"They call it golf because all of the other four-letter words were taken." 
~ Raymond Floyd

Would You Wear One In Public? 

Honestly, if you were not a golfer and did not know the significance of a Green Jacket, would you wear one? In this politically correct world, you would be deemed severely fashion-challenged!

But the Green Jacket presented to the Masters champion bestows a feeling of satisfaction beyond the latest Brioni or Armani suit. It marks the wearer as one of a handful who have conquered the challenges of Augusta.

The tradition of the Green Jacket at Augusta National Golf Club dates to 1937. That year, members of the club wore green jackets during the tournament so that fans in attendance could easily spot them if they needed to ask questions.

According to the official website of The Masters:

''Jackets were purchased from the Brooks Uniform Company, New York City ... Members were not initially enthusiastic about wearing the warm, green coat. Within several years, a lightweight, made-to-order Jacket was available from the Club's Golf Shop... 

... The single breasted, single vent Jacket's color is 'Masters Green' and is adorned with an Augusta National Golf Club logo on the left chest pocket. The logo also appears on the brass buttons.''

The only person allowed to wear the Green Jacket outside the grounds of Augusta National Golf Club is the current Champion. All the other jackets (belonging to past Champions and Members) remain in Georgia. This year, Phil Mickelson has the honour, but one can never forget what Retief Goosen jokingly asked an official in 2002: ''Do I get the green pants for finishing second?''


An Albatross - The Rarest Bird In Golf

Byron Nelson won an amazing 11 consecutive PGA Tournaments in 1945 and yet, he has only ONE albatross!

You've shot many birdies, maybe a few eagles but it's unlikely you'll have even one albatross without a healthy dose of luck!

The albatross, or as the Americans call it, the double eagle - a score of three under par on a hole - is so elusive that there have only been 82 double eagles recorded on the PGA Tour since 1970, never more than six in a year, no more than two by anyone.

Even one the game's greats, Byron Nelson only has one! Even for a legend, you don't forget an albatross:

''I've had one double eagle, and I remember it well,'' says Nelson, who turned 92 this year. ''It was the 16th hole at Texarkana Country Club in 1934, the last year I was pro there. I was playing with Mrs. Farr, whose husband was president of the club. It was more or less a playing lesson -- I wasn't paying that much attention to my own game. The hole was about 575 yards but downwind and with no watered fairways. I hit a good drive and took a 2-wood. I hit it well, and I thought I'd get close to the green. The ball went out of sight in a little swale in front of the green, but then we saw it run right onto the green and in the hole.''

Nelson has eight aces to his lone albatross, a ratio that hints at the probability of the two feats. According to the National Hole In One Association, the odds of an average golfer making a hole-in-one are 12,700 to 1; for a tour pro, 3,700 to 1. The odds of making an albatross have been stated at about 6 million to 1. Better than being killed by a shark (one in 350 million) or dying from a dog bite (one in 18 million) but worse than being struck by lightning (one in 555,000) or, for a woman, having quadruplets without the aid of fertility drugs (one in 729,000).

Many remember the most famous albatross of all shot on April 7, 1935. Gene Sarazen shot a 2 at the par-5 15th hole at Augusta National GC to tie for the lead and enter the playoff at the Masters, which he won. If you can regularly hit Par 5s in two, then you could be one of the couple of hundred golfers a year to make an albatross (as opposed to 40,000 aces), and youll remember it forever!

Musings - Wanting It Too Much

Can your mental game improve by taking Yoga lessons at Pinehurst?

The mental side of the game was never more evident than at The 2006 Masters. Tiger Woods was the overwhelming favourite, and if he had putted even half as well as he normally does, there is no doubt in my mind that he would be wearing his 5th Green Jacket.

Golf is a funny game. It actually becomes more difficult the harder you try! It's a game where a relaxed approach gives the greatest rewards. Mickelson said after his win how much fun he is having competing in the Majors. On this particular occasion, he was aided by the fact that Tiger wanted to win (even more than he usually does!) to give his ailing father a boost.

Ever consider that the putts you mentally ''absolutely, positively MUST make'' hardly fall while the putts you are relaxed over go in as smooth as silk? Wanting it TOO much builds expectation, which builds pressure, leading to tense muscles and a shortened stroke.

Next time you play, whether for $1 or $1000, it would be good to remember the line from Kipling's famous poem: ''If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two imposters just the same;''. Youll benefit by applying it to your on-course mind-set.