Patrons say Masters experience everything they expected

By 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Bob Gal­usha scratched a handful of items off his life’s bucket list.

He grabbed souvenirs from Augusta National Golf Club gift shop, snapped a photo in front of the Masters Tourna­ment scoreboard and was on his way to Amen Corner with his son and good friend.

“It’s gorgeous, it’s awesome, it’s crowded, it’s definitely amazing,” he said.

Spending time on the famous course is something the ex-newspaper advertiser flew from Arizona with his son to do. He planned to follow his favorite golfer, Chez Reavie, around the course. Reavie went to high school with Galusha’s daughter, so he felt connected.

Some other players, however, were not held as close to his heart.

“I won’t be watching Tiger Woods at all,” Galusha said. “No, no. Not a fan.”

FRED BROOMS OF Asheville, N.C., has a strategy for watching the best golf in the world.

He finds some shade and plants his chair on the side of the 10th hole for the entire day – letting the golfers come to him.

“It’s the best way to do it,” Brooms said. For the past five years, Brooms has followed this strategy and his favorite golfer – “the main man, Tiger Woods.”

On Wednesday morning, Erv TerHaar of Orlando, Fla., happened to plant a chair next to Brooms, and a friendship through golf began.

“You just meet the friendliest people,” TerHaar said. For his first time on the course, TerHaar said the experience is not comparable to what he’s watched on TV for years.

“It’s something else,” he said. “This is so much better than seeing it on TV. On TV, you can’t pick out all the pretty girls.’

Visiting Augusta National Golf Club for the first time was nearly a religious experience for Brad Maybank of Naples, Fla.

“Golf is a spiritual thing, and this is the closest thing to heaven,” Maybank said.

A golf professional for 16 years, Maybank said the Masters is the culmination of all the best people and ele­ments of the sport. He traveled to Augusta with his close friend and both men’s fathers for a once in a lifetime experience.

“Most golf people, the way we conduct ourselves on the course, we’re the kind of people who let a buddy in front of us, open doors, I mean take a look around,” he said. “It’s gonna be yes ma’am, no ma’am all day.”

They were only able to score tickets for one day of practice rounds, but Maybank said he would go to great lengths to see a tournament day.

“Clean houses, wash cars, I’d do it.”