Tag Archives: golf

Charming Connecticut – 6/16/14 – 6/20/14

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Yale University, New Haven

Yale University, New Haven

The drive from Jersey City through New York was an interesting one full of busy streets, lots of construction, potholes o’plenty, aggressive drivers and expensive toll roads. My stress level was a bit high, but Mike was steady-Eddie as usual. Once we were into Connecticut, it was much calmer. When planning this stop, we weren’t really sure where the best place to stay. We ended up at the Aces High RV Park in East Lyme in the SE area of the state, which was about an hour east of New Haven and an hour south of Hartford. CT is a pretty small state, only about 120 miles wide and 90 miles tall, so all very accessible. We arrived at the park around 1pm and decided to just stay put, do some much needed laundry and watch the US beat Ghana in their first World Cup match. Woo Hoo!

We just stumbled upon this place. Funny as Mike had just seen this on a Discover Channel show featuring island homes

We stumbled upon this place on one of our drives.  Funny as Mike had just seen it on a Discovery Channel show featuring island homes

The next day, we decided to check out the casinos that CT is so well known for. First stop was Foxwoods Resort. This place was absolutely huge. It may have seemed larger than normal because it just pops up out of nowhere. Maybe if it were on the Vegas strip next to the other monstrosities, it would seem normal. We walked through and to be honest it seemed a bit run-down and much of it was under construction. We decided to head over to the other place in town, Mohegan Sun. It too was humungous, but the look was much more modern. There were dozens of restaurants and stores all surrounded by gaming. It felt like Tulalip on super steroids! We had lunch at Bobby Flays burger joint and met a nice little old lady who bought us a round of drinks and told us to “enjoy life.”  Very cute and appropriate!  We played a bit, but the limits were pretty high. Mostly, we just walked around and checked out all of the cool décor. BTW, the Bachelorette recently filmed an episode here..the one where they repel down the side of the hotel and play basketball with the WNBA players.

USS Nautilus Submarine

USS Nautilus Submarine

On Wed, we headed east to Groton to tour the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear powered submarine, commissioned in 1954. Very cool to go onboard and see the inner workings of a sub and how tight the quarters were. Mike and I are vertically challenged and we even had to duck! Then, we headed to New Haven, about an hour drive. We parked near Yale University and walked to our lunch spot, Louis Lunch, the believed birthplace of the hamburger. We were told about this place back in Virginia. It’s a hole in the wall joint with just two items on the menu; hamburger or cheeseburger, served with optional tomatoes/onion, medium rare on white bread (no condiments allowed). We both got the works and they were absolutely delicious! The burgers are cooked in original cast iron grills dating back to 1898. A great stop. It was a rather humid day, so we decided to drive around Yale campus instead of walking. A very pretty campus, full of old, historic looking buildings and a lot of smart people! We then drove the scenic route back toward the MoHo park along the coast through Guilford, Madison, Westbrook and Old Storybrook. All very cute, historic little towns with sailing influences (lots of marinas). Lastly we headed up to the quaint town of Essex and the Griswold Inn and sat outside for a beverage. This is the oldest continuously running tavern in the U.S. and another location for the Bachelorette : )

Inside the Submarine

Inside the submarine

Entrance to Yale

Entrance to Yale University

Best Burgers!

Best Burgers at Louis Lunch

The Griswold Inn, Essex

The Griswold Inn, Essex

The next day it was rainy, so we opted to have a chill day. I got a massage and pedi just down the road and Mike did some fishing. Our spot at the park backed up to a catch & release lake. I think he caught more turtles than fish, but was a happy camper. On our last day, we drove up to Hartford (actually Cromwell) for the Travelers Championship golf tourney at TPC River Highlands. It was Friday, so not as crowded as the weekend, so we could get up to the ropes no problem and the weather was perfect. We stayed most of the day and followed Ryan Moore, Bubba, John Daly (classic), Dustin Johnson, Charlie Beljan (we camped next to him back in San Jose) and of course Serg! We headed back to the MoHo for a relaxing last evening, more fishing for Mike and a campfire. Our next stop is Newport, RI.

Travelers Golf Tourney. We weren't allowed to take photos, but I snuck this one.

Travelers golf tourney. We weren’t allowed to take photos, but I snuck this one.

Masters Golf Tournament Tips

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DSC08732Here is a follow-up to our original post on our Masters Experience (you can read HERE).   While we were planning our trip, some of these tips would have been helpful, so we thought we would share what we learned in 2014 and hope it helps anyone planning a future trip to this amazing place.

