Augusta on our minds

The Masters means so much to so many people. For some, it’s simply the first major tournament of the year (unless you count The Players Championship), For others, it marks the start of the golf season. For the rest, it’s an event steeped in tradition that they love to watch. Regardless of which category you fall into, a trip to Augusta, Georgia and a badge to get you into the tournament is likely a bucket list item that seems unattainable.

A group of golf industry workers from the Pacific Northwest found a unique way to get access to Augusta National and see the tournament from just about every angle.

In 2022 and 2023, Anthony Shipman (above right) and Nyk Pike (above left) - both managers at clubs in the Puget Sound area - attended The Masters as part of the temporary security force. Hired by Securitas, the pair and several of their colleagues made their way to Augusta and were given tasks to keep the grounds safe for patrons and players.

“It was a pretty incredible experience,” said Pike, “not only because we could be on the grounds for as long as we wanted to be, but because once we got there, Securitas took care of the rest. They put us up in a hotel and even had a driver that made sure we could get to the course for the start of our 3:30am shifts.”

Pike said that, even after flying to Atlanta, driving to Augusta, and making a generous donation in the merchandise pavilion, he felt like he broke even when he received his check from Securitas.

When asked what they had to do during their shifts, Shipman said it was a pretty relaxed gig. “We would start the day making sure the employees got in without any contraband, and then we’d move over to start screening patrons. We really just had to make sure no one was bringing in phones or trying to use a fraudulent tournament badge (ticket).”

After getting patrons through the gates, the pair were free to go to different areas of the facility and relieve their fellow security guards for breaks. That gave them plenty of time to get a behind-the-scenes tour of things like the media tunnels and clubhouse.

“We came up with a scavenger hunt with things to find on the grounds,” said Pike. “We looked for things like the lone palm tree on the grounds - it’s on hole four - or turtles in the pond on 16. I feel like the only thing I still need to check off my list is the Crow’s Nest (where Amateur players stay during the event).”

While this may sound like something the average fan may never get to do, Shipman said it’s not. He added that, starting in September, Securitas will begin taking applications for security at The Masters. The force is pretty big, too, simply because it’s a week-long commitment of long days that some folks simply don’t make it all the way through. You can keep an eye out for more information at www.securitas.com.

Both Shipman and Pike were guests on the new Combo Tees Podcast . Download it wherever you listen to podcasts.