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2 Others Hurt In San Francisco
2 others hurt in san francisco In the past two decades, his father Albert Mazza said he had very little contact with his son partly because he lives in Kenly, North Carolina.. As a 6 part series, the video below demonstrates just one of these. I would be losing $750 per month. A few items went to his Australian nephews. She is an active volunteer and board member for several organizations and community and professional initiatives. Family understands that more than anybody. No one wanted to do it. The chain has thrived by continually evolving and upgrading. Cropped Cheap Fake Yeezys blazerCropped blazers are always the saviour in every lazy girl's closet. Said sustainability efforts need to be put into practice.. Would tell him to stop. In the yoga room.Drop your pants and spread your legs. The new report is based on bringing together of data and information contributed from a wide range of sources. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 the day of the show. 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If you look at Morocco's team, barely any of them were born in Morocco. There, you've got a handful of newsmakers, influencers, and media persons who are tied together in their various "filter bubbles" aka "echo chambers", who can end up with a skewed view of what the world is like.. I were the family I would sue the dispatcher for emotional distress, and the department for the training that led to this fiasco, another said, while another added: Uncaring?? Criminal is more like it. Childhood obesity and standards for the "normal" body have evolved throughout American history and have had significant social effects. Then I saw displays for new vintage style Nike running shoes. As well as understanding how the device works, the knowledge of how to maneuver around your media program is also of great importance. 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Actual Property Listings Assist you Get Your Dream Home In Canada
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SkyGolf(R) to Participate in the 2019 PGA Merchandise Show
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RIDGELAND, MS, January 21, 2019… SkyGolf®, maker of SkyCaddie®, the most trusted Rangefinder in Golf, announced today it will exhibit at the 2019 PGA Merchandise Show January 23 through January 25 in booth #1301 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. SkyGolf will display its complete lineup of innovative products designed to help golfers score better and improve their games both on and off the course. “SkyGolf has always been dedicated to pioneering the use of innovative, technology-based products to help golfers to improve their game,” said Jacqui Surman, SkyGolf Senior VP and COO. “In addition to what is considered to be the broadest portfolio of performance enhancing products in golf, we’re excited to showcase our new 20th Anniversary Edition SkyCaddie, the SX500. We invite buyers, distributors and media to visit our booth to view and demo the new SX500 to see why combining 20 years of innovation in one product has created the best SkyCaddie ever….Nothing Else Comes Close! TM Also, don’t miss the opportunity test your skills on SkyTrak that has been voted by Golf Digest as the Best Value Golf Simulator for two years in a row to include receiving the Editor’s Choice award on both sides of the Atlantic. World-renowned and Top 100 Golf Instructor, Hank Haney will be at the booth on Wednesday, January 23rd from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m to meet, greet and sign autographs. SkyGolf’s product portfolio represents the industry’s broadest and most complete array of e-golf technology to include:
A family of SkyCaddie® rangefinders in multiple formats and price points that are pre-loaded and ready-to-play with SkyGolf’s worldwide library of high-precision courses. SkyGolf’s Real-time Game Tracking Solution in two formats including a rangefinder watch with both swing detection for automated performance tracking and RFID sensors to support optional SmartTags. The award-winning SkyPro®, golf’s most powerful and accurate swing sensor for game improvement on the practice range, the office or at home. SkyTrak, A Personal Launch Monitor, another award-winning product that makes golf simulation for practice, course play and gamification at home affordable for most golfers for the first time. SkyTrak is a revolutionary development in launch monitor technology, offering a complete practice, play and entertainment system for golf at home. It delivers commercial quality ball flight simulations that reflect a golfer’s actual performance for game improvement and entertainment at a price far below alternatives. Golfers can also experience and test their skills with their own clubs at their own pace on thousands of courses to include some of the world’s most famous 18-hole courses through integrations with very popular golf simulator providers such as WGT Golf, The Golf Club, TruGolf, Creative Golf and Fitness Golf. Many new features and improvements will be ready for demonstration at Booth #1301.
At the center of all SkyGolf e-golf products is its SkyGolf 360 architecture providing unmatched wireless connectivity for golfers to upload performance data captured during use of each portfolio product to the SkyGolf 360 Cloud where access to such information for analysis, tracking and sharing via social networks is available immediately via a companion App running on smartphones and tablets, or via a PC. The SkyCaddie® SX500 GPS is SkyGolf’s “20th Anniversary Rembrandt” to celebrate two decades of innovation and pioneering products for golfer improvement. Key features include:
Golf's most brilliant display featuring a large 5" touch screen A powerful, ultra-fast multi-core processor for fast response A ruggedized, highly water-resistant design Cut the Cord! Wireless connectivity to streamline updates and course downloads on demand. No need to connect to a computer or perform massive updates. Full HD graphics provide a stunning visual experience Preloaded with over 35,000 of SkyGolf's ground-verified, error-corrected maps for unmatched accuracy Super-sized battery for multi-round enjoyment between charges
The SkyCaddie® SX500 comes in a highly water-resistant, rugged design to stand up to most anything that comes its way on the course. With the largest battery in the industry, the SX500 is ready for extended playing time for that emergency 9, or even 18 more holes. Using multi-constellation navigation satellite systems, the SX500 provides enhanced accuracy and overall better performance under tough conditions or tree cover. The powerful features of the SkyCaddie® SX500 are easily tapped with its large 5", intuitive touch screen and a host of automated features such as Auto-Course Selection, Auto-Hole Advance and Auto-Zoom, making it almost "touch-free" from the parking lot to the 19th hole. The large HD display combined with HD quality course graphics, only available from SkyCaddie, provide the best view of the most-reliable information in the game to allow you to play your best golf. Some advanced and exciting new features are debuting in the SX500. For example, , the powerful processor of the SX500 allows SkyCaddie® to introduce Dynamic HoleVue, which automatically re-orients the entire golf hole from your position to the green as you progress from the tee. So, by leveraging SkyCaddie’s patented IntelliGreen® technology, golfers can now see the entire hole from their point-of-view to quickly acquire distances to avoid intervening hazards to plot the best strategy for every shot… only from SkyCaddie! And, the SX500 allows the golfer to track the club, location and distance of each shot in real-time as you play. You’ll know how far you hit every club in your bag, resulting in better game management and lower scores. Improve your game with detailed, post-round analysis using SkyGolf 360 where all your game data is stored, analysed and displayed in easy to see formats and graphs to track your progress and identify areas for improvement “Since its limited launch late in 2018, we’ve had rave reviews from customers and media alike. We also have 15 players on the European Senior Staysure Tour using the SX500 now, with 2 wins at the end of the 2018 season.” Here are just a few comments from those who have been using the SX500:
“The SX500 talks the language of golf and answers the questions you were about to ask.” – L. Nicoll, first time user “Playing with the SX500 is like having your own personal caddie in the palm of your hand.” – David Cunninghame, Bunkered magazine “The SkyCaddie SX500 is a strategic golfer’s dream come true.” – Jon Sherman, Practical Golfer
Each SkyCaddie product pairs via Bluetooth with a companion App to be compatible with the SkyGolf 360 Cloud Service to eliminate cables. All rangefinders are preloaded with SkyCaddie’s worldwide library of error-corrected golf courses to deliver unmatched accuracy and reliability. Only SkyGolf® walks every course with professional survey-grade equipment to create the most complete and most reliable course maps in the game. In summary, SkyGolf’s commitment to innovation has created the largest portfolio of game improvement and performance tracking products in golf to help golfers play better, play smarter and have more fun! And each product is built around a single platform, SkyGolf 360, to allow golfers to keep all performance data regardless of whether it comes from a rangefinder, a swing sensor, a performance tracker or a launch monitor in one place rather than scattered among various competitors with incompatible platforms. A single platform is not only to the golfer’s advantage, but it is also to the advantage of a teacher, PGA Professional or reseller to be able to offer all available tools a golfer can need to improve their performance from one source with the confidence their customers are getting the very best solution. Also, SkyGolf 360 is now available to our commercial accounts who can use it to stay engaged with their students and members to find opportunities to offer their help and services as needed. For more information, visit www.skygolf.com. About SkyGolf SkyGolf, maker of SkyCaddie, the #1-Rated and Most-Trusted Rangefinder in Golf, is a private company specializing in the development of innovative positioning systems and technology specifically designed to help golfers play better and have more fun. The overall mission of SkyGolf is to help golfers play better with better information while respecting the long-standing traditions of the game. By using technology responsibly and within the spirit and rules of golf, SkyGolf provides golfers of all skill levels with better and more rewarding golf experiences. For more information, visit: www.skygolf.com.
from Golf News Wire http://bit.ly/2Dot6nM
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Real Estate Agents Loveland Co
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What's It Like To Be A Member?
Washington Road could be just about anywhere in small-town America. It is a bustling eyesore-lined thoroughfare with cheap chain restaurants and bargain retail stores. And while this gaudy strip shouts with a working-class accent, whispering in more genteel tones, behind the sign off Washington Road that reads "Augusta National Golf Club Members Only," is a peaceful enclave for powerful men. And behind the mystique spawned by the secrecy that surrounds the club is a place of surprising simplicity. It is a haven where important men go to be regular guys and escape in the joys of golf and companionship.
"We don't have anything in here you can't put your feet up on," says an Augusta National member, skirting the club's no-talk policy by speaking under the condition of anonymity. That accurately describes the comfortable atmosphere of the clubhouse, the original part of which was built in 1854 as the home of Dennis Redmond, who ran the land as an indigo plantation. The floorboards creak with age and seem to speak of a bygone era. While time hasn't stopped at Augusta National, it certainly moves at its own casual pace. And casual is the operative word. The clubhouse and the 10 cabins on the grounds have an easy décor that suggests a summer getaway place rather than a stuffy citified club.
"We are not a museum," William W. (Hootie) Johnson told Golf Digest in a recent exclusive interview (as chairman he is the one Augusta National member allowed to speak publicly about club policy). "I don't say that to be cute. The golf course has constantly been improved by Bobby Jones and Mr. [co-founder Clifford] Roberts and on up through the years."
Behind the gates
At the guardhouse on Washington Road, security personnel know the members by sight, and guests are held until a member comes to collect them. Members are allowed as many as four guests at a time, depending on the time of the year, and guests can play without a member, as long as the member is on the property while his guests are playing. No guests are allowed during the four big member-only events each year.