Tickets
Ok, so you finally got tickets to the Masters, or are at least thinking about going. If you have been granted the luck and have a ticket, celebrate, you are in the minority! This is one of the hardest tickets in all of sports to come by, and if you have them, you are a lucky Patron for sure. If you do not have tickets, then this is what you can expect. When we started looking about 8 months in advance, we determined what the market value was, and at that time was about $1,500 per tournament day or $5,500 for a 4-day badge. (There are two different types of tickets; “paper tickets” for daily entry, or badges, which are for all four days of the event. The badges are highly regarded, and more difficult to come by, and the person that was granted the badge will most likely want it back after the event.) By the time the tournament week arrived, the prices had dropped a bit, but according to those in the business, it was because Tiger had dropped out. When he decided not to come, tickets fell by at least 20% overnight. Then, the other event for us during our trip was the price changes after the cut. Many of the other big names were out, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson missed the cut, and this dropped weekend prices again by another 20% or so. This could have gone completely the other way if all mentioned would have been in contention, so there is certainly a roll of the dice here when it comes to pricing and when to buy. You just have to accept the fact that you will not be getting a deal and know that you will be paying a lot for a ticket. (But it is so worth it!) As for getting a hold of tickets, there are a few different options:

  1. National ticket vendors. (Stub-hub, Golden Ticket, etc.) This route is the safest, you know you are not buying a fraudulent ticket, and if it is a fake, you have some recourse for the cash you shelled out (They also take credit cards which was nice.) We used these two mentioned above and both were great. You have to pick up your tickets from their local offices, and sometimes return them to them at the end of the day. There is no will-call at the course. Augusta National has a 2,700-foot city law that does not allow for ticket sales within that zone, although we did see a few transaction inside the area, but very few.
  2. Street Vendors. Many vendors are there year after year on Washington Road located on the north side of the course, and the majority have connections to buy and sell tickets. There can be a tiny bit of risk as they may buy a ticket from someone to resell to you, and not know for sure if it is a valid ticket, but fairly safe here again.
  3. Craigslist. This is a total hit or miss, and there are a lot of people out there that are fraudulent, and a few that are legitimate. We did post an ad here needing tickets, and were contacted, you just have to get a feel for who you are dealing with and how much confidence you have in that person. This is the place that some stolen or forged tickets trade hands and we did hear of people being denied entry with faked or stolen tickets. (There is a bar code that is scanned for verification by the entrance staff, just like any other event. But, if a member who purchased the original has had the ticket stolen, they can report it to the staff at Augusta, and they can deny entry to that ticket, so be careful.) Our rule here is that if the person will not meet you face to face, then you are taking a huge risk. Or if the price seems to be ridiculously low, it is most likely too good to be true.

Parking
It is free right across the street, but remember there are a limited number of spaces and those will fill up by 9:00AM or so. If you are later, and lots are closed, there are several smaller pay lots off Washington Road on the north side of the course, expect to pay about $20 or so. Many of these sites are fairly close to Gate #9, the main gate. This gate will bring you into the main practice range, concessions and shopping facility.

Entrance to the Course
There are two gates Patrons use, gate 9 and gate 6. Gate 9 is the main gate on the northwestern side of the course, right near the intersection of Washington Road and Berckmans Road. This gate brings you in past the practice area, into the main store for retail shopping, and right out onto the #1 fairway. It can be busy, especially on weekend days, but people are very courteous and mill about getting their business done as they prepare for the days golf. The other entrance is gate 6, on the southwestern corner again off Berckmans Road. (If you are collecting a ticket from Stub Hub, this is the gate you will want to enter through as their pickup house is on Heath Rd right across from the gate.) This gate also has a retail shop, although a bit smaller, and full concessions. You drop down out of the entrance area onto the course via several paths or stairs, onto holes #15 or #14. Easier access to Amen Corner here, and the back nine is more prevalent. We actually preferred this entrance.

Practice Rounds/Pictures
So now you are in, having secured your ticket, congratulations. There are a lot of places to get to, so be sure to get there early and plan on staying late. For those who are attending a practice round, you can take in your camera, but that is it. Banned items include anything else electronic: NO cell phones, no pedometers, pocketknives, cigar cutters, etc. (Check masters.com for a more complete list.) Some people think the practice rounds are the best, as you get to be much closer to the players, there are seats or standing room that is accessible, and the players are a bit more interactive with the fans, lot less stress. If you are there for a practice round, here are a few areas you might want to get a photo:

  1. Right side of #6 green, just to see how sloped it really is.
  2. #8 fairway crossing, how uphill and blind is that second shot?
  3. Amen Corner, #11 green, and #12 green.
  4. #13 Fairway, and Rae’s creek.
  5. #15 pond in front of the green, either from fairway crossing or grandstand.
  6. #16 green.
  7. #18 crossway looking up fairway just below the tee box.
  8. The huge leaderboard on side of #1 fairway, showing all the players names.
  9. There are also several different “street sign posts” with arrows pointing towards specific holes on the course.

