I was able to attend Monday's practice round at Augusta National this week. This is my second year to go and visit the course. For those of you that haven't been, it is something you have to do. It's like visiting Yankee Stadium or Wrigley Field. There is just so much history there that you have to go, especially if you like golf.

Once you've been there, it gives you a whole new appreciation for the Masters. I'll spare you the stories about how perfect the golf course is, because you can assume that even if you haven't been there. Instead, I'll just give you a few other thoughts that you might not read anywhere else.

• With all of the history and tradition of the Masters, the hats that the course marshals wear just don't fit in. I'm sure there is some history behind it, but I'm not going to take some time to look it up. I guess there's such a demand that grown men would marshal in their underwear if they were asked to.


• Yes, we've all heard the stories about the cheap meals. If you haven't, you can get a sandwich for $2 and a drink for $1. But they can do that because the merchandising brings in the real money. We waited in a line similar to Disney World (seriously, the sign told us that we had 8 minutes until we entered the shop) . Since you can't get Masters merchandise anywhere else, folks were buying stuff left and right. I didn't see any one's total in the checkout line that was less than $200.


• Holes 13-17 are very close together and are bordered by huge pines. The roar from the crowd on Monday was loud, because it echos off of the trees that border the course. I can't imagine how loud it is on a Sunday afternoon when someone makes a birdie. Let there be no doubt when you're watching it, if Tiger makes a shot on Sunday, everyone will know about it.


• It's pretty wide open there and the course is hilly. On Monday, the wind was able to whip through the course pretty good. If it's windy, it will have a major impact on the tournament.


• I've seen the 18th hole played several times on TV. Again, TV doesn't do it justice. That is a major hill they are going up on the 2nd shot into the green.

• While they don't have corporate tents, there are reserved seats. If you see someone sitting in a green chair next to a green, especially on an important hole, you can bet that seat was reserved for them. Especially since you are not allowed to take a chair to the course. Yes, you can buy one while you're there, but the chances are those people aren't sitting in the reserved seats.

Just a few things to keep in mind while you're watching the Masters this weekend.