About 330 yards and 61 magnolia trees off Washington Road and down Magnolia Lane is the front door to the clubhouse, a building that was saved from destruction 70 years ago by the club's early financial problems during the Great Depression (if they'd had the money, they'd have built a new clubhouse). Inside the door, stored beneath the counter at the switchboard, is a humidor with an excellent cigar collection known only to the members. The best go for less than $10. Unlike at many clubs, things are not overpriced at Augusta.
In the downstairs Trophy Room dinner is eaten under portraits of Jones, Roberts and U.S. President Eisenhower, a club member. A set of clubs used by Jones and the ball Gene Sarazen struck when he made his double eagle in the 1935 Masters are on display.
There is some lodging for members just off the Trophy Room. Upstairs, the Library is where card games are played and stories told and re-told. The room is not loud with money but rather quiet with charm. The Champions Locker Room, where Tiger Woods shares a locker with Jackie Burke Jr., is just off the library, as is the recently renovated Grill Room and the Members' Locker Room, complete with masseuse. Among the art in the Library is the first watercolor sketch of the course by architect Alister Mackenzie and a portrait of Roberts painted by Eisenhower.
Up a near-vertical flight of stairs, in a room with windows on all four sides that would be called a widow's walk if only there were an ocean nearby, is the Crow's Nest, the first on-site housing at the club. Originally a dormitory that slept six, it now has a sitting room, a bathroom and four enclosed rooms sleeping a total of five. This is where amateur contestants in the Masters stay, and it is still used by visiting members and guests.
Although Augusta National boasts a world-class wine cellar and high-quality food, the dining-room menu speaks to the relaxed atmosphere of the place. Only the soups vary daily. Otherwise, the choices include steak, broiled fish ("with no fancy sauces on it," a regular diner says), fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, green beans, squash and corn bread. There is shrimp cocktail for an appetizer and ice cream or a delicious peach cobbler for dessert. French fries are not served, because Roberts thought they were unhealthy.
"I think it is very comfortable, but understated," Johnson says of the clubhouse. "We try to make everyone who comes to Augusta National feel at home, whether they are members or guests."
Part of the comfort is the staff. Although the paternalistic manner in which Roberts viewed the almost exclusively black workforce can be regarded as condescending, it produced a loyalty that not only resulted in very little turnover but created multigeneration employees. The son of Eisenhower's regular caddie, Cemetery, is a caddie at Augusta today. Frank Carpenter, who recently retired, worked at Augusta for more than 50 years, starting as a waiter and ending up as the wine steward and reputedly a first-class wine buyer. The longtime chef, the late James Clark, was an active participant in the Closing Party every year. No tipping is allowed, but Roberts was known to intervene if a caddie was underpaid and always told guests to "pay what you think he was worth," which almost always ensured a healthy remuneration. "We have just unbelievably dedicated people who work here," Johnson says. "And I think that is the first thing that stands out when people come here, and that includes members. Every time we come, I think we are impressed with our service and with our people and with their dedication."
Between the clubhouse and the first tee is the massive live oak under which the most powerful people in golf gather to chat during Masters week. Winding through the tree and around the clubhouse is a gnarled Chinese wisteria vine brought to the grounds when the pre-club owners, the Berckmans family, ran the estate as a nursery. The vine is said to be the parent of all such wisteria in America.
Off to the left as you gaze at the course from the clubhouse is the 10th tee, and to the left of that is the Eisenhower Cabin, one of seven cottages that form a semicircle between the 10th hole and the Par-3 Course. While the term "cabin" is an understatement, the interior is astonishing in its simplicity. Again, the furniture is much like you would gather for a casual summer hideaway, except here the simple wood dressers have had landscape scenes painted on them by Eisenhower. On the wall is a series of photos taken by Mamie Eisenhower of the various places she and her husband lived: There is Fort Benning in Georgia; Morningside Drive in New York City, from when Ike was president of Columbia University; and, stuck quietly among the other residences, is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- the White House.
No ordinary golf club
The National is different from most other golf clubs in more than just its membership. First, it is closed all summer, from the third week of May until mid-October, primarily for renovations. Also, you don't apply to join, you are invited (making it known you are interested in being a member is a surefire way not to be invited). A new member finds out he has been asked to join when a letter arrives in the mail. And legend has it that a member who falls out of favor will find out about it when a bill doesn't arrive in late summer, although one Augusta insider says he can't remember the last time that happened.
The club operates under the firm hand of the chairman, a classic benevolent-dictator system created by Roberts. There have been only five chairmen in the club's 70-year history. Advising the chairman is the board of governors. Among the key insiders are Joe Ford, the vice chairman; Will Nicholson, the chairman of the competition committees for the Masters; Billy Payne, the chairman of the media committee; and Charley Yates, the 1938 British Amateur champion, close friend of Bob Jones and the only current member who joined before World War II. Club rules are not so much written as they are hints, and those who don't get the hint get the boot. The code word is "favorably." High-stakes gambling, for example, is not looked upon favorably.
In 1937, Roberts decided members should wear green jackets during Masters week so patrons could easily identify them if they had any questions. Beginning in 1949, the Masters champion, too, received a green jacket. Each member gets one jacket, for which he is billed a small fee. Members are not allowed to take the jacket from the grounds. A Masters winner is an honorary member and may take the coat off the premises the year he is champion. When a member arrives at the club, he finds the jacket hanging in his closet. If it begins to get threadbare or if a button comes loose, a sharp-eyed employee spots the defect and has it fixed.
"Despite the secrecy surrounding the club, there are no mysterious rituals shared by the members," says one insider. "Instead of a secret handshake you're more likely to get a slap on the back."
Augusta National is more about power than it is about money. It is not what you can afford but who you know, and how you act. The initiation fee is in the "low five figures," according to one source, and a member adds, "You could afford it," knowing full well he was speaking to someone making a journalist's salary. The annual dues, two insiders say, amount to "a few thousand dollars," and it costs about $100 a night to stay in one of the 105 beds that are on site.
According to Johnson, a typical weekend might have as few as 20 or 30 people playing golf, or as many as 80. Some members may come to the club only three to five times a year, and others might come 15 or 20 times. It is a close-knit group that resembles in many ways a college fraternity. Members volunteer to chair the 24 committees needed to put on the Masters, and dozens of other members chip in to help on those committees. Former Sen. Sam Nunn is on the media committee.
There is no member-guest tournament, but there are four big member-only social events a year (no guests or wives allowed) that are spirited competitions: the Opening Party in October, the Governors Party in November, the Jamboree in late March and the Closing Party the third week of May. At the last Governors Party, 130 of the 300 members showed up. After the competitive rounds, some members move inside for a drink and cigar and maybe some cards. Others head back out and squeeze in another 18 holes. Except for one day at the Jamboree when two-man teams compete, the competitions are four-man best ball with adjustments for pars and birdies, according to Augusta's unique handicap system. (The course has no Slope Rating -- instead, two points are awarded for birdies or better, one for pars, everything else counts for nothing, and a handicap is derived by deducting the total number of points from 18.)
"At the time of the Jamboree our scoreboards [for the Masters] are up," Johnson says, laughing. "It might be Johnson-Chapman, that's my partner [Hugh Chapman], or it might be Stephens-Johnson -- Jack Stephens and I won twice. It's as exciting as heck. You see your name up on the scoreboard with your partner's, then if you start stumbling around your names come off the board and somebody else goes up. You have eight or 10 leaders up there. If you win that, you receive a silver box with every attendee's name engraved on it."
These are some of the most powerful men in America, yet they are thrilled by receiving a silver box they could easily buy -- because they won it on the golf course.
"Everybody plays a nassau," says another member, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, in describing the competition at the fall Governors Party. "If you win $75, you had a helluva great day. If you lose $75, you had a horrible day. And if you break even, you're lucky."
What would Mr. Roberts do?
When Cliff Roberts ran the place, the Jamboree was not only a time to celebrate the club but was also a time to poke fun at his own autocratic rule. Each year he would show a short movie at the party. One time he depicted himself making a hole-in-one on No. 16 and then walking on water from the tee to the green, a feat pulled off by the construction of a bridge just under the surface of the pond. To add to the effect, his caddie was shown tumbling into the water. Another time, the movie had a bear chasing golfers across the course. Then the camera pulled in for a close-up of the bear -- the head was lifted off to reveal Roberts. Several times Roberts showed himself singing to a rubber duck.
"There is still a six- to eight-minute movie shown at the Jamboree with a mix of a little comedy, golf course beauty shots and sentiment," says someone who spends a lot of time inside the gates of Augusta. "There might be a piece on a member who recently passed away." Perhaps this year there will be a tongue-in-cheek reference to the membership confrontation with Martha Burk.
Although the legend of Jones is at the heart of Augusta, the essence of Roberts is its soul. The single-minded efficiency -- some would say arrogance -- with which Roberts ran the club as chairman from 1934 to 1976 established a road map for other chairmen to follow. Ask an Augusta member about a club policy, and the answer is likely to begin with the words: "Well, Mr. Roberts felt ... " Though Jones is listed as president in perpetuity, it is, in fact, Roberts who still rules.
"I'll tell you, he had a great sense of humor," Johnson says. "He'd kind of let you know what he was thinking without being too harsh sometimes. When shorts first came in on the golf course, men wearing shorts, Mr. Roberts was having lunch when Charley Yates bounded up with his shorts on. Mr. Roberts looked at him and said, 'Charley, what are you doing this afternoon?' And he said, 'Well, I'm going to play golf, Cliff, of course.' And Mr. Roberts said, 'Well, I hope the course is nearby.' It didn't take Charley long to change the shorts."
So what would happen if a member showed up now wearing shorts?
"We wouldn't look too favorably on it," Johnson says with a chuckle. "It's all right for ladies to have down-to-the-knee shorts. But men, we don't look too favorably on that."
When Johnson, 72, speaks of Augusta National, it is with a genuine affection. He first set foot on the grounds shortly after World War II, first played there 50 years ago and became a member, at the suggestion of Roberts, in 1968. Time and again as he shares stories about the club his sentences are punctuated with laughter or interrupted by wistful pauses as if a particular fond memory is replaying in his mind.
"The Closing Party is a great party," Johnson says. "We have a barbecue down by the Par-3 [Course], and we hit balls to the first green down there and all walk around with our drinks and our chef, James Clark, he'd get into it with us. He usually ended up winning the money. I only say those things," Johnson says, pausing to collect the words he wanted to use. "It's just a ... " Again he stops and laughs a private laugh as if remembering a story or a long-ago incident.
"There is a great camaraderie among the membership," he says finally.