Obviously there are a ton of other areas you can shoot pictures, these are just a few we liked. The next thing to think about is do you want to walk around and follow a player or group, or stay at one hole for a while as the groups come through, or just hang out at the practice area? We did a little of everything and moved around all day, shooting lots of pictures, getting the lay of the land, and taking it all in. And on Wednesday, you can take in the Par-3 contest, which is in the NE corner of the course, and is super-busy because it has grown in popularity over the years. (Most every day there is a pairings sheet you can get when you arrive, and we saw that Arnie, Jack, and Gary were teamed up to play the Par-3 tourney at 3:02PM – and did they have a following!)

Tournament Day Guidelines
First and foremost, get there early! Thursday and Friday rounds will start at about 7:45-8:00AM, and there are some 100 golfers going out those days. You need to see your favorites, so no sleeping in or playing too hard the night before. Saturday and Sunday rounds will start about 10:00AM, but if you are planning on placing a chair at a specific hole, you better be in line to be on the course no later than 7:30AM. The gates will allow you in prior to that, but the course is not open till 8:00AM, and that is when the mad rush, (remember walking only), will occur for prime viewing locations.

Viewing Spots
Below is a list of our favorites, not to say that there aren’t many other great locations, these are just the ones we really liked.
1. #16 green. This was our favorite and we would go back here again if we return. We chose the seated area just up from the pond, with views back to the tee box on #16, across the lake to #15 green, and over towards #6 green. (Some people chose to sit up on the hillside, above the walkway, we felt it was a bit steep and over a long time might not be all that comfortable, but it does help with elevation for better viewing angles up there.) Many will rush in to get their chairs set up just in front on the pond, but we liked up on the high side against the ropes just in front of the walkway.
2. Amen Corner. Everyone wants to sit here and it will be crowded all day as long as there are golfers coming through. We sat 5 rows up parallel to the tee box, but would have preferred to be directly behind the tee box a bit more for better angles of the tee shots, and the approach shots to #11 green. You have to get there early to get a seat set, or just wander in anytime for standing on the hill directly behind the tee box is good too.
3. #2 fairway. On the lower side of the fairway, you can stand or sit and watch the tee shots come down over the hill for the big hitters. Then there is a great angle to watch the approach shots to the green.
4. #18 green. If you can get a seat in the first 18-20 rows directly behind the green, it will offer great views. If you are on the sides, be sure to think about what your angles are when the area is full of patrons, and you have to peer through the “heads” to the green. Also, when the Patrons do stand, how will your sight line change?
5. #13 fairway. You get a great view of the ball coming off the tee. From there, you can see just how sloped the fairway is and what happens if the players do not hit a perfect drive. Then there is the approach; do they go for it in two, or lay up in front of Rae’s Creek tributary? You can see all the way to the green, but you may need some binoculars. Added bonus is that this area is shaded a lot of the day.
6. If you have time, go down to the #10 fairway right side and see if you can find the place Bubba Watson hit the miracle 90-degree hook out of the trees off the pine straw; you will be even more amazed he pulled that shot off when you stand down there and see it for yourself!

Lastly, when you do set up a chair, you can leave it all day and nobody will move it. There is an unwritten rule, and security to enforce it, that your chair is your space and you could be gone elsewhere on the course, to return and have a seat wherever you set it. If you buy the chair from the course, we do recommend it, there is a slot on the back for a business card to signify it is yours. We took it a step further, placing a pink ribbon on the edge of the back, so it was recognizable from the others. We did see a ton of people endlessly searching for their seats after having set them early in the day and not memorizing the exact spot or row they set the chair.

Shopping
You have to get something right? Well you can spend as little or as much as you want, and that is up to you. What we will discuss is the timing. If you are going on a practice round, you can go shopping anytime and do your spending whenever. If it is a tournament round, it is always better early on Thursday and Friday, fewer golfers on the course, less people in the stores. Over the weekend, if you get in early before the golfers tee off, it will be crowded in the shops, but better then than during the play. Later in the day, many times it gets crowded, and later in the tournament some things do start to run out of stock, so if you see something, buy it. Here is the best thing of all; you can ship it home directly from the course, or check it like a coat check and pick it up when you leave, no need to tote it around all day with you, we did this a lot.

What to Bring
We actually bought our own chairs ahead of time at a local store, but in hindsight should have just bought the Master’s chair (only $30 and they are much sturdier and a great souvenir). Sunscreen is a must, but it is also sold at the course and very reasonable. In fact, everything is priced very reasonably at the course. Make sure to wear comfy walking shoes, as you’ll do a lot of it; remember that you may be walking some 6-10 miles on uneven ground. Additionally, we opted for golf attire and hats everyday. Bright colors are a good option so you can spot each other while on the course and maybe even on TV! We were fortunate to have great weather, so we didn’t need a lot of layers. Remember, you can always buy what you didn’t bring in!

Communication
Since cell phones aren’t allowed in, we had to get creative about meeting up with friends since we couldn’t just text each other. There are complimentary phones to use to call people outside the course, but in-person is the only way to communicate with friends inside. Most of the time, our group arrived at different times of the day and we also split up at times to explore in smaller groups. A great meeting spot for us was under the scoreboard behind the #7 green. This was a pretty central spot to meet, not too crowded and you could still watch golf as you waited for your friends to arrive.

