A Bird's Eye View of What the New Augusta Practice Range Was

When I arrived at the Masters on Wednesday, I walked through Gate 6 and then over to a shuttle to get to the Media Building.  As I was being driven over there, the driver was asking me if it was my first time to Augusta.  I said it was, and he said, "Well  then none of this seems new to you, huh?" 

What he was pointing at is the new entrance area for the patrons.  It is a permanent gate structure kind of like an amusement park or, like the driver said, "It's like Disney World, isn't it?"

As we drove down to the Media Building, he pointed out that everything we were driving through did not exist last year.  It was the old media parking lot.  It looked, though, like it had been there forever, including the much praised new practice facility.

To give you an idea of what the whole area used to look like, I'll allow Google Maps to demonstrate.

The driver was right, too. It was like Disney World. The whole experience was - well oiled, great customer service, and a beautiful fantasy world.