Seven Days in Augusta: Behind the Scenes At the Masters

by Mark Cannizzaro, Phil Mickelson

The Masters is unquestionably the crown jewel of golf's major tournaments, not only for the transcendent performances it has inspired over the years, but for the incomparable sights and sounds of Augusta National and its environs, each distinct element contributing to the storied, rarefied atmosphere which draws tens of thousands to Georgia each spring.Seven Days in Augusta spans everything from the par-3 contest, to Amen Corner, to Butler Cabin. Mark Cannizzaro goes behind the scenes of the exclusive competition, covering wide-ranging topics including green jacket rituals, tales from The Crow's Nest atop the clubhouse, the extreme lengths some fans have gone to acquire tickets, and what goes on outside the gates during Masters week. Also featuring some of the most memorable and dramatic moments from the tournament's history, this is an essential, expansive look at golf's favorite event.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Audiobook

262 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 10, 2020

Reviews

[Austin Balen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am really conflicted with this book. I went into it expecting a read similar to “Open: Inside the Ropes at Bethpage Black” to really delve into the behind the scenes of the history of Augusta and The Masters as well as some interesting stories.

The first half of the book somewhat delivered, delving into a lot of the locals as well as the champions week experience, but once you get into the second half of the book, the lack of engaging stories truly reveals how tedious of a book this is.

Every chapter reads as a disjointed news article written by a different author with numerous typos and so. much. repetition. If I had a dollar for every time the author mentioned Greg Norman blowing his lead in the final round to Nick Faldo, I would be able to afford 10 aftermarket Masters tickets. The quotes are sloppily put in and repetitive, sometimes seeming very out of place in the content of the chapter.

With all that said, here is where my conflict lies - the first half of the book as well as the chapters about Tigers caddie, and the authors experience at Augusta, I really enjoyed. I read through this book quite quickly too (about 3 days of on and off reading).

My final impression of this book would not be one I’d recommend to someone who knows the history and common stories of The Masters. If you are a golf fan and just want a quick easy read, then I think this book if for you. If you are expecting an inside look at one of the most famous tournaments in golf, you will be underwhelmed.

[Olivia Bedenbaugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot !! I liked that it talked about the lore behind the tournament, and didn’t get stuck in the weeds of golf jargon (see I could have easily done a pun there but I’m not a hypocrite!) I think the author gave a fair representation of the culture of the Masters particularly from the point of view of the locals. Some things I wished he went deeper into, but he included some really fun and interesting anecdotes.

This would be higher than three stars if it didn’t sound like it was written by a 5th grader. Sorry Mark!!

[Louis Petriella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t know books like this could get published. Littered with typos, redundancy, and even some misinformation. Does not do one of the greatest events in sports any sort of justice

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

No matter what level of golf fan or player one is, there is a good chance that person has heard of the Masters golf tournament. Held in April every year (with the exception of 2020 when it was played in November) it is called “a tradition like no other” and very often it lives up to that billing. This book by Mark Cannizzaro brings many of the characteristics of not only the tournament but also the city of Augusta, Georgia.

The title may lead one to think that the book is a guide throughout the week of the tourney and that is somewhat true. Cannizzaro talks about many of the activities that take place before the actual tournament. The chapter on the par 3 tourney on Wednesday is excellent as is the story of a fan who camps out every year on Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning to make sure he gets a prime location – just behind the rope at the 18th green. However, this doesn’t mean it follows a true chronological order of events throughout the week. The closest this comes is the passages about the great triumphs (Phil Mickelson 2004, Tiger Woods 2019) and crushing collapses (Greg Norman 1996, Jordan Speith 2016) on Sunday.

There is also excellent writing about the city and Washington Road’s bustle during the tourney and relative sleepiness the rest of the year as well as very good chapters on some landmarks unique to Augusta National such as the oak tree near the first tee and Butler Cabin where the winner is interviewed by Jim Nantz of CBS, the network that telecasts the tourney. Plenty of text on the actual golf played is present as well. The best of this is the 1997 tourney when Tiger Woods took the golf world by storm. While all of these are reasons to enjoy the book, the overall organization of the book and the repetition of some points, such as Norman’s loss to Nick Faldo in 1996, tend to bog the book down.

