5 REASONS TO LOVE THE MASTERS in November
By Ed Schmidt Jr.
1. It Will Probably Be a Once in a Lifetime Event
Unless we have another global pandemic, or calamity, I’m sure we will never see the Masters played in any other month besides April. From a sports perspective, my two favorite memories from this Covid-19 crisis will be watching the Autumn Masters and Michael Jordan’s “The Last Dance”. Still not sure where Joe Exotic and The Tiger King will fall in my memory bank, but I sincerely hope it fades quickly, especially Joe’s mullet and that guy with the bad choppers and crappy tattoos.
I cannot wait to see Jack and Gary hit the ceremonial first tee shot with an Autumn backdrop to kick off the November Masters.
2. The World of Golf Needs A Joyous Celebration at Augusta National
After months of uncertainty, infection charts, misery for many families and a battered economy, this is the perfect remedy to uplift our spirits. The Masters is a quintessential American celebration of golf and I think it will help us get back to some sense of normalcy. Golfers, in particular, will relish this phenomenal celebration of the game of golf. I was giddy, when I heard the Masters was not cancelled, but only rescheduled.
3. A Chance to See Augusta National with A Completely Different Look
I will miss the brilliant azaleas and dogwoods that bring Augusta National to life every April. We will get to see Augusta National in all its Autumn glory with the fairways framed by gold, orange and yellow trees. There will certainly be no shortage of ornamental plants, as Augusta National was carved out of the Fruitland Nursery with more than 80,000 plants on the rolling landscape. Be sure to watch for the Japanese Maples and Redbud trees.
4. Watch Players Play on A Different Grass with Unpredictable Weather
It’s going to be a different surface as the fairways will be overseeded. I am not sure if that will favor any particular player, but it will certainly give a different element to the competition.
The Golden Bear bagged six Green Jackets and he recently explained November Augusta National conditions to Golf Magazine,
“They’re going to have to figure out how to get the overseed in and get it cut short and get it crisp so they can play golf shots. That would be the most difficult thing to have in November. I think they’ll try to dry up the fairways. I think the golf course will play relatively short in November.” He adds, “The Greens will be fine. As a matter of fact, the greens will probably be better in November, because they should be drier. They’ll be able to get the greens firmer.”
5. It Kicks Off the 2021 PGA Tour Season
COVID-19 made for a completely disjointed 2020 golf season, but hopefully the Autumn Masters will help kick-off a resurgent 2021 PGA Tour season.
Plus, we won’t have to wait the normal eight months between major championships, from the OPEN Championship to the Masters. It will only be a little over four months until the 2021 Masters will be held in its normal time slot in early April.
Does anyone have the recipe for a Pimento Cheese Sandwich?
Side Bar:
Recipe for Pimento Cheese
Thomas Jacob, the Executive Chef at the prestigious Partridge Inn in Augusta, shares his recipe for the famous Pimento Cheese, that is so popular at the Masters every year.
Pimento Cheese: (16 servings) 
Combine:
1 lb Cream Cheese, softened
2 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
8 oz. pimentos, well drained
6 green onions, chopped
4 Tbsp. finely chopped seeded jalapeño peppers
Add Salt & Pepper to taste. Spread on bread, or crackers
The Masters Tournament: Truly Second-To-None
By Mike May
It is not necessary to even like, or understand golf in order to enjoy The Masters. Whether you watch the broadcast, or stroll the immaculate grounds of this historic piece of eastern Georgia real estate, the atmosphere, filled with class and prestige, emanates through your television, laptop, tablet, or smart phone.
A few key facts about The Masters that makes it, ‘A Tradition Unlike Any Other.’
1.) Dinner Reservations. After the receiving the Green Jacket in Butler Cabin and media interviews, the winner of The Masters is invited to join the members of the Augusta National for dinner in the Trophy Room, inside the clubhouse.
2.) Sleepover Special. Amateurs who play in The Masters each year are invited to stay in the Crow’s Nest, which sits atop the Augusta National clubhouse. It sleeps five and has 1,200 square feet of living space.
3.) Trophy Time. The permanent Masters trophy weighs 100 pounds and features the name of the annual winner, as well as, the runner-up. The winner of The Masters receives a replica of the real trophy and a gold medal. The permanent Masters Trophy, built in England, features 900 separate pieces of silver.
4.) The Clubhouse. The Augusta National clubhouse predates the building of the golf course. It was originally a private home built in 1854.
5.) Keeping Up with the Jones’. In the first edition of The Masters (in 1934), then known as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament, Bobby Jones competed in the event and finished tied for 13th with Denny Shute and Walter Hagen. Jones’ 72-hole score was +6, ten shots behind the winner Horton Smith.
6.) Naming Rights. The credit for the naming of each hole at the Augusta National Golf Club is given to Louis Alphonse Berckman, Bobby Jones, and Clifford Roberts, who adorned each hole with a plant for which it is named.
7.) Arnie’s Plaque. On April 4, 1995, a bronze plaque was unveiled that sits behind the 16th green in honor of Arnold Palmer’s accomplishment as the first four-time winner of the tournament.
8.) Jack’s Plaque. A plaque recognizing Jack Nicklaus, as the only six-time winner of the Masters, was dedicated on April 7, 1998 and is affixed to a drinking fountain sitting between the 16th and 17th holes.
9.) By Invitation Only. There are 19 different criteria by which The Masters Committee drafts the list of players who are invited to play in The Masters each year. The Masters Committee, at its discretion, also invites international players not otherwise qualified. Previous winners of The Masters are automatically invited to return every year.
10.) Who Is Rae? Rae’s Creek, which affects play at ‘Amen Corner,’ the 11th, 12th, and 13th holes at Augusta National, is named after John Rae, who died in 1780. Rae’s house was the farthest fortress up the Savannah River from Fort Augusta. His house kept residents safe during Indian attacks, when Fort Augusta was out of reach.
