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.

The short drive from my motel to Augusta National on Sunday morning was an eye-opener. The famed course is on Washington Rd, which can best be described as a seemingly endless strip of fast-food joints, steakhouses, car repair shops, shopping malls, motels and churches. Yes, churches. There must be one on every block.

Once inside the gates of Augusta National, the flotsam and jetsam of Washington Rd could have been a million miles away. James Hilton wrote in his novel, Lost Horizon, of a mythical place known as Shangri-La – an earthly paradise, completely isolated from the outside world. In golf, that place is Augusta National.

The Sunday leading into Masters Week is Member’s Day at Augusta National. The course is closed to the public but the media along with players, coaches, caddies, club members and VIPs are welcomed.

First port of call for me was the driving range – a world-leading facility which is presented to the same incredibly high standard as the course. After watching Tiger Woods, Adam Scott and Jason Day work through their practice sessions, I headed out on the course (after a quick walk up and down Magnolia Lane).

First timers at Augusta are always struck by the big elevation changes on the course, like the sharp fall of the 10th fairway and the long climb up the 18th hole. However, I was more surprised by the steepness of the slopes around the greens. When you watch the Masters on TV the view is always from an elevated tower position which flattens the landscape, so six- and seven-foot-high slopes off the edges of the huge, fabled greens appear nothing more than knee-high mounds on TV. The back of the 17th green is a wonderful example of this and now, having stood behind that green, I can see why so many players over the years have had trouble getting up-and-down from there.

A mild winter in Georgia meant the azaleas were in full bloom for the start of the Masters, while long-time visitors suggested the warmer weather had also helped present the course in the best condition they had seen in more than a decade. During my Sunday afternoon stroll I made a mental note to keep an eye out for any weeds. Not one to be found anywhere.

I toured through all the popular locations across the course where the great shots have been played in Masters history – Bubba’s wedge from the trees beside the 10th fairway last year, the spot where Larry Mize chipped-in on 11 to kill Norman’s chances in 1987, the pines on 13 where Phil Mickelson hit the greatest shot of his life in 2010 en route to winning the Green Jacket. In future years, first-time visiting Aussies will no doubt spend some time beside the 10th green and recall where they were when Adam Scott holed that putt to win the Masters.

Augusta National, without thousands of patrons lining its fairways, is quite serene. I sat on my own in the stand lining the length of the 16th tee for nearly 30 minutes and could picture in my mind Jack Nicklaus nailing his tee shot close in 1986 and the roar that followed, or Norman finding the water a decade later and Tiger Woods chipping in from behind the green in 2005. Interrupting my daydream was two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer, who was out on course for a practice round with an Augusta member. Playing in front of a gallery of one, Langer produced a wonderful tee shot that came within an inch or two of going in the hole. His playing partner on the other hand emulated Norman’s tragic tee shot of 17 years ago.

Over the next six days I became just another Masters patron, albeit in a working capacity. Arriving at the course each day at dawn and leaving sometimes after midnight, as was the case after the final round, I was like a kid let loose in Disneyland.

The practice days are relaxed on both sides of the gallery ropes. There is plenty of time to simply follow a couple of groups of players or stalk a lone golfer and watch him work out his game and the Dr Alistair MacKenzie layout. I found one such player in 1998 Masters champion Mark O’Meara, who was out playing on his own and looked like he was just enjoying the fact he had the course to himself.

He reached the 16th tee and, apparently, it has become tradition on practice days for the patrons in the stand to urge players to try to skim a ball over the lake and onto the green of the par-3. O’Meara obliged but his first attempt hit the bank and stayed in the water. He reached into his bag and went again, this time his choked-down 4-iron shot skipped three times across the top of the water, flew onto the green and rolled to within six feet of the flag. O’Meara’s reaction was to tell the appreciative crowd that it wasn’t bad “for an old guy”.

It was the first of many cheers I would hear for the week but it was a long way from the explosive roar that echoed across the layout in the darkness on Sunday night when Scotty rolled in his birdie for the win.

