“As soon as you get on the grounds, it’s your favourite thing because it’s such a truly favourite spot to be,” Bubka revealed to talkSPORT. “Where’d you ever hear of a golf tournament where you can’t sit on the grass? No sitting allowed at the Masters on the grass.”
A slew of rather unique rules apply to all visitors to Augusta National, including broadcasters having to refer to the attending fans as ‘patrons’.
No patrons are able to take mobile phones into the grounds as part of the course’s ban on phones and other electronic devices – and even a phone in a pocket could result in someone’s face ejection.
Bubka shed some further light on Augusta’s weird and wonderful ways, including a ban on running and the routine that many patrons go through early in the morning when setting up their spot for the day.
“It certainly is beautiful,” Bubka added, lauding the iconic course. “Matter of fact, there’s not a person that goes there that comes away saying, ‘It wasn’t as pretty as I thought it was.’ It’s always just the opposite. It’s absolutely incredible. It’s mind-boggling. Most people don’t realize how hilly it really is.
“And then one of the great things – and I’ve loved this for years – they show up on Saturday morning. The primo spot obviously is the par-3 16th hole and they try and get down there.
“As soon as the gates open, they walk, because no running is allowed – and I mean no running allowed – and they walk to their spot on 16.
“You’re not going to believe this. They take their chair. They put it down. It’s 8 o’clock in the morning. They can come back at noon, that chair will be in that exact same spot. Nobody will dare move it. And that’s just how it goes down there.”
