About Town: Augusta

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If you have ever been or are ever lucky enough to find yourself among the patrons at Augusta National Golf Course, then you hold the envy of millions of golf fans worldwide who would give just about anything to walk the course at the Masters. Perhaps the most beloved course and tournament in professional golf, the TOUR stop in Augusta cannot compare to any other. There's just something about it.

The beautiful 16th hole at Augusta National doesn't draw as much attention as Amen Corner -- but its beauty is just as profound. (Greenwood/WireImage)

HUNGRY?

More: La Maison Telfair
More: Sconyers BBQ
More: T's Restaurant

GET BUSY

More: Augusta Canal
More: Lunch in the Park
More: Downtown Augusta

SOMETHING TO SNACK ON

You might have been told that it's slim pickins for restaurants in Augusta, but don't let those small-town bashers stop you from enjoying the best Augusta has to offer.
• Laugh if you will, but an egg salad sandwich (or pimento cheese for that matter) has never tasted as good as it will at Augusta National. Spare yourself the pain of remembering how much your ticket cost you, and instead bask in the pleasure of the fact that eating and drinking at the course will far from match your financial expectations. All the sandwiches are hand-made, and your drinks come in souvenir cups (that you can nonchalantly hand your friends when they ask for a soda the week after the tournament). Don't bash these sammies til you try them. I am feeling the urge to go to the store and buy some eggs and mayo right now ...
• If stocking up on sandwiches at the course won't see you through until bedtime, then head to Sconyers BBQ, an Augusta institution, for dinner. Order the plantation platter and make sure it comes with a side of Sconyers' world-famous hash (no, I don't mean browns). If you don't like barbecue then A) don't go here, and B) what on earth is wrong with you?
• After you've saddled up with barbecue, put seafood on the menu. T's Restaurant has good-old-fashioned Southern seafood that washes down well with a glass of sweet tea. The oysters come highly recommended, but if a fried smorgasbord is more your taste, then that's pretty delicious, too.
• We like our food just like mama used to make it in the South, but if you want a dinner on par with the host course this week, reserve a table at La Maison on Telfair. Fine food, a wine bar and a tapas lounge make La Maison the perfect place for classy Georgian dining. And here's a tip: Order the she-crab soup -- they really know how to cook that in these parts.

SOMETHING TO TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT

I don't say this much, but please, what else are you going to tell your friends about besides having the coveted (and so worthy of the hype) opportunity to attend this prestigious event? I guarantee you have never seen fairways grow so green. You have never seen azaleas bloom so pink. You have never seen golf balls fly so high. You have never seen smiles beam so real. And you have never seen golf passion so zealous. You have never heard Tiger hit his driver so hard. You have never seen amateurs with eyes so wide. You have never seen galleries trek through mud, rain, sunburn, crowds and lines for pimento cheese sandwiches like this. The main attraction this week is most certainly Augusta National Golf Course, and if you don't go home feeling like you have experienced something more special than words, then you did something wrong my friend.

Expect congestion -- both human and vehicular -- along Washington Road, which also happens to be a pretty decent spot for people watching. (How/Getty Images)

However, if you do feel the need to fill those empty hours around the start and close of each round with something other than Masters TV highlights and previews, here are a couple of ideas:
• Downtown Augusta is a historic area of the city and not always enjoyed by visitors to the grand course on Washington Road. Built on the banks of the Savannah River -- and now enhanced with a riverwalk -- downtown Augusta offers shops, restaurants and entertainment from renovated buildings that kept the integrity of this old Southern gem.
• On Thursday, April 9, check out "Lunch in the Park" -- a midday break with food and live entertainment from local bands on Augusta Common.
• Another somewhat undiscovered (by Masters patrons) part of Augusta is the canal. An industrial power canal that's still in use, the canal can also be used for leisurely pursuits. You can fish in it, kayak on it or bicycle around it. Whichever way you choose, it's a beautiful way to spend part of your day.

STICKING AROUND?

• G-E-O-R-G-I-A: If you know The Peach State at all, you'll know that while the Masters trumps all, there are plenty of other sport-centered towns around. No, not Atlanta. Whether you are a Georgia Bulldogs fan or not, consider taking a day trip to Athens (roughly two hours away) if you have some time before or after the "toonament." This little college town boasts big activity with a downtown area that makes you say "man, I wish I went to school here." It's not football season, but check out the campus anyway -- it'll have you planning to come back for some Dawgs action in the fall. Also, if you hear of any good bands playing while you're in town, go and see them; Athens is a small town, but it also produced famous musicians R.E.M., Widespread Panic and the B-52s.
• Lake Marion: About two-and-a-half hours outside of Augusta, Lake Marion in South Carolina waits just off (actually slap-bang in the middle of) I-95. A busy angling spot for locals and tourists, Marion is part of the Santee Lakes system and has played host to several major fishing tournaments. From the road, the lake looks grand and fresh, but it also has some dark, swampy areas, and much of the water is dotted with stumps of old cypress trees, which provides plenty of hiding places for those big, shy, too-stubborn-to-catch fish.

Just remember that no matter what you do with your spare time around the four hallowed days at the Masters, Augusta National Golf Course will leave the biggest footprint in your memory.