Golf by the Cupful

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Category: Sports

ESPN to televise Par 3 Contest at the Masters Today for the 1st Time

Apr 08

9:37 AM

[PHOTO: Yep, that's me. Par 3 Course, ANGC, April -2007]

I big, hearty THANK YOU, to ESPN and to the Masters Committee at Augusta National Golf course, is in order.

A good look at the beautiful Par 3 Course at Augusta National Golf Course is usually reserved for people who get to the Masters, either on practice days or tournament days. Except for highlights, the annual Par 3 Contest which is held on the Wednesday before the tournament starts, the TV viewing public doesn't get much of a glimpse of the little course.

Not so this year. For the first time the officials at Augusta National are allowing the Par 3 Contest to be televised on ESPN. So, today at 3 P.M. I'll be tuning in to watch it. This has nothing to do with the actual Masters scoring, but it's a fun-filled couple of hours where PGA pros and past Masters' winners play, and use interesting people as their caddies. You might see someone's young child dressed in the white Masters' caddie overalls; or, a wife, friend, or even a commentator. It seems that Kelly Tilghman caddies for Arnold Palmer for these events.

The one year my husband and I walked over while this competition was occuring, we only stayed about 20 minutes. Although the course is probably the prettiest little par 3 course you'll ever lay your eyes on, it's very small, and the sitting/standing area around each hole fills up quickly. To get a good tee-side spot or green-side spot to watch from, you need to get there early and plant yourself. Neither my husband nor I were willing to invest that much time into it, so we just watched a little of the action from way back for a few minutes, before heading back to the 'real' tournament course.

If you're not busy around 3 today tune into ESPN and check it out. It promises to provide a better view and much more action than if you were there.

No tickets for me this year, but next year's another year. If you're interested in getting in the lottery drawing that Augusta National does each year, to allow people to purchase 'practice round' tickets, check out this site: http://www.masters.org/en_US/index.html and put your cursor over TOURNAMENT INFORMATION. You'll see the line just below change and then you can click on 'TICKET INFO.' If you get tickets for a Wednesday, it includes free access to the Par 3 Contest, as well as the pros playing practice rounds on the tournament course.

I have had my name pulled two different years in the lottery, and I accepted whatever they offered. Once I could buy tickets for one day, the other time, they allowed me to buy tickets for two days. Ticket prices ranged this year from $31 - $36. Amazingly, cheap, isn't it? We drive down, stay just north of Augusta, and enjoy the great southern hospitality. You don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy a day or two and see all the pros. This is how I saw Tiger play in 1996 just months before he turned pro.

E-mail me at golfbythecupful1405@verizon.net and I'll post your comments from your e-mail; or, leave a comment by clicking the 'Add new comment' button below.

/Golf by the Cupful

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Thanks for the comment, progressivegal.

Submitted by GolfbytheCupful on Tue, 04/22/2008 at 8:32 am.

Hey, you won't find me knocking any part of Georgia - and, especially not the Masters. The guys that run that tournament do it their way, and it seems to work. Of course, every year around this time they start taking those hits about not having any women members. I guess I should be more upset about that than I am - but, really, if they change their rules it won't effect me one iota.

When my husband and I make it to the Masters, we always stay across the line in South Carolina in the little town of Greenwood. It's about a 45 minutes to an hour drive into Augusta, but it's such a beautiful drive, we don't mind at all. Last year we drove from my son's home in Jax, FL into the Augusta and got to see more of Georgia. It's a lovely state. Nothing 'backwards' about GA, that I can see. Hope your husband is doing well and will be home soon. / GbtC

My husband is such a golf fan

Submitted by progressivegal on Mon, 04/14/2008 at 5:39 pm.

And he's missing this year's Masters b/c he's deployed. I told him no worries, I'd watch this and report back to him. He didn't think it was as funny as I did ;-)

Coincidentally, I'm from Georgia. We do a lot of things backwards down there, that is for sure (we are always thanking God for Alabama and Mississippi). But we also have a lot of good going on.

Dont totally agree, Mike from Texas -

Submitted by GolfbytheCupful on Sun, 04/13/2008 at 2:55 pm.

I haven't a clue as to what the thinking is from Augusta National's 'Membership Committee', or even what the thinking is of the women married to those guys of the 'committee'. I bet many of those men must listen to non-stop disagreement from wives and gal pals.

But, I don't really care about this, Mike. As I've said before, they can open wide those doors and allow women in if they like, but women who are not wealthy or well-connected will not gain membership - just as MEN who are not wealthy and well-connected won't be allowed in.

Whatever the membership policy - those guys down there in GA still run a well organized, fun tournament. It's a private club, and I just don't care enough about it to get my britches in a wad - even IF it would help. /GbtC

E-mail Comment / Mike in Texas -

Submitted by GolfbytheCupful on Sun, 04/13/2008 at 2:37 pm.

- Just wondering why Augusta still doesn't allow women to be members and why more folks haven't said or done something. I am a white man and it sickens me to think we still have this sort of thing in our great nation. I have lost a lot of respect for the PGA Tour players for not boycotting the tournament. I guarantee you if I opened a restaurant business and put a sign in the window that read "MEN ONLY" or "White Men Only" I would be sued. -