Perfect location might be spot where imperfections surface
When: Saturday, 1 p.m.
Where: Grandstands overlooking the No. 4 green, No. 5 tee
The best seats on any rainy day at Augusta National Golf Club are those closest to the main gate.
The area is home to the club's scant shelters, not to mention rainy-day diversions such as the Masters museum and the gift shop.
Still, the more adventurous - or those with rain gear or an extra change of clothes - still wandered to the far reaches of the course Saturday, including the No. 4 green.
If the area around No. 12 is Amen Corner, the fourth is @*#&! Corner, made so by the preposterously long approach shot created by a new tee box. The hole nicknamed Flowering Crab Apple is leaving golfers crabby now that the par 3 is playing 240 yards and forcing them to hit woods or hybrid clubs into the green.
Inaccuracy from the world's best golfers makes the spot an entertaining place to spend some time, even with tree limbs obstructing the view from the tee box.
With the No. 5 tee directly behind the green, the golfers tend to be a little hasty in hitting their drives there. They want to get out of the way as quickly as possible, and for good reason: John Daly and Vijay Singh were among those who overshot the green earlier this week.
One drawback to watching from No. 4 - aside from its remote location on soggy days - is its proximity to Berckmans Road, the public street that marks the course's border. Everywhere else on the course, the outside world might as well not even exist.
Although a grove of trees and thick bamboo hide Berckmans from view, the faint sound of cars whizzing by breaks Augusta National's spell.
So does the sound of the siren suspending play. The course must be cleared of patrons, and it's a long, soggy walk back to the main gate area.
Just make sure to have dry socks and a steaming cup of coffee waiting.