"One of the greatest things I see is when two members, who likely haven't seen each other in several months, meet on the practice tee," says one who has been there to witness such reunions. "It's like two old college buddies meeting for alumni weekend. It's just good guys who like golf and each other's company."
Because of the difficulty of getting to Augusta (the town is almost a three-hour drive from Atlanta -- many arrive by private jet and fly into Augusta's tiny airport), members begin arriving on a Wednesday night for the big parties. It is those intimate gatherings when people are trickling in that Johnson remembers with the greatest fondness.
"There might be just 25 or 30 people, and we have a great get-together up there [in the Library]," he says. "And it's just an intimate place, a warm place. Most of the time we go to bed at a reasonable hour, but every now and then we might be up a little while."
The club frowns upon lights being on after midnight (the New Year's Eve countdown takes place at 10:30). But there are some nights when the rules are bent just a little. Especially when one of those sharing stories and playing bridge or gin rummy is the chairman, who most likely is beginning a yarn with the words, "I remember the time Mr. Roberts ... "
Washington Road is just a short par 4 away, but the harsh lights and honking horns don't make it far enough past the gates of Augusta National Golf Club to reach the clubhouse. Getting past that gate is a privilege reserved for 300 members escaping the demands of one world for the pleasures of another -- and for the chosen few they bring in with them.
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Text
What's It Like To Be A Member?
Washington Road could be just about anywhere in small-town America. It is a bustling eyesore-lined thoroughfare with cheap chain restaurants and bargain retail stores. And while this gaudy strip shouts with a working-class accent, whispering in more genteel tones, behind the sign off Washington Road that reads "Augusta National Golf Club Members Only," is a peaceful enclave for powerful men. And behind the mystique spawned by the secrecy that surrounds the club is a place of surprising simplicity. It is a haven where important men go to be regular guys and escape in the joys of golf and companionship.
"We don't have anything in here you can't put your feet up on," says an Augusta National member, skirting the club's no-talk policy by speaking under the condition of anonymity. That accurately describes the comfortable atmosphere of the clubhouse, the original part of which was built in 1854 as the home of Dennis Redmond, who ran the land as an indigo plantation. The floorboards creak with age and seem to speak of a bygone era. While time hasn't stopped at Augusta National, it certainly moves at its own casual pace. And casual is the operative word. The clubhouse and the 10 cabins on the grounds have an easy décor that suggests a summer getaway place rather than a stuffy citified club.
"We are not a museum," William W. (Hootie) Johnson told Golf Digest in a recent exclusive interview (as chairman he is the one Augusta National member allowed to speak publicly about club policy). "I don't say that to be cute. The golf course has constantly been improved by Bobby Jones and Mr. [co-founder Clifford] Roberts and on up through the years."
Behind the gates
At the guardhouse on Washington Road, security personnel know the members by sight, and guests are held until a member comes to collect them. Members are allowed as many as four guests at a time, depending on the time of the year, and guests can play without a member, as long as the member is on the property while his guests are playing. No guests are allowed during the four big member-only events each year.
About 330 yards and 61 magnolia trees off Washington Road and down Magnolia Lane is the front door to the clubhouse, a building that was saved from destruction 70 years ago by the club's early financial problems during the Great Depression (if they'd had the money, they'd have built a new clubhouse). Inside the door, stored beneath the counter at the switchboard, is a humidor with an excellent cigar collection known only to the members. The best go for less than $10. Unlike at many clubs, things are not overpriced at Augusta.
In the downstairs Trophy Room dinner is eaten under portraits of Jones, Roberts and U.S. President Eisenhower, a club member. A set of clubs used by Jones and the ball Gene Sarazen struck when he made his double eagle in the 1935 Masters are on display.
There is some lodging for members just off the Trophy Room. Upstairs, the Library is where card games are played and stories told and re-told. The room is not loud with money but rather quiet with charm. The Champions Locker Room, where Tiger Woods shares a locker with Jackie Burke Jr., is just off the library, as is the recently renovated Grill Room and the Members' Locker Room, complete with masseuse. Among the art in the Library is the first watercolor sketch of the course by architect Alister Mackenzie and a portrait of Roberts painted by Eisenhower.
Up a near-vertical flight of stairs, in a room with windows on all four sides that would be called a widow's walk if only there were an ocean nearby, is the Crow's Nest, the first on-site housing at the club. Originally a dormitory that slept six, it now has a sitting room, a bathroom and four enclosed rooms sleeping a total of five. This is where amateur contestants in the Masters stay, and it is still used by visiting members and guests.
Although Augusta National boasts a world-class wine cellar and high-quality food, the dining-room menu speaks to the relaxed atmosphere of the place. Only the soups vary daily. Otherwise, the choices include steak, broiled fish ("with no fancy sauces on it," a regular diner says), fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, green beans, squash and corn bread. There is shrimp cocktail for an appetizer and ice cream or a delicious peach cobbler for dessert. French fries are not served, because Roberts thought they were unhealthy.
"I think it is very comfortable, but understated," Johnson says of the clubhouse. "We try to make everyone who comes to Augusta National feel at home, whether they are members or guests."
Part of the comfort is the staff. Although the paternalistic manner in which Roberts viewed the almost exclusively black workforce can be regarded as condescending, it produced a loyalty that not only resulted in very little turnover but created multigeneration employees. The son of Eisenhower's regular caddie, Cemetery, is a caddie at Augusta today. Frank Carpenter, who recently retired, worked at Augusta for more than 50 years, starting as a waiter and ending up as the wine steward and reputedly a first-class wine buyer. The longtime chef, the late James Clark, was an active participant in the Closing Party every year. No tipping is allowed, but Roberts was known to intervene if a caddie was underpaid and always told guests to "pay what you think he was worth," which almost always ensured a healthy remuneration. "We have just unbelievably dedicated people who work here," Johnson says. "And I think that is the first thing that stands out when people come here, and that includes members. Every time we come, I think we are impressed with our service and with our people and with their dedication."
Between the clubhouse and the first tee is the massive live oak under which the most powerful people in golf gather to chat during Masters week. Winding through the tree and around the clubhouse is a gnarled Chinese wisteria vine brought to the grounds when the pre-club owners, the Berckmans family, ran the estate as a nursery. The vine is said to be the parent of all such wisteria in America.
Off to the left as you gaze at the course from the clubhouse is the 10th tee, and to the left of that is the Eisenhower Cabin, one of seven cottages that form a semicircle between the 10th hole and the Par-3 Course. While the term "cabin" is an understatement, the interior is astonishing in its simplicity. Again, the furniture is much like you would gather for a casual summer hideaway, except here the simple wood dressers have had landscape scenes painted on them by Eisenhower. On the wall is a series of photos taken by Mamie Eisenhower of the various places she and her husband lived: There is Fort Benning in Georgia; Morningside Drive in New York City, from when Ike was president of Columbia University; and, stuck quietly among the other residences, is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- the White House.
No ordinary golf club
The National is different from most other golf clubs in more than just its membership. First, it is closed all summer, from the third week of May until mid-October, primarily for renovations. Also, you don't apply to join, you are invited (making it known you are interested in being a member is a surefire way not to be invited). A new member finds out he has been asked to join when a letter arrives in the mail. And legend has it that a member who falls out of favor will find out about it when a bill doesn't arrive in late summer, although one Augusta insider says he can't remember the last time that happened.
The club operates under the firm hand of the chairman, a classic benevolent-dictator system created by Roberts. There have been only five chairmen in the club's 70-year history. Advising the chairman is the board of governors. Among the key insiders are Joe Ford, the vice chairman; Will Nicholson, the chairman of the competition committees for the Masters; Billy Payne, the chairman of the media committee; and Charley Yates, the 1938 British Amateur champion, close friend of Bob Jones and the only current member who joined before World War II. Club rules are not so much written as they are hints, and those who don't get the hint get the boot. The code word is "favorably." High-stakes gambling, for example, is not looked upon favorably.
In 1937, Roberts decided members should wear green jackets during Masters week so patrons could easily identify them if they had any questions. Beginning in 1949, the Masters champion, too, received a green jacket. Each member gets one jacket, for which he is billed a small fee. Members are not allowed to take the jacket from the grounds. A Masters winner is an honorary member and may take the coat off the premises the year he is champion. When a member arrives at the club, he finds the jacket hanging in his closet. If it begins to get threadbare or if a button comes loose, a sharp-eyed employee spots the defect and has it fixed.
"Despite the secrecy surrounding the club, there are no mysterious rituals shared by the members," says one insider. "Instead of a secret handshake you're more likely to get a slap on the back."
Augusta National is more about power than it is about money. It is not what you can afford but who you know, and how you act. The initiation fee is in the "low five figures," according to one source, and a member adds, "You could afford it," knowing full well he was speaking to someone making a journalist's salary. The annual dues, two insiders say, amount to "a few thousand dollars," and it costs about $100 a night to stay in one of the 105 beds that are on site.
According to Johnson, a typical weekend might have as few as 20 or 30 people playing golf, or as many as 80. Some members may come to the club only three to five times a year, and others might come 15 or 20 times. It is a close-knit group that resembles in many ways a college fraternity. Members volunteer to chair the 24 committees needed to put on the Masters, and dozens of other members chip in to help on those committees. Former Sen. Sam Nunn is on the media committee.
There is no member-guest tournament, but there are four big member-only social events a year (no guests or wives allowed) that are spirited competitions: the Opening Party in October, the Governors Party in November, the Jamboree in late March and the Closing Party the third week of May. At the last Governors Party, 130 of the 300 members showed up. After the competitive rounds, some members move inside for a drink and cigar and maybe some cards. Others head back out and squeeze in another 18 holes. Except for one day at the Jamboree when two-man teams compete, the competitions are four-man best ball with adjustments for pars and birdies, according to Augusta's unique handicap system. (The course has no Slope Rating -- instead, two points are awarded for birdies or better, one for pars, everything else counts for nothing, and a handicap is derived by deducting the total number of points from 18.)
"At the time of the Jamboree our scoreboards [for the Masters] are up," Johnson says, laughing. "It might be Johnson-Chapman, that's my partner [Hugh Chapman], or it might be Stephens-Johnson -- Jack Stephens and I won twice. It's as exciting as heck. You see your name up on the scoreboard with your partner's, then if you start stumbling around your names come off the board and somebody else goes up. You have eight or 10 leaders up there. If you win that, you receive a silver box with every attendee's name engraved on it."
