THE MASTERS

Where: Augusta, Georgia

Play along: Enchanted by the idea of the genteel Old South and its traditions, but don't know quite where to begin? You'd be hard-pressed to find a better tutorial than at the lovely greens of Augusta National. That goes double if you attend the Masters, one of golf's four majors. The course is so much more than just manicured greens: This is the epicenter of America's golf tradition. It's impossible to mistake the handiwork of the curmudgeonly ghost of Bobby Jones, who designed the course and created the tournament in 1934.The championship means so much to the pros that the winner happily wears that green blazer. Imagine yourself crouching among the azaleas along Amen Corner, watching Tiger Woods walk over the stone bridge to Number 11 green where his idol, Jack Nicklaus, crossed for the final time in 2005. If you're one of the lucky few "patrons" (don't dare call yourself a spectator) to score a ticket, do mind your manners: Etiquette and decorum rule at golf's most hallowed ground. No cell phone chatter, no excessive cheering—and don't even think of celebrating a player's mistake.

How to score a ticket: This is probably the most difficult ticket in all of sports. Technically, the public can only buy practice-round tickets, which are sold in a lottery (the cutoff date is midsummer, and the lottery can be entered online). Tournament tickets are only available to those on the patron list, which isn't taking new applicants.

When: The final round is held the second Sunday in April.

For more information: www.masters.org