I couldn’t have imagined when I set out on my long-awaited journey to the Masters that it would end like this. My personal bucket list had taken a double hit. Go to Augusta National … gone. See an Australian win the Masters … gone. I, for one, will never forget standing in the rain and joining the throng in applauding Scott who, with Green Jacket on, saluted the crowd after the presentation ceremony. It was the perfect end to the trip of a lifetime.

I couldn’t have picked a better year to go to the Masters. Now I’m hooked and hope I can be there for Scotty’s defence in 2014.

TIPS FOR MASTERS WEEK

Over the course of an historic week for Australian golf at Augusta National, I learned a fair bit about the Masters experience – on and off the course – which might be helpful for you to know if you are planning to cross a Masters visit off your bucket list in 2014.

Make sure you have a ticket for at least one of the official practice days (Monday and Tuesday). This is the only time you can take a camera onto the course and grab some photographic memories of your trip. There are no mobile phones allowed so take a camera.

If you are attending more than one day of the tournament proper, set aside one day to walk the entire course. On the other day, find a good viewing spot around the course. You can buy a fold-up Masters chair for $30 from the merchandise shop, put a business card or similar in the holder on the back of the chair and place it in your chosen viewing spot along the gallery rope. You are then free to wander the course and return to the chair any time you like, without concern that your seat has been taken.

The best viewing spot without a chair is in the stand behind the 12th tee. You have to get there early to get a spot, though. From here you can watch approach shots and play on the 11th green, the tee shot at the par-3 12th and the tee shot from the 13th. This is the heart of Amen Corner, arguably the most famous holes in golf, and there is no better spectacle for golf fans.

There are plenty of landmarks scattered across the course but the most recognisable natural landmark is the massive oak tree that stands between the back of the Augusta National clubhouse and the 1st tee (pictured). A lot of media interviews are carried out here so you can get a chance to see players off the course (no autographs, though). It is also a hub for spotting celebrities and former champions.

The Augusta National merchandise shop is a must and if you plan to spend up big, there’s also a mail service available to send gifts home. Hats (from $20) and shirts (from $40) are the hottest items but you can find Masters wine glasses ($20), Masters phone covers ($30), Masters pin flags ($25) and Masters ball markers ($20 for four).

The cheapest of treasures comes when you buy a drink on course, which comes in a Masters-logoed plastic cup. For $1.50 you get a Coke and a souvenir. The food and drink at the Masters is very affordable. The famous Masters pimento cheese sandwiches are just $1.50, while an imported beer will only set you back a couple of dollars.

OFF THE COURSE

f you are looking for accommodation, try renting a house through the the Masters Housing Bureau (www.mastershousing.com), which has a listing of homes from townhouses from about $1,500 a week to nearly $20,000 for a mansion within easy reach of the course.

Staying close to the course is sometimes difficult and many Masters patrons opt for cheaper accommodation options in Colombia, South Carolina, about 60 minutes’ drive, or Aiken about 20 minutes away.

Playing a round or two during Masters week also requires some planning ahead of time to ensure a tee-time. There are several excellent courses within easy reach of Augusta with one of the best being Palmetto Golf Club, an Alistair MacKenzie-designed layout that is a 20-minute drive away in Aiken. For 51 weeks of the year the course is strictly private but tee-times are available for visitors during Masters week.

Sage Valley is modelled on Augusta National and is very private but some Tour companies have the contacts to get a game here.

Finally, walking Augusta National all day will fire up your appetite and the best steakhouse in Augusta is just a short walk from the course. T-Bonz is a must for any Masters visitor, including some players. Fred Couples is a regular, while Rory McIlroy has eaten there several times in recent years. Most importantly, it opens until late after the final round and is a celebration hot spot.

TAKE A MASTERS TOUR

A growing number of Australian golf fans are making the long trek to Augusta National each year and there are several companies based here with access to accommodation and, most importantly, Masters tickets that host tour groups to the event every year.

Here’s a guide to what some of the best tour companies are offering to go to the 2014 Masters.

ELITE SPORTING TOURS

Elite Sporting Tours developed out of the enthusiasm and admiration Terry Lucas and Steven Ivak had for the US Masters and Augusta National Golf Club. Like all golf lovers, their ultimate dream was to one day witness the greats of golf competing for the coveted Green Jacket. Off the back of this they started taking tours to Augusta after their first visit in 1998.