We hope this helps for anyone planning on making a trip to the Masters. For some, as it was for us, this is one of the biggest bucket list in sports you can do, and it can be done by everyone, just a bit pricey. We were fortunate to have been there for the whole week and attended 5 days. We met a mother and son who actually sold us a ticket for the Wed. round who had flown in from Coeur d’Alene, ID to Atlanta on Tues, drove to the course on Wed. for the practice round, and then drove back to Atlanta and flew home on Thursday, bucket list trip for sure!

The Masters! 4/4/14 – 4/14/14

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Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus & Gary Player at the Par 3 Contest

Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus & Gary Player at the Par 3 Contest

If you are not a golf fan, this post may or may not be all that exciting for you. But, for the golf fans out there, I will do my best to give you as much as you can handle describing Augusta National and our trip to the Masters Golf Tournament.

Traci and I left Columbia, SC and headed to Augusta, just a short 90-minute drive SW down Hwy 20 into Georgia. We arrived at the Heritage RV Park, about 10 minutes west of town, and the owner Don was there to guide us to our site. We had made reservations with him back in September, as there are very few places to park your RV in or around Augusta. This former mobile home park is being completely renovated and turned into an RV park, and there were lots of areas that had been updated, and others they are working towards getting completed. Don and his staff were working hard to get the park looking good for their busiest time of the year, Masters Week as the locals refer to it. (This whole area had suffered a major hit from an ice storm about 6 weeks prior and many places were still trying to repair the damage to trees.) The site we stayed in was perfect, great satellite reception, a very nice little concrete patio outside, and quiet. After getting set up, Don came by on his evening rounds and sat down and visited with us for what must have been two hours, what a really nice man, can’t say enough great things about him and the park.

Our spot at the Heritage RV Park

Our spot at the Heritage RV Park

When we left Columbia, we hurriedly made a “Need 2 Masters Tickets” sign, hoping to display it in the back of the car for the drive, only to find out it was too big to fit anywhere. We decided to place it in the windshield of the MoHo when we arrived, so that anyone arriving in the park would know we were looking for extra tickets. (We actually got a few ticket offers from the sign, surprisingly.) We had been watching the ticket broker sites for quite some time, and really understood the market, but the prices were just way up there, and basically unreasonable for what was being offered. (A huge thanks to Tiger for not coming, dropped prices by at least 20% immediately, and probably another 25-40% over the week.) The tickets are one of sports most difficult to get, you have to know someone, of someone, of someone, to get one from the Masters directly, or take a chance with a broker or street scalper. We had our work cut out for us, and it was a bit stressful at times not knowing what we were going to have to spend to get in.

Mitch, Sunny, Ann, Jerry, Traci and Me

Mitch, Sunny, Ann, Jerry, Traci and Me

The first couple days in Augusta, we ran some errands and got the lay of the land where everything was located, in anticipation of the arrival of friends, Sunny and Mitch, her parents Ann and Jerry, and Matt and Nicole. Part of our reason for putting this on our list of stops on the trip was the fact that Sunny and Mitch had been able to get 4 tickets for the tournament through mutual friend connections, so we knew they would be there if we could make it to Augusta ourselves. They all flew into Atlanta, and arrived at Augusta on Monday, the first practice round day. The day was a total wash out, as there were heavy rains, thunder and lightning in the area and eventually a total of 3.5 inches of rain fell by days end. They actually closed the course around noon. We gathered at a house they had rented, and caught up on time spent apart. (Matt and Nicole were not in town yet; they planned on staying west of Augusta for a couple days and golfing before they arrived to the area.)

The main scoreboard - everything is manual

The main scoreboard – everything is manual

We woke Tuesday to cool but clear skies, and the excitement was starting to build, but Traci and I still needed to find tickets. The practice round tickets were much more reasonable and we had contacted several brokers, but it was still a bitter pill to swallow, so we held out. We did venture to the course and waited around outside to see if anyone leaving would give us a pass to go back in later in the day (along with about 150 other people) to no avail. Bummed that we could not get in, we headed to Hooters for a beer and to wait for a call (no cell phones allowed in the grounds at the Augusta National) from the group to meet up for dinner.  John Daly, a great golfer who was not in the tournament this year, and who is sponsored by Hooters, had his motorhome parked just outside selling his merchandise and posing for pictures for those who purchased his wares. We headed out for dinner that night, to my new favorite, Carolina Ale House (see one of our previous posts about the wings here!) and waited for Matt and Nicole to arrive after a day of golfing themselves.

Nicole, Traci & Sunny in front of the 13th green

Nicole, Traci & Sunny in front of the 13th green – the pink ladies!

