The Masters Is a Monument to Golf, Not the Dollar

Professional sports, fed by the demeaning demands of its insatiable interest in turning a dollar, has sold everything, including its character. There’s little dignity, or even decency, to be found anymore . . . except at an enclave known as the Augusta National Golf Club, home of the revered Masters.

Now there’s no objection to any promoter making a profit but not at the expense of the public. The Masters stands alone in demonstrating a remarkable consideration for its patrons. Its standing philosophy is being reiterated by Hord Hardin, the tournament chairman.

There’s no carnival atmosphere at the Masters. It’s the only sports event in America where they refuse to sell hot dogs, where a blimp isn’t permitted to fly overhead advertising tires or where they don’t allow corporate hospitality tents.

The Augusta National Golf Club, host to the Masters, doesn’t even have a publicity director. A staff of men and women handle press reservations but not a PR person per se. Obviously, the Masters carries itself and doesn’t need to patronize the media.

About the hot dogs. Clifford Roberts, one of the founding fathers of the Masters, along with the immortal Bobby Jones, objected to the smell of cooking odors permeating the fairways. To Roberts, this was unpleasant, unsavory.

A barbecue sandwich, but no hot dogs or hamburgers. In fact, the concession stand menu is among the most reasonable. Here’s your chance to check the prices:

Sandwiches: Pimento cheese, $1; Egg salad, $1; ham on rye, $1.25; ham and cheese on rye, $1.50; turkey, $1.50; barbecue, $1.50; club, $2.

Beverages: milk, 50 cents; soda (14 ounces) 75 cents; domestic beer, $1.25; imported beer, $1.75.

Candy, potato chips and crackers, 50 cents; cigars, 25 and 50 cents; aspirin, $1.25; Rolaids, 50 cents.

Additionally, there’s no charge for parking on the lots adjacent to the course. Pairing sheets are distributed free and check stands, where you can leave coats, umbrellas, etc., operate as a courtesy to those in attendance.

A ticket for the four-day tournament is one price--$90--which means on a pro-rated basis it is more affordable than attending any other sports classic. The popularity of the Masters and the way they do things at Augusta National is the envy of those who stage football, baseball, hockey and all the other games that are played for money.

“All we want to do is make enough to run this tournament in a fit and proper way,” Hardin said. “There was one time, about 10 years ago, when it went in the red. We didn’t like that.”

The Masters disciplines the sale of tickets so the gallery traffic is kept under control. It is virtually impossible to gain admission if you haven’t been a yearly subscriber. There’s a waiting list but it was growing so large it was stopped in 1978.

“We had 5,000 on it and we were constantly getting letters from those who wanted to buy,” Hardin said. “People also were writing to ask where they were on the list and if their position had improved. So we just stopped taking requests.”

What about those still in waiting, going back over 20 years? Have they moved up at all? “Just a limited number of notches because we don’t have cancellations.” Then Hardin thought of an analogy to fit the question.

“Put it this way. We do it very carefully, like the old story about how do porcupines make love. The answer is ‘very carefully.’ ”

Six years ago, a bus delivered an assemblage of Japanese businessmen to the Masters. They were being entertained by a group of U.S. corporate leaders interested in establishing trading ties. “Not to pick on the Japanese or anyone else but they weren’t on our list,” Hardin said. “They had to get the tickets from some place. We checked the numbers and those responsible in using the tickets that way never got them anymore.”

When it comes to television time, Hardin is aware of how important it is to allow the rest of America, and a large part of the world, to see it. But even then the Masters holds a heavy driver, so to speak, over the head of CBS.

“We restrict the station breaks and commercials to four minutes every hour,” Hardin said. “On other telecasts it’s 13 minutes out of every 60. Our idea is for TV to contribute to the advancement of golf.”

Some of the veteran players, led by Arnold Palmer, want the Masters to establish a senior division for players over 50. Again, Hardin holds his position.

“We don’t want to run two competitions. It would water down the Masters,” he said. “Why, doing that would be just like having flights in a country club tournament. Five years from now, maybe, because I don’t want to close the door and we like to believe we are reasonable when good suggestions are presented.

“But what I believe would happen is the older golfers would want to move up to hit from a different set of tees. And then the next thing you know they would be wanting to ride carts. It just makes no sense to me.”

How does one go about joining Augusta National? There’s no stated policy, except you must be invited. You can’t apply. The membership at present is 295 and holding. Dues are not disclosed but a longtime member said they were reasonable and not considered expensive when compared to most golf clubs.

What Augusta National has built is a monument to golf. It fights to protect its turf in a crass sports world, where class is passe and too often abuses the public. For that alone it deserves respect, admiration and applause.