Elite Sporting Tours only focuses on the US Masters. They do not operate other tours and pride themselves on being the ‘Masters specialists’.

After a successful 2013 trip, when 150 clients enjoyed seeing Adam Scott’s victory, Elite Sporting Tours is catering for more than 200 clients in 2014 and will look to rent 50 to 60 private houses.

Clients enjoy private residential accommodation in the neighbourhood across the road from Augusta National as well as gaining access to exclusive golf clubs, such as Sage Valley and Augusta Country Club.

In 2004, the company also purchased its own host house across the road from the course where clients now enjoy prestige hospitality throughout the week as well as guest speakers.

With a large and experienced team supporting the tour, Terry and Steven pride themselves on offering personalised, localised and on the ground service clients deserve for their ‘once in a lifetime experience’.

Contact: (03) 9816 8033 or visit www.elitesportingtours.com.au

AUSTRALIAN TOURS FOR SPORT

Australian Tours For Sport (ATFS), established more than 21 years ago, has been running US Masters tours every year since 1997 so it has the experience and local knowledge to make your US Masters Tour an unforgettable experience.

They stay in a quality hotel less than one mile from Augusta National and there are more than six restaurants close by so you are not stuck with the same dining options each night. ATFS also provides you with official US Masters gifts such as binoculars, journals and chairs.

The tour is escorted by an experienced Australian host who can assist you with any other requests that you might have during your stay in Augusta.

Packages are limited so it is best to book as soon as you know you want to be part of history.

Contact: 1800 806 879 or visit www.atfs.com.au for more information

THE GOLF TOURING COMPANY

Masters tickets are the most desired in sport. The ballot for tickets opened in 1972 and closed in 1978.

However, with more than ten years’ experience at Augusta, The Golf Touring Company’s travel partners have built up a substantial network of contacts and are able to obtain tickets.

The company offers a unique US Masters package for 2014, which includes seven days’ accommodation in a host house just 10 minutes’ walk from Augusta National as well as a season badge to all four days of competition play.

As an international partner of International Sports Management (ISM), The Golf Touring Company has use of the ISM host house for a professionally catered breakfast and dinner each day, where you might bump into a Masters player.

The 2014 package also includes return transfers from either Atlanta or Augusta airports, plus daily transfers to Augusta National, while your house is stocked with food and beverages.

The Golf Touring Company can also tailor inclusions to be added to the package.

Contact: (02) 8484 2059 or visit www.thegolftouringcompany.com.au for more details.

GOLF EXPLORER

Golf Explorer has a wide variety of 2014 Masters packages that cover a range of budgets

and wishes.

Accommodation for all there US Masters packages can either be in a local hotel or one of the executive private houses located a short drive or walk from Augusta National.

One tour, the US Masters final rounds package (Saturday and Sunday), includes three nights’ double or twin-share accommodation at the Country Inn and Suites, about two kilometres from the course, a Masters tournament badge for the weekend rounds and a full hot breakfast each morning.

If you want to go to all four days of the Masters, there is a package staying in a private house for five nights that includes daily maid and linen service.

Contact: (08) 8376 4495 or visit www.golfexplorer.com.au for full details.

TEED UP TOURS

Since 2003 Teed Up has taken hundreds of golf lovers to the Masters. The company offers a high level of service and its local knowledge creates the perfect golfing experience.

Teed Up’s experienced Masters golf professionals personally escort you throughout the tour. They provide you with insider information that will make for a perfect holiday, such as the best viewing spots and where to buy superior merchandise.

Teed Up’s most popular tour includes three days at Pinehurst Golf Resort, one of the best golf resorts in the world. Tee times have already been secured for 2014 on the No.2 course, which will be hosting the US Open only six weeks later.

There are four escorted Masters packages to choose from, while there is also an unescorted package that includes seven nights’ accommodation in Augusta and Masters badges for two competition days as well as two practice rounds. There are also plenty of inclusions available.

Contact: (02) 8458 9000 or visit www.teedupgolftours.com for further details.