Earlier this year, we offered our biggest giveaway to date: an all-expenses-paid trip for one SwingU Pro subscriber and two of his guests to travel to Augusta, Georgia for the first men’s major championship of the season.
Two weeks before the tournament, we randomly selected Bill M. from New Jersey, a SwingU super-user who has logged more than 300 rounds since 2020. Bill invited his golf buddy, Gary, and his son-in-law, Scott, to accompany him to Augusta for the first three days of Masters week.
The group was treated to a round of golf at historic Palmetto Golf Club in nearby Aiken, South Carolina and then the three went to the Tuesday practice round at Augusta National.
Below is a conversation between our Product Marketing Manager Chris Chaney and Bill M. about his experience.
Q: Can you tell me a little bit about the round at Palmetto? What did you think of the course? How was Fred (Yates, SwingU’s Design Lead who accompanied the foursome for the round)?
A: Yes, it was great. And Fred’s not only a good golfer, he’s a great guy, super, super nice.
That course, Palmetto Golf Club, what a beautiful course. Beautiful course. I mean, I hit a couple of shots up on the green, and they came right back off the greens (laughs). The greens were…, well, we’re not used to that. It was a gorgeous place. It was hilly golf course, which I’d rather play a tough course. Why not? It was great.
Q: What was the rest of the evening on Monday like? Did anything fun stand out after golf and before the practice round?
A: We got into the middle of town, they have everything themed for Masters week. All the tables come out, all the things are open, sports bars, everything and everybody’s Masters. I mean, the next two nights, that’s what we did. We went to downtown Aiken for dinner. Everybody was decked out in Masters stuff. People that live there, other people traveling. It was it was great.
Q: So the big question right is Tuesday. Tell me tell me about kind of what was your itinerary when you got to the course? What was your first impression?
A: We got there like 6:30 a.m. There were a lot of people going in there. It was like 100,000 people. It was it was a gigantic crowd. But we go in and the merchandise tent line was already out the door and around the corner, so they asked us to go in so we didn’t block the other people trying to get in.
It’s all very well organized, but we went around the merchandise line and went straight to the concession stand for breakfast. Oh, god. The pimento cheese sandwich. $1.50? Great. I didn’t get a beer yet because it was kind of early in the morning, it was like 7:15 in the morning, but the beers were $5. That’s pretty good. I mean, the sandwiches and the food. Oh my god. So cheap.
Q: What were your first impressions of the course?
A: So after breakfast, we when right out and we started walking the course. A lot of hills. I mean, TV doesn’t show you the hills they have. It was just so so massive and so beautiful. And like you say the fairway, it’s just so lush. If our golf course fairways were like they’re rough, I would never go golfing anyplace else. I mean, it was simply just beautiful.
We went over to Amen Corner where you can kind of see three holes – 11, 12 and 13. So we went on that little corner over on the edge there.
Q: What was your favorite spot out there? Was it Amen Corner or were there other groups of holes that you found to be your favorite?
A: I liked Amen Corner a lot. We went back to that a couple of times because you could see a few different things, different people, you know? You could see 11 green, and then you can see all of 12. Then on 13 – they moved that tee 40 yards back to make harder to get to that dogleg. Some of those guys could still get there, but not me. I don’t even know if I could get there in three.
The layout is so beautiful.
Q: So what did you get into the merchandise tent? Were you able to waste some money in there?
A: We went back in and then like maybe six o’clock at night. The line was much shorter. You could be in that store for a couple hours. So yeah, we spent some money in there. This is pretty cool, a once-in-a-lifetime thing.
I got the hat, which I’m going to be using. I got the, the divot fixers with the ballmarks. I bought a bunch of hallmarks. I gotta give them out to my friends. I got a flag. I bought a couple of shirts for my son and his wife, I got a t-shirt for my wife. I got a cup that I’m drinking my coffee out of every day. I think I’ve won one sleeve of balls. I brought out all this stuff. I’m just not even remembering exactly. It’s incredible. You go in there and nd it’s like, I’ll take that, I’ll take that.
I can’t believe so much, but I’m like, you never know if or when you’ll go back; you might as well get what you want.
Q: Well that sounds like a successful trip. We’re happy we were able to get you to the Masters for the first time.
A: Everything was good. It was a trip of a lifetime. Thanks.
