn’t think the comment would continually be dragged up years later. My frustration lay in the fact I couldn’t see how to shoot a low score. I could see the birdies but I would play so aggressively that I would run up bogeys as well.’

Bobby Jones –  ”I considered St. Andrews among the very worse courses I had ever seen.”

Image by © Underwood & Underwood/CORBIS

Bobby Jones’ most embarrassing moment ever on the golf course occurred during his first visit to the Old Course. The 19 year old Jones, picked up from the bunker on the 11th hole disqualifying himself from the tournament. He stated soon after, “I considered St. Andrews among the very worse courses I had ever seen.”

Obviously, his feelings towards the course changed drastically after he became a more complete golfer. The change was most clearly expressed during his Freedom of the City speech given in 1958 at St. Andrews University’s Younger Graduation Hall. 1700 people filled the Hall’s capacity as Bobby took the podium and offered a moving speech that included the following words:

“I could take out my life everything but my experiences here in St. Andrews and I would still have had a rich and full life.”

St. Andrews is one of the special places in golf where a unique relationship is built and cultivated with every golfer who plays it. You can see the evidence in stories from golfers of all skill levels and eras. So many stories, emotions, and relationships: what a great game.

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Stories of rising and falling in golf are too many to mention. Stories of golfers rising, falling, and rising again are rare — especially when they rise back to be the number one ranked golfer in the world.  It seemed Lee Westwood for years was the young, charismatic European who was always giving Monty a run during his reign. In the late 90′s, the golfing world was anticipating the breaking point of Lee being a house hold name included with the Woods’, Love’s, Mickelson’s and Duval’s, but it never happened that way.

Growing Up

Lee and his father started the game at the same time and had their first ever birdie on the same hole. Lee was 13. His father was a math teacher and Lee was an athlete who played multiple sports including rugby,  football, cricket, and cross country. An insightful piece from the Sunday Times, talks not only about his fierce competitiveness but also the relationship with his family:

If competitiveness can be taught, it was taught to Lee. “He and I used to have swimming races on holiday,” John (his father) said. “If it was diving, I might give him a mark occasionally and then he would try and beat that mark. We did press-ups against one another. When he was little we would roll cars to see who could get it closer to the edge of the table. We would arm-wrestle. The competition was not vicious. When he won, he got rewarded.”

A young Lee Westwood

Dancing Helped Him Along the Way

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Born and raised in the South (Atlanta, Georgia), my entire family is from the North, attended The University of Georgia, spent summer vacations on the Jersey Shore, NYC, and Philadelphia; I’ve experienced just about every side of the polarizing stereotypes between the North and South. There are two themes that keep a golfer connected to both worlds: Bobby Jones and jokes.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution had a great piece during the week of the Tour Championship on the effect Bobby Jones still has on the game today – even in the North.

On Sunday, the Philadelphia club where Jones sealed the Grand Slam will celebrate as it does annually. Merion puts on a black-tie dinner followed by a march led by a bagpiper to the 11th green, where the final putt went in.

Reverence continues to be shown.

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