When we arrived at the scene of the Masters, I immediately headed to the Augusta National Golf Course. It was Tuesday and golfers played their practice rounds. I did not watch any of them though. Instead I walked throughout the course, took it hole by hole, from the tee to the green while examining every detail and soaking up all the information. I just tried to absorb everything the course has to offer. I wanted to find out what makes the course treacherous and what its secrets are.

A large piece of land

I must admit it took me a lot of time. As it is a really big piece of land, it took me more than an hour to inspect the 9-hole course and I did not have to play or think about what type of shot to use, etc. It kind of resembles a giant park full of flowers.

I was amazed by the state of the whole course. It looked like an immaculate carpet. I did not see any weeds, nothing that would disturb the harmony of the place. It was just perfect and flawless. The fairways were like greens, very low cut. Even the needles under the pine trees were perfectly laid, almost decorated.

There is no need to look further for the explanation of such perfection once you see the way everything is maintained. Mowers run in formations, and when necessary, workers get on their knees and cut grass with scissors. Precision is a virtue they are especially particular about at Augusta.

Television gives a distorted picture of the course

When I walked around the course, I realised how imperfect television is about delivering the reality. The hilly profile of some holes, for instance, is not so prominent on the TV screen. In fact, in reality, it is more pronounced. Some hills on the greens or around them are truly massive. It was very difficult to hit the right spot on the green to keep the ball on it. Every shot had to be perfect during the four rounds.

For example I watched players hit balls with the 5-wood golf club. I saw only two players who hit the right spot – the upper plateau. Those who missed it did not stand a chance. It did not take the ball long to roll away even several tens of metres. This gave rise to 3 putts, 4 putts or worse. I was just a spectator, but still it was harrowing to watch. What it was like for the players, I do not even want to imagine!