Masters Memories, An Inside Story
By Melanie Lewis
as told to Tom Lang
My husband, Randy Lewis, earned the golf dream of a lifetime when he qualified to play in the 2012 Masters as the oldest known amateur to ever make it to Augusta National.
For something like that to happen to a normal husband and dad from the small Michigan town of Alma is unprecedented, really. He earned the invitation by winning the 2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur, another great feat for a man in his mid-50s facing off against 20- and 30-year-olds.
It’s one thing to gain a seemingly impossible-to-find ticket to attend The Masters as a fan. It’s yet another to maybe play the course with an Augusta member. But to be able to tour the Augusta National grounds and clubhouse and follow your husband as he practiced and then played in the greatest golf tournament in the world is – well, other-worldly.
The memories flood back across our hearts and minds every April when the theme song is played on television, and they pan the camera up Magnolia Lane. That always takes me back to three weeks before the tournament when Randy went to Georgia to play some practices rounds. I was able to go for one day on a personal day from teaching school at Pine Avenue Elementary.
The first thing people talk about is Magnolia Lane, and it was perfect. It’s that memorable tunnel of trees, it’s beautiful, and it opens the door to so many incredible images in golf.
One stop was the Crow’s Nest. Randy didn’t stay overnight there, but it was so neat to see inside. There were no interior walls but there were temporary – what looked like white chalkboards propped up, giving some privacy between the beds. We took time to look at the old pictures and memorabilia. History just drips off the walls there.
When we went outside, staff at Augusta were painting the curbs green. I thought they looked just fine with last year’s green, so it was pretty wild that they took care of such details like that.
I was given a tour of the champions locker room and got to look at the trophies and all the green jackets. President Eisenhower’s desk is there, and he had the whole set up with a phone and everything he’d need when attending the club or the tournament.
Out on the course, I was so shocked to see how wide open the 18th hole looks without the people seated around it like an grand theatre. But then going down 10 and how the trees just frame it perfectly, and the majesty of Amen Corner is so cool. As Randy kept practicing, we crossed over Rae’s Creek on the memorial bridges.
One of the caddies from the club was on the bag for Randy during that practice round and he was needling Randy by suggesting I hit a ball or two into the green. Randy was having none of that, but Julius the caddy and I had fun thinking about it.
Going over Rae’s Creek made it all feel like a little island in itself, because no fans can ever get back there during the tournament. I kept thinking about all the guys I watched on TV through the years hit balls in the water there. And the green is so incredible narrow front to back. Then the view from the 13th tee is the best on the entire course; it’s Randy’s favorite hole and one of mine, too.
That same practice round day in mid-March 2012, Jack Nicklaus was onsite, with his son, Gary, and a friend. When we were on hole 6, the Nicklaus’ were on 16, and although people are never supposed to eavesdrop, I could hear them talking. Don’t even ask, I am sworn to silence (ha ha). But what a cool experience to see one of the game’s greatest and to hear them having such a good time together.
The timing worked out that when we made the turn, the Nicklaus’ were finished, and we got to talk with Jack a brief time. He asked Randy about how he qualified and wished us good luck. It was so wonderful that he spent that time with us.
People who know our family know that we named our son, Nicklaus, born right up against the time Randy won the Michigan Amateur at Oakland Hills. That’s how much we love golf and love Jack. I grew up across the street from a golf course and so when Randy and I met, we bonded over the game of golf, among other things. Golf just felt natural to both of us. I grew up watching the Masters on TV at family gatherings.
People mess up the spelling of our son’s name all the time, unless they know golf ! He is now 32 years old. We told Jack about giving him his name.
During the actual tournament in April, both Nick(laus) and our other son, Chris, of course attended the Masters with a lot of our extended family. The boys were so proud of their dad. They watched the honorary starters begin the tournament that Thursday, and when the players went back toward the clubhouse, our son chased behind and quickly approached Jack for a brief encounter. Our son told him he had the two best names in golf… ‘yours and my dad’s.’
Jack couldn’t talk for long, but he had a rep reach out to us and we sent a golf magazine story on Randy winning a tournament the same time Nick was born, and Jack signed it for us. It still hangs in his room.
So many fun – and funny – things happened during the tournament. When we went into the clubhouse to eat, Clifford, our waiter, said “hello Mr. Lewis, is your son playing in the tournament?” I giggled and thought about this has been happening all the time, with Randy’s age (54 in 2012). He quietly replied that actually he was a player and that kind of surprised Clifford. He was embarrassed but we laughed it off. Anytime Clifford waited on us again, his questions changed to ‘how was your round Mr. Lewis?’
I have caddied for Randy in various events over the years when we were younger, but the biggest thrill was doing so in the Wednesday Par 3 contest. Bubba Watson signed up to play with us and Aaron Baddeley. I couldn’t believe it because I love golf in general, but I love Bubba too. He hammed it up quite a bit.
It was the year Bubba’s wife didn’t attend because of their brand-new adopted son arriving. So, when I saw that Bubba signed up with us, I bought a little teddy bear they have at Augusta dressed in a white caddy uniform, and gave it to Bubba for his new son. I told him about the fact that Randy won two big tournaments in his life at the same time each of our sons were born. And low and behold, Bubba wins the Masters that week as a new dad with that iconic shot out of the trees on hole 10 in the playoff ! I thought you’ve got to be kidding me. That was so great.
I couldn’t believe how many local people from Alma and Central Michigan finagled tickets or found a business bringing people to the Masters, who got in and came up to us during that week to wish Randy luck. I have a big stack of cards and handwritten notes in a book to keep forever.
A fun way to summarize the entire week was my mom, who loves Arnold Palmer. She and our sons got a space right along the first tee so they could watch Palmer and Nicklaus as honorary starters, and Randy’s tee time was one of the earliest following the kickoff. When the players came out to tee off, my mom held her hand out and got to touch Arnold’s hand. She was over the moon.
One of the best cards we got from people actually came from my mom when it was all over. Her card said all the things she was thankful for: “I got to watch you play, I got to have breakfast in the Augusta Clubhouse, I got to go down Magnolia Lane, I got to touch Arnold Palmer’s hand, and because of you, I’m a lot more popular now.”
I always laugh at that one. All I could think was how much truth there was to it.
The 2012 Masters will always be one of the greatest weeks of our family’s life.
