There’s something unique about turning on the Masters on Sunday afternoon.
I’m not a golfer. Never have been nor do I ever have plans to be. Biking has filled my quota for expensive, time-consuming hobbies.
But watching the Masters feels different than other golf tournaments. It’s the only one I’d ever consider turning on. Beginning in March, CBS starts putting out those advertisements showcasing the stunning Augusta National Golf course landscape, Ray Charle’s “Georgia on my Mind” playing in the background and then a voice appears over the azaleas and loblolly pines, “A tradition unlike any other, the Masters.”
It is a tradition. Since 1934 golfers and patrons alike have gathered in Augusta to hit a few balls into holes and see who can do so in the shortest number of swings. As a camp director, I’m a sucker for tradition. In a fast-paced world where change is constant, it’s grounding to return to something similar.
The aspect of the Masters tradition that I love the most is the rule against technology.
No one is allowed to bring in a phone. It’s the only sporting event you can watch where the patrons are nearly universally engaged in the event.
I sat on Sunday afternoon, with a slobbery baby in my lap reflecting on how the landscape, the attention, the “vibe” are all altered when people are invited to be present in the place which they stand.
In that moment, the excitement for our 106th summer at Illahee hit me. In a month and half, we’ll welcome hundreds of campers to experience a tradition that has and continues to transform, and thankfully for all those involved, cell phones aren’t allowed.
Jim Nantz might call the Masters “A tradition unlike any other…”
Well excuse me Mr. Nantz, have you ever been to camp?
Happy Spring and see y’all soon.
Lucas