Wednesday was here, the final practice round and the famous Par-3 contest. (During our ticketing search, I had placed an advertisement needing tickets on Craigslist, and we were super lucky to get a reply from a very wonderful lady from Coeur d’Alene, ID who was flying in with her son and had an extra she was willing to sell to us for a great price, thanks Susie!) Eventually we had all secured a ticket for Wednesday, and in we went around 8:45AM. The Masters welcoming committee was in full force. We heard “welcome to the Masters” over and over from the staff and everyone was so friendly. We grabbed a couple of beers and headed out to the course, and on the first hole we came to one of Traci’s all time favorite players, Sergio Garcia right there finishing up on the 13th green, and about to tee off on #14. As we wandered around, everything we had heard about was true. Not a blade of grass out of place, no weeds, fairways that looked and felt like carpet, greens that were so fast you could not believe anyone could actually get a putt or approach to stop, etc. It was amazing how the place lived up to its billing, and even surpassed our expectations in beauty. We were also lucky that due to the cold winter everywhere, the Azaleas and Dogwoods were just starting to bloom; some years they have already finished blooming, but not so for us. We took tons of pictures, many of the golfers themselves and their groups. (Only during the practice rounds are you allowed to bring in a camera, so we took some 400 pictures that day, wishing we would have taken more – see below for link to more pics.) As the day wore on we finally ended up at the Par-3 course and tournament, a huge draw due to the closeness of the patrons and the participants. This is a “fun” event, with many of the player’s kids acting as their caddies, or some celebrities taking the bag for the participants. This was also the time that the big three had a chance to still knock it around a little; Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus. We watched this group, along with about 15,000 others, for a hole and they were entertaining as always. We left the course that evening, and met another group of friends for dinner after securing our tickets for Thursday’s round, all very tired from the days’ excitement of actually walking the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club! Tomorrow was the Tournament and we had tickets and were going, this was really finally happening!!!

Looking up the 18th fairway

Looking down the 18th fairway

Raking a bunker

Raking a bunker : )

As we mentioned above, Sunny, Mitch, Ann and Jerry had four tickets for the week. As luck would have it for Traci and I, there were some days that not everyone in their group would attend, so they graciously offered those extra tickets to us. We so appreciate their generosity and a huge thank you to these amazing lifelong friends whom we consider family! And, we got to spend a week with them, and take in the tournament with friends, icing on the cake!

Thursday morning Traci and I got up early and got to the course by 7:45AM, to meet Matt and Nicole and set our chairs for the day. (When you go to Augusta, there are a few decent places to view from grandstands, but most of the “patrons” bring in collapsible chairs, without armrests, and sit at their favorite locations to watch the golfers coming by.) After scouting out the course the day before, we thought it would be fun to try for Amen Corner, an area that is probably the most recognizable 3-hole stretch in all of golf. I figured Thursday being the start of the tournament would be the quietest day here; we scurried down to the 12th hole and set up just 5 rows off the tee box! We could look back over the tee box to #11 green, and see the #13th tee box along with #12 green as well. The #12th hole is the hole that every Masters golf fan knows well, and is said to be the most photographed golf hole in the world, and here we were just 5 rows up, wow! We set our chairs down, and headed out to the course to find some golfers on the early holes. (When you place your chair, it stays there, nobody takes it, or moves it, it is your spot for the day. An unwritten rule that all patrons follow.) We ventured around and watched from several different vantage points, walking UP and DOWN the hills of Augusta National. If you have watched the Masters on TV, you have probably heard the commentary of how hilly this place is, and it is no joke. Every hole has some sort of slope, and there is not a flat lie for the golfers out there. You really have too see it in person to understand just how hilly the course is, making it that much more of a challenge to hit a crisp shot with your feet at all sorts of angles at impact. We returned to our chairs on #12 tee box around 1:30PM, right were we had left them some 5 hours before. Upon arrival, we found one of our chairs was broken; someone had used it while we were away and it was not repairable. (We had bought chairs prior to coming, but in hindsight, we should have just bought the chairs there, they are only $30 and worth it for ease, quality, and you get to keep the souvenir.) I ran up to one of the on-course merchandise stands, and they had one for sale, issue solved, that other hunk of junk was going back to where we bought it. We sat there for the next 4-5 hours, watching all the groups come through, in the heat of the day, staying well hydrated. This area was so busy and fortunately there was a concession stand and restroom facility just behind the grandstand so no issue with getting anything we needed throughout the day. Every concession stand and restroom was busy almost all the time, but Augusta National has created what everyone would call the most well oiled machine ever. No matter how long a line might have looked, concessions, restroom or merchandise sales, it moved incredibly fast, and what would take 30 minutes or more at any other venue, was completed in just 5 minutes, simply amazing. We finally headed out that afternoon after the last group came through and felt like we had done the unthinkable, spent a better part of a day at the most famous golf hole in the world!
A side note about the restrooms: They do not use port-a-potties, but rather nice tiled, spacious restroom buildings all staffed with 4 or 5 employees (some of them took their job in stride and had a great running commentary as you entered.) directing “traffic” and making sure they were stocked and clean. The men’s line was always much longer than women’s; something that Traci loved!

