The Masters Tournament inevitably evokes familiar feelings for golf fans across the world through the iconic images of Augusta National which wash across our TV screens and social media, but there is one notable difference to the renowned venue this year.
The media centre, from where those images are transmitted from, and from where countless column inches are written about the world’s leading golfers, has an impressive new home for 2017, which has certainly made quite an impression on both the global media in attendance this week, and the players themselves.
Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington and Adam Scott have all had tours of the facility, with Rory in particular struck by what he saw.
"Do they realise what they've done here? It's so good the media aren't going to want to leave," Rory McIlroy
"It's nuts. It's unbelievable. And they've managed to turn the media centre into a sort of museum as well with all of the memorabilia in there. If I wasn't playing I know where I'd be wanting to hang out for the week!"
The main ‘arena’, as it is known, has two giant screens broadcasting the action throughout the day, with more than 300 journalists each allocated their own workspace complete with personal screens, a locker, and, perhaps most importantly, a ridiculously comfortable leather chair, while there are further areas downstairs for the photographers and broadcast media.
Across from there is the interview room, where the Green Jacket contenders have been proffering their views ahead of the season’s first Major Championship, with each working space inside the room allocated an individual microphone for the gathered media to pose their questions to the players.
The main ‘arena’, as it is known, has two giant screens broadcasting the action throughout the day, with more than 300 journalists each allocated their own workspace complete with personal screens, a locker, and, perhaps most importantly, a ridiculously comfortable leather chair, while there are further areas downstairs for the photographers and broadcast media.
Across from there is the interview room, where the Green Jacket contenders have been proffering their views ahead of the season’s first Major Championship, with each working space inside the room allocated an individual microphone for the gathered media to pose their questions to the players.
Of course, covering the Masters can be energy-sapping work, so the media can refuel in the Bartlett Lounge, which is a full-service restaurant brimming with attentive staff, or the grab and go station, both offering (free!) food throughout the day.
All these things could make leaving the media centre something of an onerous task, but when the need does arise, the golf course, or the famous tree where media gather to speak to the players post-round, is either a short buggy ride away, or a ten minute stroll.
Covering the Masters is always a privilege anyway, but this year the experience just got that bit better.
