AUGUSTA, Ga. — Given the airs that Augusta National puts on for those watching at home — pristine fairways, dazzling azaleas, stately pines and polite patrons — one would think the Masters is being contested in some genteel countryside, far from the blotches of civilization.
That assessment couldn’t be further from the kitschy truth.
Welcome to Washington Road.
Right outside the gates of one of the world’s most exclusive golf clubs sits a hodgepodge of sprawling strips malls, fast-food joints, energy-drink hawkers, a replica stock car covered in sponsor decals and, yes, John Daly decked out in a Dallas Cowboys T-shirt and flip-flops, taking a drag on a cigarette as he signs autographs and moves merchandise in the raucous parking lot outside Hooters.