These are some of the most powerful men in America, yet they are thrilled by receiving a silver box they could easily buy -- because they won it on the golf course.
"Everybody plays a nassau," says another member, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, in describing the competition at the fall Governors Party. "If you win $75, you had a helluva great day. If you lose $75, you had a horrible day. And if you break even, you're lucky."
What would Mr. Roberts do?
When Cliff Roberts ran the place, the Jamboree was not only a time to celebrate the club but was also a time to poke fun at his own autocratic rule. Each year he would show a short movie at the party. One time he depicted himself making a hole-in-one on No. 16 and then walking on water from the tee to the green, a feat pulled off by the construction of a bridge just under the surface of the pond. To add to the effect, his caddie was shown tumbling into the water. Another time, the movie had a bear chasing golfers across the course. Then the camera pulled in for a close-up of the bear -- the head was lifted off to reveal Roberts. Several times Roberts showed himself singing to a rubber duck.
"There is still a six- to eight-minute movie shown at the Jamboree with a mix of a little comedy, golf course beauty shots and sentiment," says someone who spends a lot of time inside the gates of Augusta. "There might be a piece on a member who recently passed away." Perhaps this year there will be a tongue-in-cheek reference to the membership confrontation with Martha Burk.
Although the legend of Jones is at the heart of Augusta, the essence of Roberts is its soul. The single-minded efficiency -- some would say arrogance -- with which Roberts ran the club as chairman from 1934 to 1976 established a road map for other chairmen to follow. Ask an Augusta member about a club policy, and the answer is likely to begin with the words: "Well, Mr. Roberts felt ... " Though Jones is listed as president in perpetuity, it is, in fact, Roberts who still rules.
"I'll tell you, he had a great sense of humor," Johnson says. "He'd kind of let you know what he was thinking without being too harsh sometimes. When shorts first came in on the golf course, men wearing shorts, Mr. Roberts was having lunch when Charley Yates bounded up with his shorts on. Mr. Roberts looked at him and said, 'Charley, what are you doing this afternoon?' And he said, 'Well, I'm going to play golf, Cliff, of course.' And Mr. Roberts said, 'Well, I hope the course is nearby.' It didn't take Charley long to change the shorts."
So what would happen if a member showed up now wearing shorts?
"We wouldn't look too favorably on it," Johnson says with a chuckle. "It's all right for ladies to have down-to-the-knee shorts. But men, we don't look too favorably on that."
When Johnson, 72, speaks of Augusta National, it is with a genuine affection. He first set foot on the grounds shortly after World War II, first played there 50 years ago and became a member, at the suggestion of Roberts, in 1968. Time and again as he shares stories about the club his sentences are punctuated with laughter or interrupted by wistful pauses as if a particular fond memory is replaying in his mind.
"The Closing Party is a great party," Johnson says. "We have a barbecue down by the Par-3 [Course], and we hit balls to the first green down there and all walk around with our drinks and our chef, James Clark, he'd get into it with us. He usually ended up winning the money. I only say those things," Johnson says, pausing to collect the words he wanted to use. "It's just a ... " Again he stops and laughs a private laugh as if remembering a story or a long-ago incident.
"There is a great camaraderie among the membership," he says finally.
"One of the greatest things I see is when two members, who likely haven't seen each other in several months, meet on the practice tee," says one who has been there to witness such reunions. "It's like two old college buddies meeting for alumni weekend. It's just good guys who like golf and each other's company."
Because of the difficulty of getting to Augusta (the town is almost a three-hour drive from Atlanta -- many arrive by private jet and fly into Augusta's tiny airport), members begin arriving on a Wednesday night for the big parties. It is those intimate gatherings when people are trickling in that Johnson remembers with the greatest fondness.
"There might be just 25 or 30 people, and we have a great get-together up there [in the Library]," he says. "And it's just an intimate place, a warm place. Most of the time we go to bed at a reasonable hour, but every now and then we might be up a little while."
The club frowns upon lights being on after midnight (the New Year's Eve countdown takes place at 10:30). But there are some nights when the rules are bent just a little. Especially when one of those sharing stories and playing bridge or gin rummy is the chairman, who most likely is beginning a yarn with the words, "I remember the time Mr. Roberts ... "
Washington Road is just a short par 4 away, but the harsh lights and honking horns don't make it far enough past the gates of Augusta National Golf Club to reach the clubhouse. Getting past that gate is a privilege reserved for 300 members escaping the demands of one world for the pleasures of another -- and for the chosen few they bring in with them.
0 notes
Text
What's It Like To Be A Member?
Washington Road could be just about anywhere in small-town America. It is a bustling eyesore-lined thoroughfare with cheap chain restaurants and bargain retail stores. And while this gaudy strip shouts with a working-class accent, whispering in more genteel tones, behind the sign off Washington Road that reads "Augusta National Golf Club Members Only," is a peaceful enclave for powerful men. And behind the mystique spawned by the secrecy that surrounds the club is a place of surprising simplicity. It is a haven where important men go to be regular guys and escape in the joys of golf and companionship.
"We don't have anything in here you can't put your feet up on," says an Augusta National member, skirting the club's no-talk policy by speaking under the condition of anonymity. That accurately describes the comfortable atmosphere of the clubhouse, the original part of which was built in 1854 as the home of Dennis Redmond, who ran the land as an indigo plantation. The floorboards creak with age and seem to speak of a bygone era. While time hasn't stopped at Augusta National, it certainly moves at its own casual pace. And casual is the operative word. The clubhouse and the 10 cabins on the grounds have an easy décor that suggests a summer getaway place rather than a stuffy citified club.
"We are not a museum," William W. (Hootie) Johnson told Golf Digest in a recent exclusive interview (as chairman he is the one Augusta National member allowed to speak publicly about club policy). "I don't say that to be cute. The golf course has constantly been improved by Bobby Jones and Mr. [co-founder Clifford] Roberts and on up through the years."
Behind the gates
At the guardhouse on Washington Road, security personnel know the members by sight, and guests are held until a member comes to collect them. Members are allowed as many as four guests at a time, depending on the time of the year, and guests can play without a member, as long as the member is on the property while his guests are playing. No guests are allowed during the four big member-only events each year.
About 330 yards and 61 magnolia trees off Washington Road and down Magnolia Lane is the front door to the clubhouse, a building that was saved from destruction 70 years ago by the club's early financial problems during the Great Depression (if they'd had the money, they'd have built a new clubhouse). Inside the door, stored beneath the counter at the switchboard, is a humidor with an excellent cigar collection known only to the members. The best go for less than $10. Unlike at many clubs, things are not overpriced at Augusta.
In the downstairs Trophy Room dinner is eaten under portraits of Jones, Roberts and U.S. President Eisenhower, a club member. A set of clubs used by Jones and the ball Gene Sarazen struck when he made his double eagle in the 1935 Masters are on display.
There is some lodging for members just off the Trophy Room. Upstairs, the Library is where card games are played and stories told and re-told. The room is not loud with money but rather quiet with charm. The Champions Locker Room, where Tiger Woods shares a locker with Jackie Burke Jr., is just off the library, as is the recently renovated Grill Room and the Members' Locker Room, complete with masseuse. Among the art in the Library is the first watercolor sketch of the course by architect Alister Mackenzie and a portrait of Roberts painted by Eisenhower.
Up a near-vertical flight of stairs, in a room with windows on all four sides that would be called a widow's walk if only there were an ocean nearby, is the Crow's Nest, the first on-site housing at the club. Originally a dormitory that slept six, it now has a sitting room, a bathroom and four enclosed rooms sleeping a total of five. This is where amateur contestants in the Masters stay, and it is still used by visiting members and guests.
Although Augusta National boasts a world-class wine cellar and high-quality food, the dining-room menu speaks to the relaxed atmosphere of the place. Only the soups vary daily. Otherwise, the choices include steak, broiled fish ("with no fancy sauces on it," a regular diner says), fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, green beans, squash and corn bread. There is shrimp cocktail for an appetizer and ice cream or a delicious peach cobbler for dessert. French fries are not served, because Roberts thought they were unhealthy.
"I think it is very comfortable, but understated," Johnson says of the clubhouse. "We try to make everyone who comes to Augusta National feel at home, whether they are members or guests."
Part of the comfort is the staff. Although the paternalistic manner in which Roberts viewed the almost exclusively black workforce can be regarded as condescending, it produced a loyalty that not only resulted in very little turnover but created multigeneration employees. The son of Eisenhower's regular caddie, Cemetery, is a caddie at Augusta today. Frank Carpenter, who recently retired, worked at Augusta for more than 50 years, starting as a waiter and ending up as the wine steward and reputedly a first-class wine buyer. The longtime chef, the late James Clark, was an active participant in the Closing Party every year. No tipping is allowed, but Roberts was known to intervene if a caddie was underpaid and always told guests to "pay what you think he was worth," which almost always ensured a healthy remuneration. "We have just unbelievably dedicated people who work here," Johnson says. "And I think that is the first thing that stands out when people come here, and that includes members. Every time we come, I think we are impressed with our service and with our people and with their dedication."
Between the clubhouse and the first tee is the massive live oak under which the most powerful people in golf gather to chat during Masters week. Winding through the tree and around the clubhouse is a gnarled Chinese wisteria vine brought to the grounds when the pre-club owners, the Berckmans family, ran the estate as a nursery. The vine is said to be the parent of all such wisteria in America.
Off to the left as you gaze at the course from the clubhouse is the 10th tee, and to the left of that is the Eisenhower Cabin, one of seven cottages that form a semicircle between the 10th hole and the Par-3 Course. While the term "cabin" is an understatement, the interior is astonishing in its simplicity. Again, the furniture is much like you would gather for a casual summer hideaway, except here the simple wood dressers have had landscape scenes painted on them by Eisenhower. On the wall is a series of photos taken by Mamie Eisenhower of the various places she and her husband lived: There is Fort Benning in Georgia; Morningside Drive in New York City, from when Ike was president of Columbia University; and, stuck quietly among the other residences, is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- the White House.
No ordinary golf club
The National is different from most other golf clubs in more than just its membership. First, it is closed all summer, from the third week of May until mid-October, primarily for renovations. Also, you don't apply to join, you are invited (making it known you are interested in being a member is a surefire way not to be invited). A new member finds out he has been asked to join when a letter arrives in the mail. And legend has it that a member who falls out of favor will find out about it when a bill doesn't arrive in late summer, although one Augusta insider says he can't remember the last time that happened.
