All it takes is the first few cords of “Augusta” by Dave Loggins to stop sports fans from getting off the sofa and heading to the kitchen during an NFL game. On a cold winter’s afternoon, that solo piano and then the gentle acoustic guitar signal that spring is coming, and for golf lovers, the wait is almost over. In two weeks, on April 7, the first round of the 2022 Masters will begin.
On Thursday morning, The Masters released a one-minute, 42-second hype video on social media filled with radio and television voiceovers from years past, and the sounds of balls being crushed by legends like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.
Is it a little over the top, perhaps, but in a way, it’s remarkable too. Patrons may not be allowed to bring their mobile phones to Augusta National Golf Club, the scoreboards around the course are still operated manually, and the price of food and drinks feels like it hasn’t been updated since the 1960s, but the club certainly knows how to use today’s technology to reach out and get us excited for the start of this year’s tournament.