11.) The Green Jacket. The tradition of awarding The Green Jacket to the winner started in 1949. The tradition of the members wearing a green coat started in 1937. The jackets were purchased from the Brooks Uniform Company in New York City. Each Green Jacket is adorned with brass buttons adorned with the logo of the Augusta National.
12.) Par 3 Tournament. The ‘Par 3 Contest’ was first held in 1960 and was won by Sam Snead. To date, no player has ever won both the Par 3 Contest and The Masters in the same year. Jimmy Walker, who recorded an eight-under-par round of 19 in 2016, has the course record. Because of COVID-19, the Par 3 Contest will not be held this year.
13.) Winner Buys — Next Year. On the Tuesday night of Masters week, all previous champions gather for the Champions Dinner, which is held in the main clubhouse. The defending champion of The Masters selects the menu and hosts the dinner. The only non-winner to attend the dinner is the current chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club. Ben Hogan started the tradition started in 1952. The meals have ranged from cheeseburgers, fries and a milkshake by Tiger Woods in 1998 to elk and wild boar by Mike Weir in 2004. Vijay Singh served chicken panang curry in 2001 and Phil Mickelson served Spanish seafood paella in 2011.
“You’re in a room amongst great players,” said three-time Masters champion Gary Player. “The ambiance of the whole place is remarkable. And, you hear so many stories. It’s something special.”
14.) Dusk-to-Dawn Destination. For years, the premier accommodation option in Augusta has been the Partridge Inn, the grand dame of Augusta’s hotels. The P.I. Bar and Grill, the hotel’s famous restaurant, is the place to be and to be seen during Masters Week.
15.) Hogan, Nelson, and Sarazen Bridges. These three bridges are named after three golfers that had a profound effect on the Masters.
The Hogan bridge crosses over Rae’s Creek, allowing players to reach the 12th green and was dedicated in honor of Hogan’s two Masters’ wins.
Another two-time winner, Byron Nelson was honored with the bridge that gives players access to the 13th green. Both the Hogan and Nelson bridges were dedicated on the same day — April 2, 1958.
The Sarazen bridge crosses over Rae’s Creek, allowing players to reach the 15th green. It was the first named bridge at the course and was dedicated to former champion Gene Sarazen, on April 6, 1955. The date was the 20th anniversary of Sarazen’s famous “Shot Heard Around the World,” a double-eagle at the 15th hole during the 1935 Masters, that led to the Squire’s eventual win over Craig Wood in a playoff.
16.) Mickelson Plaque. Enroute to his third Masters title in 2010, Phil Mickelson drove it through the 13th fairway and into the trees. Most would have laid up short of Rae’s Creek, but Phil, being Phil, grabbed a six-iron and fired a perfect shot onto the green for a birdie four and a date to yet another Green Jacket. A plaque now commemorates the exact spot Phil struck the shot.
Next time you get together with friends to watch The Masters, enlighten your colleagues with your depth of Masters’ history and interesting facts, which, as Jim Nantz so eloquently describes,
“A Tradition Unlike Any Other.”
Who is Invited to Augusta National for the Masters?
We all know the story of Bobby Jones and Dr. Alister MacKenzine creation of Augusta National. Jones wanted a course challenging enough to host professional golfers, but also enjoyable for the membership of a private club. In 1932, when Jones decided to build a golf club, the country was in the throes of the Great Depression and most golf clubs were closing their doors.
Jones real intent was to host the U.S. Open, but the USGA was not able to grant a tournament date to Augusta National. The PGA Tour was not around in those days and professional golf, under the supervision of the PGA of America, was no more than a group of gypsies, trying to scrape up enough prize money to get to the next town.
Jones and his co-founder Clifford Roberts decided to invite a few of their friends and host their own tournament. It was scheduled at the beginning of April every year to signal the beginning of Spring and to coincide with sports journalists making their way North after spending March following Major League Baseball’ Spring Training in Florida. Due to the pandemic, 2020 will be the first and probably the only time the Masters will be held in any month other than April.
Today the 100, or so, players that receive one of the coveted hand-written invitation letters to compete in the Masters, must meet at least one of the 22 qualification items to gain entry into the Masters.
Criteria for the Masters Tournament 
- Masters Tournament Champions (Lifetime)
- US Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
- British Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
- PGA Champions (Honorary, non-competing after 5 years)
- Winners of The Players Championship (Three years)
- Current Olympic Gold Medalist (One year)
- Current U.S. Amateur Champion and Runner-up (Honorary, non-competing after 1 year)
- Current British Amateur Champion (Honorary, non-competing after 1 year)
- Current Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion
- Current Latin America Amateur Champion
- Current US Mid-Amateur Champion
- The first 12 players, including ties, from the previous year’s Masters Tournament
- The first 4 players, including ties, from the previous year’s US Open Championship
- The first 4 players, including ties, from the previous year’s British Open Championship
- The first 4 players, including ties, from the previous year’s PGA Championship
- PGA Tour winners of events that award a full allocation for the season-ending Tour Championship
- Previous season’s 30 qualifiers for the PGA Tour Championship
- The 50 leaders on the Final Official World Golf Ranking for the previous calendar year
- The 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking the week prior to the Masters Tournament
- The 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking prior to the originally scheduled Masters Tournament at Week 11 (March 15th, 2020)
The Masters Committee also retains the right to invite international players not otherwise qualified.
Most of us will never have the thrill of opening an invitation letter to compete in the Masters. Even attendance is difficult, it is one of the most sought-after tickets in sports. An offer to actually play Augusta National can only be received from a member.
If you have to ask, you probably aren’t getting in!