Nonetheless, this book is one that anyone remotely interested in golf or the Masters should pick up for a quick and enjoyable read on the aforementioned “tradition like no other.” If nothing else, these stories will live up to that billing.

I wish to thank Triumph Books for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...

[Nate Solberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a perfect way for me to begin Masters week, reading about the traditions of this great event, and learning about some of the great backstories. It's a bit like reading a yearbook. There are so many stories where I can read and vividly remember watching as they happened; Phil Mickelson's improbable shot from the pine straw foremost among them. (I noted that the book glossed over fact that Phil took the risk, pulled off the shot but subsequently missed the eagle putt... No matter, it was still amazing.) The stories about Arnold and Rory are terrific, and the Patron who brings the Masters sandwiches back to New York makes me think people are living lives much more interesting than mine. I enjoyed this book, and I think it's a terrific read for anyone with even a passing interest in the Masters.

[Michael D Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good read!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, about the 6th Ive read dance the start of COVID-19. I've read many golf books over the years, including multiple stories on Tiger Woods. What distinguished this book from all the others is thoroughness of his stories about various players, not delving into gossip, but true behind the scenes looks at the players and their stories: Arni, Jack, Tiger, Phil, Rory,Sergio and many lesser stars interlude including Larry Miss and Charles Howell. But Cannizzaro's book goes beyond even the players to give i sights i to the Augusta Chronicle newspaer and many of the other actors that Make The Masters the transport g event that it is. Great read, thoroughly enjoyed this book!

[Marjorie Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read if you like golf.

[Dan Condon · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, the title is incredibly misleading. It suggests a weeklong look at a particular Masters tournament. Instead, it’s a bunch of random stories broken down into chapters named after the seven days of the week with no rhyme or reason.
There are far too many long quotes. I’d say the book is 70 percent quotes, which was not ideal.
There’s a lot of stuff repeated (sometimes over and over again), which is really annoying.
And the typos. Holy cow, were there a lot. As a writer, I couldn’t stop noticing them.
The problem is, the subject is captivating enough that I had to finish the book. It just took me a really long time to do so because it was tough to get through some of the things that really bothered me.

[Emily Mae Dilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have ever asked “Why is the Masters such a big deal?” this is a great book to start answering that question. If you’ve ever thought “I love the Masters and want to revel in the big moments” this is a great book to relive the highs and lows and big stories of the Masters up through the 2020 tournament.

I think there were some misses and things that could have been better, if I’m being picky. The experience of being a patron at the course wasn’t quite captured for me. The funny culture of Masters concessions is touched on but never really explained, and the insanity of merchandise at the Masters is barely mentioned. Nor is the wait at the gate before it opens. The patrons are a connective thread through many of the memories shared in the book, but I wish more time had been spent with what it’s like to stand there and hear a roar across the course, but not have a phone to see what happened.

I think this book was a great overview, but on a second read through, the magic of the experience as a fan of the game and the tournament fell just a little bit flat for me.

[Jason Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book at the San Francisco Airport to have something to read on the flight home after the 49ers-Chiefs game. It did not disappoint.

Organized around the seven days of Masters week (as the title might suggest), Cannizzaro covers everything from the history of the tournament, to the food and restaurants surrounding the club, to legendary superfans and their peculiar rituals, to--especially--the legendary personalities and stories surrounding the most historically great of all the golf tournaments in the world.

A good book in its own right, the author inspired me to go back and watch on YouTube some of the greatest final rounds:

- Norman's legendary collapse in '96
- Tiger's burst on the scene in' 97
- The Golden Bear's awakening from hibernation in '86

And I'm looking forward to more.

Recommended for fans of the game of golf.

[Jeff Alexy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting book. I’m a sports fan and I occasionally watch golf, but I didn’t know a lot of the traditions and behind-the-scenes stories, so this book was very enlightening. Got to learn more about the history of the Masters other than just Jack winning in ‘86 and Tiger destroying everyone in ‘97.

The editing was poor. There were several instances where an anecdote was mentioned and then the exact same one was repeated in the next chapter like it was new information. The book didn’t flow that well from chapter to chapter, like it was written by different people. But overall, I liked it and would recommend it to other sports fans.