The club operates under the firm hand of the chairman, a classic benevolent-dictator system created by Roberts. There have been only five chairmen in the club's 70-year history. Advising the chairman is the board of governors. Among the key insiders are Joe Ford, the vice chairman; Will Nicholson, the chairman of the competition committees for the Masters; Billy Payne, the chairman of the media committee; and Charley Yates, the 1938 British Amateur champion, close friend of Bob Jones and the only current member who joined before World War II. Club rules are not so much written as they are hints, and those who don't get the hint get the boot. The code word is "favorably." High-stakes gambling, for example, is not looked upon favorably.
In 1937, Roberts decided members should wear green jackets during Masters week so patrons could easily identify them if they had any questions. Beginning in 1949, the Masters champion, too, received a green jacket. Each member gets one jacket, for which he is billed a small fee. Members are not allowed to take the jacket from the grounds. A Masters winner is an honorary member and may take the coat off the premises the year he is champion. When a member arrives at the club, he finds the jacket hanging in his closet. If it begins to get threadbare or if a button comes loose, a sharp-eyed employee spots the defect and has it fixed.
"Despite the secrecy surrounding the club, there are no mysterious rituals shared by the members," says one insider. "Instead of a secret handshake you're more likely to get a slap on the back."
Augusta National is more about power than it is about money. It is not what you can afford but who you know, and how you act. The initiation fee is in the "low five figures," according to one source, and a member adds, "You could afford it," knowing full well he was speaking to someone making a journalist's salary. The annual dues, two insiders say, amount to "a few thousand dollars," and it costs about $100 a night to stay in one of the 105 beds that are on site.
According to Johnson, a typical weekend might have as few as 20 or 30 people playing golf, or as many as 80. Some members may come to the club only three to five times a year, and others might come 15 or 20 times. It is a close-knit group that resembles in many ways a college fraternity. Members volunteer to chair the 24 committees needed to put on the Masters, and dozens of other members chip in to help on those committees. Former Sen. Sam Nunn is on the media committee.
There is no member-guest tournament, but there are four big member-only social events a year (no guests or wives allowed) that are spirited competitions: the Opening Party in October, the Governors Party in November, the Jamboree in late March and the Closing Party the third week of May. At the last Governors Party, 130 of the 300 members showed up. After the competitive rounds, some members move inside for a drink and cigar and maybe some cards. Others head back out and squeeze in another 18 holes. Except for one day at the Jamboree when two-man teams compete, the competitions are four-man best ball with adjustments for pars and birdies, according to Augusta's unique handicap system. (The course has no Slope Rating -- instead, two points are awarded for birdies or better, one for pars, everything else counts for nothing, and a handicap is derived by deducting the total number of points from 18.)
"At the time of the Jamboree our scoreboards [for the Masters] are up," Johnson says, laughing. "It might be Johnson-Chapman, that's my partner [Hugh Chapman], or it might be Stephens-Johnson -- Jack Stephens and I won twice. It's as exciting as heck. You see your name up on the scoreboard with your partner's, then if you start stumbling around your names come off the board and somebody else goes up. You have eight or 10 leaders up there. If you win that, you receive a silver box with every attendee's name engraved on it."
These are some of the most powerful men in America, yet they are thrilled by receiving a silver box they could easily buy -- because they won it on the golf course.
"Everybody plays a nassau," says another member, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, in describing the competition at the fall Governors Party. "If you win $75, you had a helluva great day. If you lose $75, you had a horrible day. And if you break even, you're lucky."
What would Mr. Roberts do?
When Cliff Roberts ran the place, the Jamboree was not only a time to celebrate the club but was also a time to poke fun at his own autocratic rule. Each year he would show a short movie at the party. One time he depicted himself making a hole-in-one on No. 16 and then walking on water from the tee to the green, a feat pulled off by the construction of a bridge just under the surface of the pond. To add to the effect, his caddie was shown tumbling into the water. Another time, the movie had a bear chasing golfers across the course. Then the camera pulled in for a close-up of the bear -- the head was lifted off to reveal Roberts. Several times Roberts showed himself singing to a rubber duck.
"There is still a six- to eight-minute movie shown at the Jamboree with a mix of a little comedy, golf course beauty shots and sentiment," says someone who spends a lot of time inside the gates of Augusta. "There might be a piece on a member who recently passed away." Perhaps this year there will be a tongue-in-cheek reference to the membership confrontation with Martha Burk.
Although the legend of Jones is at the heart of Augusta, the essence of Roberts is its soul. The single-minded efficiency -- some would say arrogance -- with which Roberts ran the club as chairman from 1934 to 1976 established a road map for other chairmen to follow. Ask an Augusta member about a club policy, and the answer is likely to begin with the words: "Well, Mr. Roberts felt ... " Though Jones is listed as president in perpetuity, it is, in fact, Roberts who still rules.
"I'll tell you, he had a great sense of humor," Johnson says. "He'd kind of let you know what he was thinking without being too harsh sometimes. When shorts first came in on the golf course, men wearing shorts, Mr. Roberts was having lunch when Charley Yates bounded up with his shorts on. Mr. Roberts looked at him and said, 'Charley, what are you doing this afternoon?' And he said, 'Well, I'm going to play golf, Cliff, of course.' And Mr. Roberts said, 'Well, I hope the course is nearby.' It didn't take Charley long to change the shorts."
So what would happen if a member showed up now wearing shorts?
"We wouldn't look too favorably on it," Johnson says with a chuckle. "It's all right for ladies to have down-to-the-knee shorts. But men, we don't look too favorably on that."
When Johnson, 72, speaks of Augusta National, it is with a genuine affection. He first set foot on the grounds shortly after World War II, first played there 50 years ago and became a member, at the suggestion of Roberts, in 1968. Time and again as he shares stories about the club his sentences are punctuated with laughter or interrupted by wistful pauses as if a particular fond memory is replaying in his mind.
"The Closing Party is a great party," Johnson says. "We have a barbecue down by the Par-3 [Course], and we hit balls to the first green down there and all walk around with our drinks and our chef, James Clark, he'd get into it with us. He usually ended up winning the money. I only say those things," Johnson says, pausing to collect the words he wanted to use. "It's just a ... " Again he stops and laughs a private laugh as if remembering a story or a long-ago incident.
"There is a great camaraderie among the membership," he says finally.
"One of the greatest things I see is when two members, who likely haven't seen each other in several months, meet on the practice tee," says one who has been there to witness such reunions. "It's like two old college buddies meeting for alumni weekend. It's just good guys who like golf and each other's company."
Because of the difficulty of getting to Augusta (the town is almost a three-hour drive from Atlanta -- many arrive by private jet and fly into Augusta's tiny airport), members begin arriving on a Wednesday night for the big parties. It is those intimate gatherings when people are trickling in that Johnson remembers with the greatest fondness.
"There might be just 25 or 30 people, and we have a great get-together up there [in the Library]," he says. "And it's just an intimate place, a warm place. Most of the time we go to bed at a reasonable hour, but every now and then we might be up a little while."
The club frowns upon lights being on after midnight (the New Year's Eve countdown takes place at 10:30). But there are some nights when the rules are bent just a little. Especially when one of those sharing stories and playing bridge or gin rummy is the chairman, who most likely is beginning a yarn with the words, "I remember the time Mr. Roberts ... "
Washington Road is just a short par 4 away, but the harsh lights and honking horns don't make it far enough past the gates of Augusta National Golf Club to reach the clubhouse. Getting past that gate is a privilege reserved for 300 members escaping the demands of one world for the pleasures of another -- and for the chosen few they bring in with them.
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What's It Like To Be A Member?
Washington Road could be just about anywhere in small-town America. It is a bustling eyesore-lined thoroughfare with cheap chain restaurants and bargain retail stores. And while this gaudy strip shouts with a working-class accent, whispering in more genteel tones, behind the sign off Washington Road that reads "Augusta National Golf Club Members Only," is a peaceful enclave for powerful men. And behind the mystique spawned by the secrecy that surrounds the club is a place of surprising simplicity. It is a haven where important men go to be regular guys and escape in the joys of golf and companionship.
"We don't have anything in here you can't put your feet up on," says an Augusta National member, skirting the club's no-talk policy by speaking under the condition of anonymity. That accurately describes the comfortable atmosphere of the clubhouse, the original part of which was built in 1854 as the home of Dennis Redmond, who ran the land as an indigo plantation. The floorboards creak with age and seem to speak of a bygone era. While time hasn't stopped at Augusta National, it certainly moves at its own casual pace. And casual is the operative word. The clubhouse and the 10 cabins on the grounds have an easy décor that suggests a summer getaway place rather than a stuffy citified club.
"We are not a museum," William W. (Hootie) Johnson told Golf Digest in a recent exclusive interview (as chairman he is the one Augusta National member allowed to speak publicly about club policy). "I don't say that to be cute. The golf course has constantly been improved by Bobby Jones and Mr. [co-founder Clifford] Roberts and on up through the years."
Behind the gates
At the guardhouse on Washington Road, security personnel know the members by sight, and guests are held until a member comes to collect them. Members are allowed as many as four guests at a time, depending on the time of the year, and guests can play without a member, as long as the member is on the property while his guests are playing. No guests are allowed during the four big member-only events each year.
About 330 yards and 61 magnolia trees off Washington Road and down Magnolia Lane is the front door to the clubhouse, a building that was saved from destruction 70 years ago by the club's early financial problems during the Great Depression (if they'd had the money, they'd have built a new clubhouse). Inside the door, stored beneath the counter at the switchboard, is a humidor with an excellent cigar collection known only to the members. The best go for less than $10. Unlike at many clubs, things are not overpriced at Augusta.
In the downstairs Trophy Room dinner is eaten under portraits of Jones, Roberts and U.S. President Eisenhower, a club member. A set of clubs used by Jones and the ball Gene Sarazen struck when he made his double eagle in the 1935 Masters are on display.
There is some lodging for members just off the Trophy Room. Upstairs, the Library is where card games are played and stories told and re-told. The room is not loud with money but rather quiet with charm. The Champions Locker Room, where Tiger Woods shares a locker with Jackie Burke Jr., is just off the library, as is the recently renovated Grill Room and the Members' Locker Room, complete with masseuse. Among the art in the Library is the first watercolor sketch of the course by architect Alister Mackenzie and a portrait of Roberts painted by Eisenhower.
