‘Pantone 342’ – a mere 11-character Google search will help one figure out what this code symbolizes. 

It signifies the magnificent hue associated with The Green Jacket awarded to every Masters Champion since the late 1940s.  The first man to don The Green Jacket – Sam Snead.  The next golfer to slip on this coveted prize will ultimately be determined this week, culminating with the final round on Sunday, April 13.

The Masters Tournament, played during the first full week of April each spring at Augusta National Golf Club, is arguably the greatest sporting event in the world. This four-day tournament is a test unlike any other. The rich traditions of this week are as deeply rooted as the towering Augusta, Georgia pine trees and as impressive as the blooming azaleas and flowering dogwoods.

Attending this tournament as a patron, even for one day, is something that every golfer dreams of, even if only for a practice round. Being on the grounds to witness a Sunday Augusta roar is a concept that most of us could only fathom from television highlights. There are also the likes of Owatonna’s own Matt Kottke, Mark Langlois and myself who have set foot on these hallowed grounds and witnessed the mastery firsthand.  Saying I would go back in a heartbeat is an understatement for the ages.

Kottke has had two Masters tickets in his extended family since 1990. He had the fortune of attending this event in 2000 and 2008, making a distinct point to walk the entire 18-hole layout and see different vantage points of the treacherous task in front of each golfer. 

“I walked the whole course as I wanted to mentally get a feel for it,” Kottke said. “It is extremely hilly, and you can’t understand all the elevation changes from television coverage.  It looks flat and wide open when you are sitting in your lazy boy watching it and that is not the case.”

Langlois, the former head Owatonna boys golf coach and current partial owner of Havana Hills Golf, Range & Event Center, recalls his walk up to the initial entrance in 2024 as still being vivid in his memory. 

“Things almost don’t look real,” he said.  “We walked in by the range, and I remember the size of the trees, the distinct spring smells and how everything was in better condition than you could even dream of.”

I had the unique privilege of attending multiple days of play in 2014, the memories so vivid it still feels like it was yesterday. The Masters Tournament perpetually conducts the event in an almost laughably affordable fashion. Outside of the entrance, Augusta National has no control over hotel prices, ticket prices or anything of that nature. 

However, score a ticket and make it inside and you are treated to a sporting event and venue that is better than first class.  The patron areas are maintained better than most playable areas at many other courses. Food and beverage prices are not only high-quality, but they are also incredibly affordable (i.e. a pimento cheese or egg salad sandwich for $1.50).

“The quality of the whole experience is so much greater than you can even describe,” Kottke said.  “The reverence by the patrons, players and workers is incredible.  You don’t even need to be a golfer to enjoy the experience and appreciate how beautiful Augusta is – I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to go multiple times.”

Langlois not only witnessed many notable golfers, but had a unique encounter with reigning NFL Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell in the merchandise building. 

“We saw KOC in the gift shop and chatted with him for multiple minutes,” Langlois said.  “He was super nice. It was a few weeks before the draft and that was cool as well seeing him.”

Once you have been to Augusta, you are able to start the arduous process of comprehending the vast elevation changes, the overall length of the 18-hole layout and the lightning-fast putting surfaces. As noteworthy to me was how polite and considerate the patrons were overall.  No patrons were running throughout the grounds as if they were at the Waste Management Open trying to secure a spot on Hole 16.  The respect and admiration for not only the history but also the present is truly spectacular.

My initial glimpses of Augusta National were eerily similar to the dad in the movie Rudy laying eyes on Notre Dame Stadium for the very first time.  Although not apples to apples, you will not truly believe it until you see it with your own eyes.

As Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club Fred Ridley will soon proclaim, the Masters Tournament is almost officially underway.

My Masters Champion for 2025 – Ludvig Åberg

Until next month, hit ‘em long and straight – and most of all have fun!