As a golfer and fan of the game, and like so many others, I've always looked at The Masters as a magical, almost mythical, event.

The Masters, played at the equally esteemed and mythical club, Augusta National Golf Club, is unlike any other event and obtaining tickets to practice rounds and especially tournament rounds is beyond difficult. Tournament tickets have officially been unavailable for years. The only way to obtain one is through scalpers or the generosity of a Patron with a badge. In case you're wondering, people who attend The Masters are officially referred to as "Patrons" - just one of the many facets & traditions of this tournament that make it special. Through the generosity of friends, I've had the good fortune to attend The Masters twice - once on Friday and another time on a Saturday. Both times were amazing.

Practice Round tickets are only available on a lottery basis. After sending in my application and striking out for the past six or seven years, I finally lucked out for 2011 and was able to get tickets for myself, my son, and my father. My father introduced me to the game of golf and we spent many, many hours playing rounds on various courses around US.

To be able to spend the day at such a special place with such special people is one of the highlights of my life.

As this image shows, the crowds were very thick but everybody was in great spirits!

These fans from Australia know how to represent their Motherland.

Prior to playing in the Par 3 Tournament at The Masters, Arnold Palmer spent quite a bit of time on the balcony of a residence at Augusta and appreciated the many fans who stopped by to appreciate him.

Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus tally up the score after playing in the Par 3 Tournament at The Masters. Seeing these two legends was wonderful. Jack was one of my favorite golfers when I started playing the game and he remains so today; seeing him win the 1986 Masters, at the age of 46, was special!