Up a near-vertical flight of stairs, in a room with windows on all four sides that would be called a widow's walk if only there were an ocean nearby, is the Crow's Nest, the first on-site housing at the club. Originally a dormitory that slept six, it now has a sitting room, a bathroom and four enclosed rooms sleeping a total of five. This is where amateur contestants in the Masters stay, and it is still used by visiting members and guests.
Although Augusta National boasts a world-class wine cellar and high-quality food, the dining-room menu speaks to the relaxed atmosphere of the place. Only the soups vary daily. Otherwise, the choices include steak, broiled fish ("with no fancy sauces on it," a regular diner says), fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, green beans, squash and corn bread. There is shrimp cocktail for an appetizer and ice cream or a delicious peach cobbler for dessert. French fries are not served, because Roberts thought they were unhealthy.
"I think it is very comfortable, but understated," Johnson says of the clubhouse. "We try to make everyone who comes to Augusta National feel at home, whether they are members or guests."
Part of the comfort is the staff. Although the paternalistic manner in which Roberts viewed the almost exclusively black workforce can be regarded as condescending, it produced a loyalty that not only resulted in very little turnover but created multigeneration employees. The son of Eisenhower's regular caddie, Cemetery, is a caddie at Augusta today. Frank Carpenter, who recently retired, worked at Augusta for more than 50 years, starting as a waiter and ending up as the wine steward and reputedly a first-class wine buyer. The longtime chef, the late James Clark, was an active participant in the Closing Party every year. No tipping is allowed, but Roberts was known to intervene if a caddie was underpaid and always told guests to "pay what you think he was worth," which almost always ensured a healthy remuneration. "We have just unbelievably dedicated people who work here," Johnson says. "And I think that is the first thing that stands out when people come here, and that includes members. Every time we come, I think we are impressed with our service and with our people and with their dedication."
Between the clubhouse and the first tee is the massive live oak under which the most powerful people in golf gather to chat during Masters week. Winding through the tree and around the clubhouse is a gnarled Chinese wisteria vine brought to the grounds when the pre-club owners, the Berckmans family, ran the estate as a nursery. The vine is said to be the parent of all such wisteria in America.
Off to the left as you gaze at the course from the clubhouse is the 10th tee, and to the left of that is the Eisenhower Cabin, one of seven cottages that form a semicircle between the 10th hole and the Par-3 Course. While the term "cabin" is an understatement, the interior is astonishing in its simplicity. Again, the furniture is much like you would gather for a casual summer hideaway, except here the simple wood dressers have had landscape scenes painted on them by Eisenhower. On the wall is a series of photos taken by Mamie Eisenhower of the various places she and her husband lived: There is Fort Benning in Georgia; Morningside Drive in New York City, from when Ike was president of Columbia University; and, stuck quietly among the other residences, is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- the White House.
No ordinary golf club
The National is different from most other golf clubs in more than just its membership. First, it is closed all summer, from the third week of May until mid-October, primarily for renovations. Also, you don't apply to join, you are invited (making it known you are interested in being a member is a surefire way not to be invited). A new member finds out he has been asked to join when a letter arrives in the mail. And legend has it that a member who falls out of favor will find out about it when a bill doesn't arrive in late summer, although one Augusta insider says he can't remember the last time that happened.
The club operates under the firm hand of the chairman, a classic benevolent-dictator system created by Roberts. There have been only five chairmen in the club's 70-year history. Advising the chairman is the board of governors. Among the key insiders are Joe Ford, the vice chairman; Will Nicholson, the chairman of the competition committees for the Masters; Billy Payne, the chairman of the media committee; and Charley Yates, the 1938 British Amateur champion, close friend of Bob Jones and the only current member who joined before World War II. Club rules are not so much written as they are hints, and those who don't get the hint get the boot. The code word is "favorably." High-stakes gambling, for example, is not looked upon favorably.
In 1937, Roberts decided members should wear green jackets during Masters week so patrons could easily identify them if they had any questions. Beginning in 1949, the Masters champion, too, received a green jacket. Each member gets one jacket, for which he is billed a small fee. Members are not allowed to take the jacket from the grounds. A Masters winner is an honorary member and may take the coat off the premises the year he is champion. When a member arrives at the club, he finds the jacket hanging in his closet. If it begins to get threadbare or if a button comes loose, a sharp-eyed employee spots the defect and has it fixed.
"Despite the secrecy surrounding the club, there are no mysterious rituals shared by the members," says one insider. "Instead of a secret handshake you're more likely to get a slap on the back."
Augusta National is more about power than it is about money. It is not what you can afford but who you know, and how you act. The initiation fee is in the "low five figures," according to one source, and a member adds, "You could afford it," knowing full well he was speaking to someone making a journalist's salary. The annual dues, two insiders say, amount to "a few thousand dollars," and it costs about $100 a night to stay in one of the 105 beds that are on site.
According to Johnson, a typical weekend might have as few as 20 or 30 people playing golf, or as many as 80. Some members may come to the club only three to five times a year, and others might come 15 or 20 times. It is a close-knit group that resembles in many ways a college fraternity. Members volunteer to chair the 24 committees needed to put on the Masters, and dozens of other members chip in to help on those committees. Former Sen. Sam Nunn is on the media committee.
There is no member-guest tournament, but there are four big member-only social events a year (no guests or wives allowed) that are spirited competitions: the Opening Party in October, the Governors Party in November, the Jamboree in late March and the Closing Party the third week of May. At the last Governors Party, 130 of the 300 members showed up. After the competitive rounds, some members move inside for a drink and cigar and maybe some cards. Others head back out and squeeze in another 18 holes. Except for one day at the Jamboree when two-man teams compete, the competitions are four-man best ball with adjustments for pars and birdies, according to Augusta's unique handicap system. (The course has no Slope Rating -- instead, two points are awarded for birdies or better, one for pars, everything else counts for nothing, and a handicap is derived by deducting the total number of points from 18.)
"At the time of the Jamboree our scoreboards [for the Masters] are up," Johnson says, laughing. "It might be Johnson-Chapman, that's my partner [Hugh Chapman], or it might be Stephens-Johnson -- Jack Stephens and I won twice. It's as exciting as heck. You see your name up on the scoreboard with your partner's, then if you start stumbling around your names come off the board and somebody else goes up. You have eight or 10 leaders up there. If you win that, you receive a silver box with every attendee's name engraved on it."
These are some of the most powerful men in America, yet they are thrilled by receiving a silver box they could easily buy -- because they won it on the golf course.
"Everybody plays a nassau," says another member, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, in describing the competition at the fall Governors Party. "If you win $75, you had a helluva great day. If you lose $75, you had a horrible day. And if you break even, you're lucky."
What would Mr. Roberts do?
When Cliff Roberts ran the place, the Jamboree was not only a time to celebrate the club but was also a time to poke fun at his own autocratic rule. Each year he would show a short movie at the party. One time he depicted himself making a hole-in-one on No. 16 and then walking on water from the tee to the green, a feat pulled off by the construction of a bridge just under the surface of the pond. To add to the effect, his caddie was shown tumbling into the water. Another time, the movie had a bear chasing golfers across the course. Then the camera pulled in for a close-up of the bear -- the head was lifted off to reveal Roberts. Several times Roberts showed himself singing to a rubber duck.
"There is still a six- to eight-minute movie shown at the Jamboree with a mix of a little comedy, golf course beauty shots and sentiment," says someone who spends a lot of time inside the gates of Augusta. "There might be a piece on a member who recently passed away." Perhaps this year there will be a tongue-in-cheek reference to the membership confrontation with Martha Burk.
Although the legend of Jones is at the heart of Augusta, the essence of Roberts is its soul. The single-minded efficiency -- some would say arrogance -- with which Roberts ran the club as chairman from 1934 to 1976 established a road map for other chairmen to follow. Ask an Augusta member about a club policy, and the answer is likely to begin with the words: "Well, Mr. Roberts felt ... " Though Jones is listed as president in perpetuity, it is, in fact, Roberts who still rules.
"I'll tell you, he had a great sense of humor," Johnson says. "He'd kind of let you know what he was thinking without being too harsh sometimes. When shorts first came in on the golf course, men wearing shorts, Mr. Roberts was having lunch when Charley Yates bounded up with his shorts on. Mr. Roberts looked at him and said, 'Charley, what are you doing this afternoon?' And he said, 'Well, I'm going to play golf, Cliff, of course.' And Mr. Roberts said, 'Well, I hope the course is nearby.' It didn't take Charley long to change the shorts."
So what would happen if a member showed up now wearing shorts?
"We wouldn't look too favorably on it," Johnson says with a chuckle. "It's all right for ladies to have down-to-the-knee shorts. But men, we don't look too favorably on that."
When Johnson, 72, speaks of Augusta National, it is with a genuine affection. He first set foot on the grounds shortly after World War II, first played there 50 years ago and became a member, at the suggestion of Roberts, in 1968. Time and again as he shares stories about the club his sentences are punctuated with laughter or interrupted by wistful pauses as if a particular fond memory is replaying in his mind.
"The Closing Party is a great party," Johnson says. "We have a barbecue down by the Par-3 [Course], and we hit balls to the first green down there and all walk around with our drinks and our chef, James Clark, he'd get into it with us. He usually ended up winning the money. I only say those things," Johnson says, pausing to collect the words he wanted to use. "It's just a ... " Again he stops and laughs a private laugh as if remembering a story or a long-ago incident.
"There is a great camaraderie among the membership," he says finally.
"One of the greatest things I see is when two members, who likely haven't seen each other in several months, meet on the practice tee," says one who has been there to witness such reunions. "It's like two old college buddies meeting for alumni weekend. It's just good guys who like golf and each other's company."
Because of the difficulty of getting to Augusta (the town is almost a three-hour drive from Atlanta -- many arrive by private jet and fly into Augusta's tiny airport), members begin arriving on a Wednesday night for the big parties. It is those intimate gatherings when people are trickling in that Johnson remembers with the greatest fondness.
"There might be just 25 or 30 people, and we have a great get-together up there [in the Library]," he says. "And it's just an intimate place, a warm place. Most of the time we go to bed at a reasonable hour, but every now and then we might be up a little while."
The club frowns upon lights being on after midnight (the New Year's Eve countdown takes place at 10:30). But there are some nights when the rules are bent just a little. Especially when one of those sharing stories and playing bridge or gin rummy is the chairman, who most likely is beginning a yarn with the words, "I remember the time Mr. Roberts ... "
Washington Road is just a short par 4 away, but the harsh lights and honking horns don't make it far enough past the gates of Augusta National Golf Club to reach the clubhouse. Getting past that gate is a privilege reserved for 300 members escaping the demands of one world for the pleasures of another -- and for the chosen few they bring in with them.
