BY STEVE KEIPERT AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL

EVERY Aussie golfer dreams about it but not all get the opportunity to attend the Masters.

Among the Australian contingent in the gallery at Augusta National this week are four Sydneysiders making the pilgrimage for the first time. For Craig Mumberson, it’s also his first time in the United States and he’s making his initial visit a memorable one. He and fiancée Emma Fredericks will be married in Hawaii eight days after this Masters concludes and they decided to build a Masters experience into a trip that also takes in Las Vegas en route to Honolulu.

A growing number of Australians make the journey each April, many compelled to do so after watching Adam Scott’s 2013 Masters victory from the other side of the world. These four secured tickets through Australia-based Global Golf Holidays, scoring Tuesday and Friday passes, and soaked up the sunshine and unique Masters atmosphere yesterday on the second official practice day.

Taking photos in front of the huge leaderboard near the 1st tee is a tradition for Masters patrons. PHOTO: Roberto Schmidt /AFP/Getty Images Taking photos in front of the huge leaderboard near the 1st tee is a tradition for Masters patrons. PHOTO: Roberto Schmidt /AFP/Getty Images

It’s always enlightening to hear the impressions of first-time visitors to this great cathedral of grass.

“It surprised me how small the greens are,” said Mumberson, a 1-handicapper. “And a lot of them play smaller because you have to hit the ball to the right section.”

“We know it’s a course for the long drivers but your strategy has to be spot on, too,” says fellow tourist Michael Savage, who has spent time in America caddying on the LPGA and Symetra tours. “It won’t matter how far you’re hitting it if you’re not playing to the right parts of the golf course.”

The quartet plundered the Masters merchandise pavilion, purchasing a wide array of Masters-logoed caps, shirts, jumpers, flags, balls, putter grips, keyrings and more. They collectively dropped more than US$2,000 in no time at all and loved every second of doing so – and intend to return for more gear on Friday. The memories and mementos will last forever.

A range of Masters shirts on display in the merchandise pavilion. PHOTO: Jeff Haynes/AFP/Getty Images A range of Masters shirts on display in the merchandise pavilion.
PHOTO: Jeff Haynes/AFP/Getty Images

The merchandise pavilion is a pulsating place that naturally does a thriving trade this week. It’s not big – the queues often stretch well beyond the corralled entry area – and even getting from aisle to aisle inside is a challenge, especially dodging people juggling armloads of souvenirs. There is talk that the soon-to-be abandoned Augusta National media centre that adjoins the pavilion will instead be used to expand the merchandise area, perhaps as soon as the 2017 Masters. It’ll be a win for Masters patrons who understandably want as smooth a passage as possible so they can minimise their time away from the on-course action.

But back to our four tourists and it was Wes Cochran, who works as the course superintendent at Leonay Golf Club and spent time in the past working at prestigious Bellerive Country Club in St Louis, who perhaps put it best. Halfway through the first of his two days inside the grounds of Augusta National, he said: “If it all ended right now, it’d still be worth it.”