The US Masters – 2009

This year the company I work for had an additional project at the US Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia. Our software was to be used on the Concessions side of the tournament; they have been using our software for 10 years prior on the Retail side. I was heading up the project alongside Matt (a co-worker) and teaming up with the NCR Retail Division. Now I am not a golf nut by any stretch, but my dad was and much of my family are. I spent many Saturday’s as a boy as my dad’s caddie; I picked up an appreciation of the game and built one of the few fond memories of my childhood.

Needless to say I was pretty excited to be finally going. It was my first trip and from all accounts from those I went with, I’d have an opportunity throughout the week to at least see a little golf.

The week and a half was phenomenal. The project itself was roughly 14-hour days; we’d get up at 5am to be there at 6 and hopefully be done at 9 or 10pm. Once the initial setup and training were out of the way, it was mostly a week of supervision, correction and ad-hoc analysis for the people calling the inventory movement shots. I took plenty of ideas to improve upon next year but that’s work related, I wont bore with the details.

What you want to hear was how freakin’ cool the golf course was! How amazing it was to be almost able to reach out and touch Tiger Woods. Or Phil Mickelson. Or Greg Norman. Watching Greg Norman birdie the 8th on the 2nd day, the only guy I saw reach the green in two (par 5). The thrill and excitement that was Phil Mickelson on the first nine on the final day. Or the three way playoff for the Green Jacket; the eventual winner having hit a tree on one playoff hole and seeming completely out of contention.

Yes it was an amazing week, one of the best things I have ever done and fingers crossed for another opportunity next year. I took a number of photo’s with the guys while out on the course, you can see them in the Gallery below.