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Tips For Buying Golf Clubs Online
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Tips For Buying Golf Clubs Online
There are plenty of opinions when it comes to buying golf gear online – what to do, what not to do, where to buy, where not to buy, etc. The buying tips in this section are a combination of my personal experiences, feedback in golf forums and research. I hope (and expect) that they’ll be something in here to help you get what you want for the right price, with as little hassle as possible.
GET THE BEST PRICE
One of the quickest and easiest ways to get the best price is to shop around….very easy to do on the internet. Also, don’t be afraid to ask an online store to price match, particularly on big ticket items such as full sets and new drivers.
Here are some other ways to save:
PRICE COMPARISON SITES
You can look around online for the best price, or take the lazy way out and use price comparison sites. On these sites, you enter the details of the golf club(s) you’re looking to buy and they’ll return a list of online stores selling it, with the price. It’s not always easy to know whether you’re comparing apples with apples, so these sites are often just a good starting point to narrow your options.
Here are a few of the better ones, all of which also include equipment sold through Amazon and eBay:
shopping.com
bizrate.com
pricegrabber.com
pricerunner.co.uk
Many, if not most, online golf stores let you (beg you to!) sign-up to a regular newsletter. While you don’t want your inbox filled with junk mail, if you’re selective you can get some good discounts and special offers.
I signed up for The Golf Warehouse newsletter and was impressed with the value and frequency of their discount offers, including free shipping.
DISCOUNT COUPONS
Most online golf stores offer discount coupons from time to time (or all the time). Usually % off or free shipping. There are a few ways to take advantage of these coupons:
o Visit Coupon Sites: there are a few sites that provide a list of all online stores offering discounts through the use of online coupons. Monkeybargains is one such site where you can find coupon codes for discounts or free shipping for many online golf stores (inc. Austads, Pinemeadow, Callaway, The Golf Warehouse and TaylorMade).
o Use Google: you could find the golf gear you want online, but before ordering, go to Google and enter the seller’s website with the word “coupon” or “promotional code”. You may be able to get a discount on your purchase or shipping costs, or both
CASH BACK OFFERS
There are websites that give you cash back on purchases from quite a few online golf stores. The basic model is that these websites send customers to online golf stores and receive a commission for doing so. Instead of keeping the whole commission, they share it with you (the buyer) in the form of cash back. It depends on the program, but you’ll usually receive the cash back by check at certain intervals, eg monthly. The cash back isn’t huge, usually between 3%-8%, but better than nothing!
Here are a couple of programs you might want to look at:
o ebates.com – includes Edwin Watts Golf, Pinemeadow Golf, Golfsmith and Golf Outlet USA
o bing.com/shopping – BING is a fairly new search engine by Microsoft, which includes a cash back program. Cashback percentage looks to be a little higher than other programs. For example, you can get 12% cash back at Golfsmith. Other online golf stores that are part of this program include Callaway Pre-Owned and Golfballs.com
GET SOMEONE ELSE’S OPINION
Before you ‘proceed to checkout’ on your new set of clubs, take some time to read equipment reviews online. There are plenty of sites offering reviews on golf clubs, and some of them are actually objective! I prefer the reviews from not only industry experts, but actual golfers who have bought and used the clubs. Golf forums (such as those mentioned above) are a good place for straight-talking views on golf clubs. Here are some sites that are worth checking out:
o Golf Review – lots of reviews/comments from golfers who have bought and are playing with the clubs
o Golf Magic – good section on equipment reviews, with feedback from industry experts as well as forum members
o Golfalot – excellent range of golf club reviews, many with video reviews as well
o Golf WRX – a forum section dedicated to equipment reviews. Educated, honest and independent views
GET THE RIGHT SET
Muscleback or Cavity back? Performance Improvement or Performance Enhancement? Before you start looking too closely at specific golf clubs it’s important to understand what type of irons are suitable for your game. There are two main categories of irons, ‘muscle back’ (game enhancement) and ‘cavity back’ (game improvement). They’re referred to by various other names but we’ll stick with these for now.
Muscleback Irons
Muscleback irons are so-called because more weight is placed behind the sweet spot on the club. This produces a longer, straighter ball trajectory if hit in the center of the club, ie the sweet spot. Because most of the weight is centered around the sweet spot, shots that aren’t hit pure are difficult to hide…..they’ll be shorter and with an unpredictable trajectory. Muscleback irons are more suited to lower handicap golfers, who can take advantage of the greater feel and workability of the irons.
Cavity Back Irons
Cavity back irons are just that, there is a cavity behind the center of the club, rather than the mass associated with the muscle back irons. This design distributes weight around the perimeter of the head, producing a larger sweet spot and therefore greater margin for error. Off-center shots are more forgiving, producing a longer, straighter ball flight than off-center shots hit with a muscle back iron. Cavity back irons are more suited to middle/high handicappers, who are looking for more consistent results from their shots, rather than being able to work the ball.
If you’re a single figure handicapper you may want to consider muscle back irons. However, consider this…….slightly more than half of the pros on the USPGA tour use cavity back clubs. Sure, they’re custom made to suit their game, but there are relatively few pros who feel the muscle back is better for their game. If you’re on the fence, you should probably take a set of each out for a test run! Alternatively, you could look for a set of irons that are a cross between the muscle back and cavity back – the Titleist Forged 695CB is such a club that has the feel of a muscle back with some of the forgiveness of the cavity back…..it’s had some good reviews as well.
GET THE RIGHT FIT
Some people wouldn’t even consider buying golf clubs anywhere else but in a retail store, where you can get properly fitted. I can understand this view, it’s very important to get clubs that are right for you. That’s not necessarily easy to do when you are buying online…..how do you make sure that you get the right shaft length, shaft flex, lie angle, grip size, etc?
Club fitting is probably one of the biggest barriers to people buying golf clubs online, so it’s not surprising that online stores are investing in the technology to make online fitting possible.
Here are a handful of stores with online fitting systems……expect others to follow:
o PING Web-Fit – shaft flex, shaft length, grip size but NOT lie angle
o Golfsmith SmartFit – shaft flex, shaft length, grip size AND lie angle
o GigaGolf eFit- shaft flex, shaft length, grip size AND lie angle
o The Golf Warehouse – provides online fitting for some brands/models only
o Odyssey Putter Fitting Tool
GET THE GENUINE ARTICLE
One of the biggest issues with buying golf equipment online, particularly golf clubs, is counterfeit equipment originating primarily from China.
eBay is notorious for selling counterfeit equipment and is the place to exercise the most caution. I wrote an article at foundgolf.com about avoiding eBay scams, so I won’t go into too much detail here.
Here are a few general tips:
o Buy only from large, well-known online stores
o Use golf forums to ask for advice if you’re concerned about the authenticity of something. GolfWRX.com has a forum section called ‘deal or no deal’ specifically for helping people figure out whether something is real or fake
o Don’t just buy new equipment from eBay, there are plenty of alternatives online
o Reconsider buying used on eBay – there are also plenty of online stores selling used equipment, with warranties and a returns policy
o Check out the manufacturer’s website for information about the counterfeit activity. Some provide tips on what to look for when buying their equipment online
GET THE RIGHT TERMS
While price is important, there are other factors to consider when buying golf equipment online.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Just because you’re shopping online doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t expect good customer service. Look for online stores that have a number you can call and/or email you can use to ask questions, etc. All of the larger stores will have people you can talk to, and you should expect to speak to competent and knowledgeable staff.
RETURNS POLICY
Make sure that the online store you’re buying from has a no questions asked returns policy. Online golf retailers are aware that many people aren’t comfortable with buying golf equipment online, so offer a ‘trial period’ (eg 7 days) during which you can return the equipment and get your money back. This gives you a chance to take the gear to the driving range and try it out. Some online stores will offer the money back only if the equipment is in original packaging. Look for the ones that allow you to try the gear and return it if you’re not satisfied.
Remember that you’ll have to wear the cost of shipping if you need to send the equipment back.
SHIPPING
Even if your golf clubs are heavily discounted at an online golf store, the cost of shipping may negate any savings. It seems obvious, but many people think they’re getting a great deal until they get to the checkout and see the shipping costs. Look for special offers for discounted or free shipping and also consider buying from an online store that ships from your region.
BUYING USED GOLF CLUBS
Buying used golf clubs is not for everyone, the primary reasons being (1) that they were made for someone else, so aren’t going to be suitable for them, (2) they’re old technology, (3) there’s no warranty; and (4) there’s no returns policy.
These are valid concerns if you’re buying on eBay from your average seller, but there’s no reason why you can’t have the same piece of mind buying used as you would with new……..with a little effort and some common sense. Here are some tips for buying used clubs online:
Determine your measurements so that you can make sure you get clubs that fit you. Go to one of the websites mentioned above for an online fitting
Find out from the seller what length the clubs are, type of shaft, grip size and lie angle. If they can’t tell you, then don’t buy from them……unless you’re happy to take a punt on getting the right fit
Buy from an online store that has a formal inspection and rating structure for their used clubs. For example, Callaway Pre-Owned has separate ratings for the grip, shaft, face, sole and top of the club
Stay with the better-known manufacturers. Lesser known names aren’t necessarily worse clubs when used, but the craftsmanship that goes into, for example, Ping, should carry over to used clubs as well
Don’t assume that you can’t get a warranty or returns policy on used clubs. See Section 2 above for online stores that offer warranties and returns policies
Consider paying a little more for a piece of mind. You might get a better price on eBay, but consider the risks
Keep in mind that woods with alloy heads are more susceptible to aging than metal woods as the alloy is softer
Before you buy those used clubs, check how much they’re selling for new. Occasionally, it’s possible to pickup a new set for less than used as online retailers may heavily discount older stock……worth a quick check.
If you can’t, or don’t want to, buy a new set of brand name clubs I reckon buying used from a recognized online store is the next best thing. You’ll get similar terms to new clubs, and you can make sure that they’re the right fit.
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Where to Buy Golf Clubs Online
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Where to Buy Golf Clubs Online
When buying golf equipment online many people think of eBay (particularly for used clubs) and the ‘major’ online golf stores. However, there are many more options available for buying golf clubs online.
