i’m back from my week long journey.  it’s good to be home.  on thursday morning at 7:40 am i watched jack nicklaus and arnold palmer open the masters golf tournament by hitting the first two balls off the first tee.  it was an incredible sight to see arguably the two greatest golfers ever on the same tee in the flesh.  after they walked off the tee, we hit the masters gift shop.  i’ve been lucky enough to attend the tournament a couple of times now, so this year i knew what i was looking for: a navy pullover, a green hat, a red golf shirt, and a tie.  success.  i was in and out of there in 5 minutes.

there’s no telling how much money augusta national racks up on merchandise during the week of the masters.  when you’re in the gift shop, you’re not just shopping for yourself; you’re shopping for you and the 10 other people that have asked you to get them something.  it feels like black friday with people running around grabbing everything in sight and heading to the check out lanes.  there’s also the fear that you’ll never be back, so you might as well buy everything this trip.

what is it about masters gear that’s so special?  well, you can’t get it anywhere else.  it’s not for sale online and i bet it never will be.  it’s like a secret club.  inevitably someone will notice the logo and ask you if you’ve been.  i’ve never seen an item of clothing spark more conversation than something with the masters logo on it.  sadly, if you asked me my favorite part about the masters, golf would come in third behind the sandwiches (post to come) and the merchandise.  money well spent.