[Sharon Mylet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite in-depth reporting here-lots of stuff going on on this, the biggest golf stage-wonderful background goings on here.
errors: p.9- 'I was actually plying in Hattiesburg'-um, maybe you were plAying in Hattiesburg, perhaps? p.10- 'I started realizing how dangerous this shot is or that shot is or how in inch this way on 15 means the difference..' -um, hello? AN inch... p.28- 'Westin has covered only covered one other major' -um, what?... p.71- 'That it my favorite place in the world to play golf' oh. really.
geesh -this one was tough to read with all the freakin' speed bumps-ouch.

[Thomas Kuhn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It feels difficult for me to give this an objective rating. The Masters is my favorite sporting event so even a bad book on the Masters will be enjoyable to me. This was one such book. This book was mostly just an arrangement of interviews with sparse commentary from the author. I wish the author would've taken more time to summarize things himself rather than just quoting people. Also, the audiobook has some truly terrible attempts at English, Irish and south african accents. Could've done without that. That being said, if you're a fan of the Masters, you'll probably enjoy this book.

[Tyler Hensley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about my favorite sporting event? Sign me up. Filled with great stories of tournaments past, behind the scenes details, and stories of the unknown people of Augusta like the Patron at 18 every year. The book was slightly repetitive in parts and his story telling style in some instances wasn’t my favorite but overall a really great book on the greatest tournament in the world.

Can’t wait for The Masters next week 🤩⛳️

[Shivakumar Srinivasan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read, covers the whole gamut of interesting anecdotes and stories not just about specific matches but also around the town pf Augusta and the history of the club, infact everything about this storied tournament that you don’t see in TV.. must read if you are a fan of golf and want to know a bit more of the current crop of top players.

[Matthew Stetz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good quick read. It ain’t going to win a Pulitzer or anything but it was about the Masters so there’s not much better than that. Author played the National the Monday after the Masters twice. 113 the first time. 97 the second time.

Also my main man Charles Howell III is in the book a lot. Always been a fan of Howell III.

[a.t.m. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on one of golf’s great courses

The author has written a wonderful detailed book about the the background involving players and one of Golf’s hallowed courses. I could not put this gem of a book down and I didn’t want it to end. I highly recommend it and I commend the author for a job well done.

[Tim Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I found it pretty interesting. The parts about the different aspects of the tournament (tickets, Champions Dinner etc) were very very interesting. It relied very heavily on player interviews and testimonies and at times they got a bit repetitive. I also wish there was more history on Augusta included in the book. Overall though, enjoyable, breezy read.

[G Daddio · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not much more then an ok read which is disappointing considering the fantastic subject matter

Btw, the author writes if his once in a lifetime chance to play Augusta in which he craps in the course and shoots a 113!!!

If I ever shoot a 113, I will not mention it in any literary work, never mind spending a chapter detailing such a crappy golf game

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I did. As a relative newcomer to watching golf, it was quite informative. However, this book reads like it didn’t have an editor. Just a stunning amount of repetition of the same points, often within a paragraph or two. Some interesting anecdotes but doesn’t really draw out anything interesting about Augusta itself really.

[Brandt Callahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have any interest in golf or bucket list US sporting events then this is a must read! Cannizzaro paints the picture of Master’s week perfectly by going through the happenings of each day and weaving in historic events from Master’s of past. I loved reading this book especially leading into April and a few weeks from Master’s week and highly recommend it!

[Chuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average

Some interesting stuff but a lot of factual errors including in the very beginning and throughout. I like his reporting so I gave this a try wish I would have waited for it to be on kindle unlimited.

[Rich Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read

This is a great read if you are a golfer or simply just a fan of the sport. The book certainly had few laugh out loud moments. What I found most interesting was some of the behind the scenes Insight provided.

[William Flow · Rating 3 out of 5]

A creative look into the Master's, some repetitive content and some things are common knowledge.

[Keegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool insight into the greatest golf tournament in the world.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read like the author wrote “Seven Days ...” in six days.
Shoulda taken a mulligan.

[Matt Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice behind the scenes stories and the origins of the all the traditions, some of which I didn’t know. Nicely done!

[Greynomad · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Master's

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great behind the scenes.

[Chuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of interesting but felt a lot of the stories had been read in other publications over the years.