Forbidden smartphones and no racing: the timeless magic of the Augusta Masters

Courtesy Telephone. The laminated sign, under a small wooden shed, leaves no room for misunderstandings. There is even a list, of those who are no longer seen, ei codes to enter before dialing the number. You can call anyone, anywhere on the planet, and say, “Hi, I’m seeing the golf champions at the Augsburg Masters», one of the most exclusive sporting events in the planet. So exclusive that none of the viewers are allowed to take any videos or photos: smartphones and tablets cannot enterthe only exception is for cameras, but only in the days leading up to the tournament.

Thus, to get in touch with anyone outside the perimeter of the fields, all that remains is to look for one of the many phone booths – free, in fact – disseminated between one hole and another. In the era of selfies, the only way to demonstrate one’s presence at the coveted appointment is therefore buy some gadgets to the official store: from the keychain to the t-shirt, from the bowl for the dog to the iconic garden gnomes, all rigorously signed The Masters. Merchandising that, always in an exclusivity key, is not found in no other shop in the worldonly on the internet in the market of resell.

On the other hand, within the golf club, other brands are not contemplated: everything is The Mastersnot only the legendary folding chairs that viewers – called patrons – they place for whole days in some strategic points of the route, but also the food – such as the highly sought-after Georgia Peach Ice Cream Sandwich – and the drinks, whether they are water, beer or various soft drinks. That’s why it often happens to see fans who put in their backpack, as a reminder, stacks of branded glasses. Then they open the map, look at the players’ schedules and try to make one estimate off the cuff about who-is-playing-where.

Yes, they don’t exist at the Augusta Masters electronic monitors that they update you live on the progress of the tournament, not even giant screens that allow spectators to watch the highlights of what is happening perhaps on the other side of the field: the scoreboards with the leaders are updated by handanalogically, triggering often screams of amazement. Screams, but silenced: in fact, the protocol does not provide for a mad cheer, does not include flags of any kind, respecting the concentration of the players. In fact, it’s not even allowed to run: if you go wrong, there are those who immediately point it out to you.

A perfect organizational machine, which we have tested by hand thanks to Mercedes-Benz. The invitation from one of the six sponsors (who in the field have to give up any type of billboards or banners, ed) is among the very few ways to access the Masters. In fact, there isn’t one free sale of tickets: you have to be close friends or relatives of a player or one of the 300 members of Augusta National Golf Club, or be lucky enough to be drawn into the famous ballotwhich every year – among the enthusiasts who have applied – decides who can
watch live to the fascinating tournament.

A democratic mechanism that therefore creates a bizarre generational melting pot: there are elderly people holding hands and walking around from one hole to anotherthere are very young people who do shuttling between bars, there are families who place themselves under a tree enjoying themselves the nature and industry experts who stay in the same position for hours, trading technical opinions with the neighbor. On the other hand, the desire to communicate is another of the key elements of the Masters, accentuated precisely by the absence of smartphones: no chat or call, nothing is filtered, everything passes exclusively from the eyes.

From Magnolia Lane, the spectacular driveway with 120 old trees, up to theAmen cornerthe most difficult point of the course, so arduous that it requires a prayer: it is there that the tournament is often decided, between the 11th, 12th and – above all – the 13th hole, the so-called Azalea. Because in Augsburg every hole has the name of a flower that distinguishes the route, while the white sand of the bunker contrasts with the fairway green. Which is the symbolic color of Augusta National: the winner, in fact, receives the mythological green jacketwhich is the same as club members, e he keeps it for a year.

Beyond establish the menu for the usual Champions Dinnerthe dinner that takes place on the eve of the tournament and brings together all the players who have triumphed at the Masters: Tiger Woodson the occasion of the first of his five hitschose cheeseburger, grilled chicken sandwich, fries and strawberry smoothie. In twelve months it will be the Spaniard’s turn Jon Rahm, who swept the Major – the only one that takes place on the same field since the first edition, dated 1934 – and he is number one again in the world: to him, paired with the other golf star Bernhard LangerMercedes has dedicated a special tribute.

The American artist Christopher “CR” Obetzin fact, portrayed them in version pop art on the livery of the new one EQS SUV, the elegant Sports Utility Vehicle with electric propulsion produced by the German company: «I am proud of what we have created together», the author told us. “It was great use the vehicle as a canvas». Coloring it by green and yellow: the colors of the winner’s jacket, of course.

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