Masters week every year has always included a ritual of early morning starts on the lounge in front of the TV, sometimes wrapped in a blanket to ward off the chill of an April morn.

I was in my early teens and at school when this ritual began and not even joining the workforce could change my devotion to watching every shot beamed into my home from Augusta. Then, when I joined Golf Australia magazine, I actually started getting paid for watching the golf but the home lounge was replaced by the office TV.

In fact, my first day on the job for Golf Australia was on April 15, 1996. I arrived in the office early to watch Greg Norman become the first Australian to win the Masters. After all he was six shots in front with 18 holes to play. What could possibly go wrong? Well, we know the answer to that now.

Norman’s heartbreak that day just fuelled my dream to one day travel to Augusta and, perhaps, witness an Australian slip their arms into the sleeves of the coveted Green Jacket. After five false starts to get to Augusta over the years, the 2013 Masters would be my first after the Masters Committee confirmed my application for media accreditation.

Unlike the growing number of Australians who make the pilgrimage to Augusta every April, I travelled alone, organised my own flights and accommodation. I would strongly suggest you leave all this work up to a professional Australian-based tour company that also has access to Masters tickets.

After travelling for 25 hours from Sydney via Los Angeles and Atlanta, I arrived in Augusta shortly before midnight on the Sunday before the Masters. Just walking through this small regional airport leaves you in no doubt what the drawcard for this town is, with Masters and Augusta National references everywhere.

When Augusta is not playing host to the world’s best golfers at the Masters it is a regional centre for medicine and is roughly the same size as Hobart. But when the golfing world ventures to Augusta each April, the city’s population of about 200,000 almost doubles.