This is the menu - check out the reasonable prices!

This is the menu – check out the reasonable prices!

Friday brought the second round, and Traci and I arrived early again. We decided that this day would be fun to set up on #18 green, and watch many of our favorites finish their round. We hurried in and set up about 15 rows from the green, with a very good view of the hole. Again we left our chairs and headed out to the course to take in some different views of the course and golfers. We spent a lot of time in the corner of #1 green, #2 tee box, #8 green and #9 tee box. Some good views, a concession area that was somewhat hidden, and just a nice place to take it all in. We also did some shopping. There are two main buildings for buying souvenirs, with one huge one at the main gate 6, and a second smaller one near the gate 9 entrance. One of the great things is they have figured it out again, that many people here are from out of town, and buying a lot of stuff for friends and family. (We met one guy buying for all his men’s club friends at Harbor Point in Mukilteo!) After you are done buying all your stuff, you can ship it home directly from the course and not have to deal with it, or you can check it like a coat check, and pick it up on your way out, very convenient. We returned to #18 green for the afternoon and were there sitting right off the place that so many greats have won a Green Jacket, again this is a moment soon not to be forgotten! Unfortunately a few of our favorites missed the cut, so we would not be seeing them on the weekend (Phil, Serg and Ernie to name a few).

Amen Corner

Amen Corner, Hogan Bridge in the background

Throughout the week, we were able to see certain views that we wanted to try and return to, and asked many of the volunteers and security about timing for access to the right seat set up locations. So, Saturday we got to the course at 7:00AM, knowing the gates did not open till 8:00AM, but as they say only the early bird gets the worm. At precisely 8:00AM, the course opened and it was a mad rush of speed walkers (no running allowed!) to get to the prime seating locations. We had decided the day before to go for a view of the #16 green, with look-in views of both the #15 green and the #6 green. Many others had the same idea, and it was quite busy. Everyone around us had a plan, and the front rows filled immediately. Fortunately, we had decided to go for the back row, up against a walkway used for patrons to move between the holes. We had learned from the day before that this walkway was to remain open at all times, no stopping and standing. We set up our chairs with the perfect angle to see everything we had scouted out the day prior. Within 10 minutes, the entire area, designated as a seating only section, was completely filled and the guards were standing by to make sure nobody else tried to reshuffle seats to get one more chair in. (It was amazing how few patrons did try to squirm their way in, if the seating only areas were full, they understood and had to go elsewhere – another unwritten rule.) Seeing’s how it was only 8:15AM, and the first tee time for the day was 10:15AM we headed to the concession stand for a snack and did a little more shopping, why not? As the golf began, we followed a few golfers around, and made it to some of our favorite viewing sites, along the fairway of hole #2, and behind hole #7. We returned to our seats about 2:00PM or so, just in time to see the first group arrive, and proceeded to stay there for the next 5 hours and watched every group come through. I think this was our best day at the tournament. We were situated perfectly and could really see a lot, and take it all in without having to move a great deal. We finally left that evening about 6:30PM, two tired patrons, but oh-so happy!

On the 15th fairway with green behind

On the 15th fairway with green behind

Sunday arrived and because we had gone in so early the day before, we slept in an extra 30 minutes, and got to the course about 7:40AM. We hustled to gate 6, the main gate with the intension of setting our chairs at #18 green, along with the rest of the world. By the time we got there, the place was packed, and we had to settle for an area a bit just below the #18 green. I had figured if we were going to do this once, we had to be at #18 green on the last day of the tournament, right? Again, chairs set up, and about 2 hours to kill, so we headed in for our last shopping trip, some breakfast snacks, and wandered back down to #2 green. I think this was our second favorite viewing sight, a small hill off the left side of the green, you could see many of the approach shots down the hill, and we had a good look at the green and all the putting. We stayed down there for about 8-9 groups, and then moved around to later holes, only to hear that Seattle’s own Fred Couples was making a charge early. We followed him for 5-6 holes and the excitement was building, shot by shot. By this time, the course was alive with cheers and roars heard from all over, “who did what on which hole,” everyone was excited! Eventually we returned back to #18 green by 4:00PM as many of the final groups were starting to finish. #18 green was still somewhat quiet, but by the time the last 5-6 groups were arriving, it was packed, so much that we could not see through the heads in front of us and our view was not very good. (Sleeping that last 30 minutes might have hurt us.) We stayed to the end, and watched Bubba Watson win his second Green Jacket, and then walked all the way back down the course to our exit point at gate 9. I was giddy all week, and still am shocked that we got to partake in all of this, 5 straight days at the Masters, one huge bucket list item checked off! And it was so special to be able to spend time and share this experience with our good friends.

