dailyloe.com – The nightly restoration of Augusta National Golf Club begins as spectators leave after the Masters. An army of volunteers and grounds crew emerges to work. Their task is delayed if any players remain on the course past closing time.
Norwegian player Kristoffer Reitan was practicing chip shots late on a Monday evening. A group of six maintenance staffers waited nearby in carts. They were eager to redress the turf that took a beating all day.
The gallery marshal told the waiting staffers to move on. Their work must wait so long as players are on the course. Reitan was the lone player on the property after the 6 p.m. closure.
The evening witching hour is a harried, fascinating process. Two-legged maintenance creatures seem to emerge from the magnolias. They begin work right around when play ends for the day.
During tournament rounds, staff avoid holes visible on television. Divots in the 10th fairway cannot be replaced until leaders finish. This prevents TV viewers from seeing the maintenance work.
Divots are replaced with a special fertilizing sand. The sand is dyed the perfect shade of green. It is filled in softly and stamped down to erase any trace.
Staffers use tiny Masters coffee cups to scoop the sand. The sand comes from black hand buckets. This meticulous process makes divots disappear completely.[]
Source: GOLF.com
