During the second round of the Masters Tournament, Padraig Harrington sprayed his tee shot on the par-5 second hole into the thick woods to the right of the fairway.

The only thing you could find in that area of Augusta National Golf Club when a straight-driving Harrington came through Sunday afternoon was a line of patrons snaking through the woods, eyeing items such as $1 soft drinks and $1.50 egg salad sandwiches.

The new permanent concession stand just off the second fairway and near the No. 4 tee box was a popular destination. The stands -- painted green, of course -- were part of several changes patrons saw this year, including a new parking setup and no-smoking seated areas.

"I like it," said William Baxter, from Orlando, Fla., who was at his sixth Masters. "The only thing I can say is, I wish there were more of the concessions around (the course). We're here to watch golf, and that's what we want to do."

Augusta National didn't require patrons to have parking passes because it created more than 6,000 parking spots across Berckmans Road. They were available for free on a first come, first served basis and accessible from two points off Washington Road.

"It was a long walk, sure, but by no means are we complaining," said Clark Proctor, of Atlanta. "Think about how much you have to pay to park at other sports events, like SEC football games and things like that."

Augusta National and Masters Chairman Billy Payne said Wednesday in his annual State of the Masters address that the changes were a response to patrons' feedback. He said the comments numbered in the tens of thousands.

"We will continue ... to seek on-course and online comments and ideas from Masters fans in an effort to ensure that we are doing everything possible to present our tournament ... exactly how people would expect Augusta National to do it," Payne said.

Reach Matt Middleton at (706) 823-3425 or matt.middleton@augustachronicle.com.