Stay tuned for a follow-up post about tips for attending The Masters.  It is now posted HERE!

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Calm before the… 3/10/14 – 3/14/14

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Myrtle Beach, SC

Myrtle Beach, SC

We arrived in Myrtle Beach, SC on a Monday and by the time we left on Saturday morning this place was in full spring break mode.  It was interesting to see it get more and more crowded as the days went by and by Friday night, this place was full of families with screaming kids and barking dogs.  I guess we are getting old, because we were ready to move on to a quieter, less chaotic destination.

The Ocean Lakes Campground where we stayed was really great.  It was absolutely HUGE with over 1,000 sites and we had reserved a spot right near the ocean. The great thing about earlier in the week was the campground was not full, so eventhough we weren’t right on the ocean, we had great views.  This disappeared little by little each day as the campground filled in.  But, we were still only about a 50-yard walk to the beach, which we took full advantage of.  While the weather was nice, we parked our chairs out there and just enjoyed the views.  At low tide, we found ourselves beachcombing and hunting for shells.  There is just something about the sound and movement of the waves; I could just sit and stare at it for hours.

Our view out the MoHo window (early in the week)

Our view out the MoHo window (early in the week)

The beach in front of the campground

The beach in front of the campground

We golfed one day at Prestwick Country Club and were paired up with a father and son, Bill & Todd, from West Virginia.   It was a perfect day for golf with the sun shining and we both really liked the course.  Bill treated us to beers after the round. I am always a little nervous to get paired up, but they were very nice and we enjoyed playing with them.

Prestwick Country Club, 9th Hole

Prestwick Country Club, 9th Hole

The weather continued to get colder and wetter as the week went on.  We spent a lot of time just hanging out at the MoHo Park, walking the beach, sitting outside (when it was dry) and eating in.   We did do a couple days in downtown Myrtle Beach which is the ultimate little touristy beach town.  Tons of miniature golf spots and discount beachwear stores on every corner, old school motels and beach houses for rent o’plenty.   There is a great boardwalk along the ocean that is lined with shops, bars, restaurants and arcades which makes for great people watching.  We did a drive up to North Myrtle Beach one day, which wasn’t anything special, except it is “the proud home of Vanna White.”  It was quieter than Myrtle Beach with larger resort type hotels.

The boardwalk in downtown Myrtle Beach

The boardwalk in downtown Myrtle Beach

We did enjoy our time here and I guess we just got a bit spoiled earlier in the week before the crowds arrived.  Our next stop is the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

p.s.  I managed to spill water all over the laptop – panic!  But, after a day of drying out, looks like I didn’t do any permanent damage.  I am no longer allowed to have open containers next to the computer.  Adult sippy-cup only.

Heading north to the deep south! 2/23/14 – 3/4/14

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Antebellum home in Beaufort, SC

Antebellum home in Beaufort, SC flanked by the state Palmetto tree

After two months in Florida, it was time to start heading north. We drove up through Georgia and onto Hilton Head Island, SC and the Hilton Head Harbor RV Resort & Marina, our home for the next 10 nights. Upon arrival, we were given a golf cart to go out and pick our site. Kind of a cool concept that we liked because usually they just put you in a site based on the level of accommodation you booked. We chose a spot with a view of the water but set back from the marina a bit.

Our spot at the campground

Our spot at the campground

Hilton Head Island was a bit hard for us to figure out at first. There is basically one main road that circles the inside of the island, then all of the businesses and resorts are set off from the road, kind of hidden. This makes for a lot of traffic on that one main road. And, apparently they have some strict rules and regulations for signage to prevent “visual clutter.” So this means no large neon signs but rather very subtle smaller ones making it hard to know where things are (ie: no towering golden arches sign but rather a small rectangular wooden sign a few feet off the ground with a muted yellow McDonald’s written out). Not a bad thing I guess, just different. This is definitely a resort area with many gated communities and not a lot of public areas from what we could tell.

On our first day of exploration we were looking for a bar on the beach. After several attempts with no luck and coming up against gated communities, we realized it was just too early in the year and that the “season” didn’t officially start until St. Patty’s Day which by the way is HUGE here — they host over 1 million visitors for the Holiday. I can’t even imagine the crazy traffic for that. We ended up at a great restaurant called Bombora’s Grille in the Coligny Beach area, which is the closest thing to a city center for the island. Since it was a Monday night, it was pretty quiet and we ended up bellying up to the bar and the owner Todd served us. He gave us quite a few tips for the island and for our next destination, Charleston.