AUCTION SITES
Yes, there’s eBay, and it really can’t be beaten for online auctions. eBay is unmatched for choice and volume. However, it’s possible to get stung on eBay if you’re not careful (see the tips section below). Here are some other auction sites you might want to try:
o Online Auction (US) – I found about 200 golf items available for auction here. Mainly golf balls, gloves and other bits and pieces…..not much in the way of clubs. May be worth a look
o Golfbidder (UK/Europe) – mainly sell secondhand golf clubs, sourced from golf club professionals from around the UK (a small % are sourced directly from the public). While most clubs are sold as ‘Instant Buys’, some are auctioned. There are usually 30-odd items being auctioned at any one time and you may be able to pick-up a good deal
o Grays Online (Australia) – sellers on this site are mainly manufacturers, distributors or retailers trying to move excess or slow moving stock……not consumer to consumer auctions. Not necessarily a bad thing as this reduces some of the risk, but it also reduces the range. While there were only about 40 golf items for auction when I last looked, there were some good deals. Worth a look
I would generally avoid buying new golf equipment through online auctions. While you can take some precautions, it’s difficult to know whether you’re getting the genuine item or just a knock-off. Large, recognized eBay sellers are probably an exception.
MAJOR ONLINE STORES
There are quite a few well established online golf stores that stock a huge range of equipment and have a lot invested in their brand. Some are better than others, but you shouldn’t get any surprises and you should expect quality service, prompt delivery, a refund policy and plenty of information for buyers (eg buying guides). Some of the better ones include:
o Golfsmith o The Golf Warehouse o Callaway Golf o Rockbottom Golf o Golf Outlets USA o Golf Discount o Austad’s Golf o Golf Galaxy o Snainton Golf o Online Golf
ONLINE GOLF FORUMS
Some great online golf communities have formed over the past few years and you can now choose from literally dozens of online golf forums to be part of. Some of the larger ones have an area for buying, selling and trading golf equipment.
Because golf forums are small(ish) communities of people with a shared interest, it’s a pretty supportive and safe environment in which to buy and sell equipment. If you’re not sure whether a seller of golf club is genuine, you can simply ask other forum members.
There’s a lot of combined knowledge in these forums, so the bad apples get found out quickly.
I reckon these are the best and they have a very active buy/sell/trade area:
o Golf WRX – approx. 79,000 members (primarily US) o Golf Magic – approx. 77,000 members (primarily UK/Europe) o iseekgolf – approx. 75,000 members (primarily Australia)
USED GOLF EQUIPMENT STORES
Stores that sell used equipment are a very good alternative to eBay, classifieds and other online auction sites. The larger used online stores will often have: (1) a used club inspection and certification process, (2) no questions asked returns policy, (3) 12 month warrantee; and (4) shipping damage guarantee.
While many of the big online golf stores sell used golf equipment as well as new, there are a few online stores that sell only used:
USED ONLY
o Callaway Pre-Owned – sell other brands too, eg Nike, Titleist, Ping, TaylorMade. Offer 12 month warranty, money back guarantee and 90-day buy-back o TaylorMade Pre-Owned -14 day money back guarantee and 12 month warrantee o Golfbidder (UK) -7 day ‘no quibble’ returns policy, 12 month warrantee and some good buyer’s guides to help you choose the right clubs
USED & NEW
o Golfsmith – 30 day returns policy. No warrantee – they defer to the manufacturer’s warrantee (which has probably expired!) o Edwin Watts Golf – 30 day returns policy. No warrantee – they defer to the manufacturer’s warrantee o Direct Golf (UK) – used clubs sourced from trade-ins at Direct Golf stores. 14 day money back guarantee. No warrantee
AMAZON
The Amazon marketplace is big……..very big. And there’s a good range of new and used golf gear here.
Amazon’s marketplace is a bit like eBay in that sellers (big and small) register with Amazon to sell their new or used golf equipment. The difference is that the items aren’t auctioned, they’re sold at the advertised price. It’s also a bit less risky with Amazon’s purchase guarantee – they’ll refund your money if you don’t receive the item you paid for, or if it’s not what you expected.
Amazon also offers a free subscription to Golf Digest or Golf World if you spend more the US$25 (US only).
Check out Amazon Golf.
EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER SITES
There’s really only one top club manufacturer selling online, and that’s Callaway. The others, such as Titleist, Ping, Nike, etc obviously have websites to market their gear, but generally sell clubs through retail stores.
A few manufacturers (listed below), while not selling equipment online, provide information and tools that would be helpful to online buyers:
o Titleist – Titleist provides really comprehensive description of their products (incl. Vokey wedges and Scotty Cameron putters), as well as a catalogue of their previous models. There’s also some information on spotting fake Titleist gear o Ping – the Ping site has an online club fitting tool that would be useful if planning to buy Ping equipment online elsewhere. Ping also has some information about spotting fake gear o Odyssey – here you can find a pretty good online tool to find the right putter. You can buy Odyssey putters from the Callaway website o Callaway – can buy equipment direct from Callaway at their online shop
ONLINE CLASSIFIEDS
Online classified sites are another option, mostly for used golf clubs. The local classified paper has moved online, so it’s very likely that you’ll find a classifieds website for your local area. While you may not find the biggest range of golf clubs, if the seller is close by you can drive over to check the clubs out.
Craigslist hosts classified ads that service the entire globe, so you should also have a look here. It’s the 8th most popular website in the US, with around 50 million unique visitors per month!
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SkyGolf® to Participate in the 2017 PGA Merchandise Show
SkyGolf®, maker of the #1-Rated and Most-Trusted Rangefinders in Golf, announced today it will exhibit at the 2017 PGA Merchandise Show January 25 through January 27 in booth #1301 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. SkyGolf will display its complete lineup of products designed to help golfers score better and improve their games both on and off the course.
“We invite buyers, distributors and media to visit our booth to view and demo the complete line of SkyGolf products and to meet Top 100 Golf Instructor, Hank Haney,” said Jacqui Surman, SkyGolf Senior VP and COO. Haney will be at the booth on Wednesday, January 25 from 12:30 p.m. until 1:30 p.m.
SkyGolf, with its growing portfolio of innovative electronic (“e-golf”) products, is the only company in golf positioned to deliver game improvement solutions across the entire spectrum of e-golf products during practice, play, lessons and fittings both at the course or at home. Each product now enjoys simple wireless connectivity via an App to collect and store critical performance data in its SkyGolf 360 Cloud Service and make it available instantly to the golfer, instructor or friends.
SkyGolf’s product portfolio represents the industry’s broadest and most complete array of e-golf technology to include:
A family of SkyCaddie® rangefinders in multiple formats and price points that are pre-loaded and ready-to-play with SkyGolf’s worldwide library of high-precision courses. SkyGolf’s new Real-time Game Tracking Solution in two formats including a rangefinder watch with both swing detection for automated performance tracking and RFID sensors to support optional SmartTags. The award-winning SkyPro®, golf’s most powerful and accurate swing sensor for game improvement on the practice range, the office or at home. SwingLabs® Un-biased, Performance-based Club Fitting System. SkyTrak, A Personal Launch Monitor that makes golf simulation for practice, course play and gamification at home affordable for most golfers for the first time. At the center of all SkyGolf e-golf products is its new SkyGolf 360 architecture providing unmatched wireless connectivity for golfers to upload performance data captured during use of each portfolio product to the SkyGolf 360 Cloud where access to such information for analysis, tracking and sharing via social networks is available immediately via a companion App running on smartphones and tablets, or via a PC.
The SkyGolf family of products includes a complete line up of rangefinders for improvement on the course with choices of format, size and price points to accommodate the preferences of any golfer. Products being featured at the PGA Show include:
The SkyCaddie SR1 handheld, golf’s smallest and lightest way to measure distances, is ideal for the golfer who prefers a compact, lightweight handheld with the simplicity of a GPS watch. The SkyCaddie LINX GT Tour Edition Watch, a GPS rangefinder watch that includes sensors to automatically track the location and distance of each shot from tee to green. The LINX GT is also offered in a GameTracker Edition with optional SmartTags. Also, the LINX GT stays synchronized with the SkyCaddie Mobile GPS app on your smartphone to provide a full graphic display of the entire golf hole in stunning graphic detail instantly when more information is needed. The SkyCaddie SW2 Watch, a thinner and lighter version of its original bestselling SkyCaddie Watch, now with extended battery life. The SkyCaddie TOUCH, Tour Edition, is a handheld rangefinder with a glove-friendly color touchscreen for those that want a full-featured rangefinder with graphical views of the golf holes and the most-effective stroke-saving features to lower scores.
Each SkyCaddie pairs via Bluetooth with a companion App to be compatible with the SkyGolf 360 Cloud Service to eliminate cables. All rangefinders are preloaded with SkyCaddie’s worldwide library of error-corrected golf courses to deliver unmatched accuracy and reliability. Only SkyGolf® walks every course with professional survey-grade equipment to create the most complete and most reliable course maps in the game.
The SkyCaddie LINX GT GameTracker Watch is an exciting innovation in both the GPS watch category and the on-course performance tracking category. The LINX GT differentiates SkyGolf from its competition by combining the best GPS watch, the best game tracker and best App into one harmonious solution. This is an example of producing hybrid products from the individual products in SkyGolf’s large but compatible e-golf portfolio to create more opportunities for golfers to play better by leveraging the latest in technology.
SkyTrak is a revolutionary development in launch monitor technology, offering a complete practice, play and entertainment system for golf at home. It delivers commercial quality ball flight simulations that reflect a golfer’s actual performance for game improvement and entertainment at a price far below alternatives. Golfers can also experience and test their skills with their own clubs at their own pace on thousands of courses to include some of the world’s most famous 18-hole courses through integrations with very popular golf simulator providers such as WGT Golf, Jack Nicklaus Perfect Golf, The Golf Club Game and TruGolf. Many new features and improvements will be ready for demonstration at Booth #1301.
In summary, SkyGolf’s commitment to innovation has created the largest portfolio of game improvement and performance tracking products in golf to help golfers play better, play smarter and have more fun! And each product is built around a single platform, SkyGolf 360, to allow golfers to keep all performance data regardless of whether it comes from a rangefinder, a swing sensor, a performance tracker or a launch monitor in one place rather than scattered among various competitors with incompatible platforms. A single platform is not only to the golfer’s advantage, but it is also to the advantage of a teacher, PGA Professional or reseller to be able to offer all available tools a golfer can need to improve their performance from one source with the confidence their customers are getting the very best solution. Also, SkyGolf 360 is now available to our commercial accounts who can use it to stay engaged with their students and members to find opportunities to offer their help and services as needed.
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