The next day, we had an 8:30 tee time at one of the courses in the Sea Pines Resort, which is an exclusive area on the Island. There is a gate fee to get in and the area encompasses almost ¼ of the island, so there is a lot to see. Our plan was to play golf then spend the rest of the day touring this part of the island. We rolled up to the gate at 8am and the security guard informed us that we couldn’t come in. He didn’t care that we had a tee-time and lectured us that we could not come in with kayaks because the HOA there did not allow it and that we would be towed. We explained that we were traveling and that we weren’t going to kayak in the resort, but just park in the course lot and golf. No go, this power trippy guard made us turn around. We were fired up to say the least. We didn’t have time to go back to the MoHo and dump the kayaks and make it back in time. I was very disappointed and Mike was just pissed off. We called the course to let them know what happened and they were very nice to let us cancel without penalty but were not aware of this rule and said they were a separate entity and didn’t have any authority. We also canceled a later tee time for Mike to play Harbour Town Golf Links, which is where the PGA tour plays the weekend after Master’s. Big bummer, but at this point we felt we didn’t want to support the “hoityness” of Sea Pines. We called another course, Golden Bear Golf Club, and were able to get on so off we went. It turned out to be a “diary day” to quote my brother. We went out as a twosome, so I was nice and relaxed, the sun was out and I shot my best round ever, a 97!
Sidebar: We went wine tasting at the Island Winery a few days later and were talking to the server about the issue we had at Sea Pines. She wasn’t surprised, especially by the attitude we got from the security guard. She also told us that John Daley was turned away because he was in his Motorhome; apparently not allowed either. Ridiculous.

Golden Bear golf course

Golden Bear golf course

Another day, we took a day trip to Savannah, only about 45 minutes away.
We started out at the visitor center and I talked Mike into doing a Gray Line trolley tour to get a good overview of the area. I do have a soft spot for Gray Line. We were both glad we did the tour as we got to hear all of the history of the many squares that cover the downtown area and the little tidbits about movie locations like Forest Gump. I now have ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’ on my to-read and/or to-see book/movie list. After the tour we walked back down to River Street and checked out the river walk. Savannah has the “to-go” system that we have come to like so we got a cold one for our stroll. Stopped in the peanut factory for samples then landed at the Cotton Exchange for lunch, a perfect “joint” with great food and a better conversation from the bartender. This was a good day trip and we would recommend Savannah but one day was enough for us. A cute town with lots of character and history!

River walk in Savannah, GA

River walk in Savannah, GA

Loved the architecture in Savannah

Loved the architecture in Savannah

One of the many squares in Savannah - huge oak tree!

One of the many squares in Savannah – huge oak tree with Spanish Moss.

The weather started to turn on us a bit, getting much colder, but we did get another day of golf in. We chose an “off-island” course, Old South Golf Links. This course was not in as great of shape as the one we played earlier, but there were some holes along the ocean, which is what we were looking for. We were paired up with a nice couple, Bill & Emmy, from Toronto. We saw 4 or 5 gators on the course, which is quite common, but a bit shocking for us. But as long as we didn’t bother them, they didn’t bother us!

Mike taunting the gators

Mike taunting the gators

The rest of our time in Hilton Head was a great mix. We explored Beaufort, another historic town with a river walk and many of the old antebellum style mansions that I just love. We also kayaked one day right from our marina along Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge. Mike was able to do some fishing from the dock at our campground, we did laundry and enjoyed sitting outside by the fire pit. We did have one last break in the weather and we decided to head out to the beach. Back to Coligny Beach, which is the largest public beach on the island. Access to the beach was down a really long wooden walkway flanked by tall sea grass – just what I always pictured for this area. It was Sunday afternoon, so there were tons of people enjoying the sun, before the cold returned which it did in full force with rain.

Coligny Beach, Hilton Head Island

Coligny Beach, Hilton Head Island

Overall, we did like the area a lot and we felt like we did most everything we wanted in 10 days. We could have golfed more as there are many courses in the area, but we know we’ll be golfing more as we head north, so we need to pace ourselves a bit. We were glad we were here in the off-season, because once the season hits, I think this place will be too crowded and absolutely crazy. Next stop is Charleston!

Mo-home improvement update:
Since we were going to be in one place for a longer period, it was time to work through some issues. Our backup camera had been out since Key Largo, which is a safety issue for us. We had a mobile RV repairman come out to take a look and he diagnosed that it was the cable not the actual camera, thank goodness. (Camera would have been easier but much more expensive). He showed Mike what needed to be done and what to order to save us some money. We also had an interior light go out in the bedroom. It was not a light bulb issue, but rather faulty ballast, so we decided to order some LED bulbs that could be hard wired. Once UPS delivered our goods, Mike had a few DIY projects on his hands. The rewiring of the camera entailed him donning a Tyvek body suit and spending a few hours under the MoHo threading the cable from the back to the front of the MoHo. The wiring of the light wasn’t as time consuming, but a little dicier because it involved electricity. Both projects were a success; very proud of Mike and he saved us some serious money!

From Mike –
A shout out to John Hill who sent me a box of limited edition Seahawks Bud Light bottles all the way to South Carolina because he didn’t want me to miss out!

I love you man!

I love you man!