Augusta National - Not In An Exclusive Part of Augusta

For those of us around the world who have only seen television coverage of The Masters, all we have seen is the surreal perfection of the golf course, which is perhaps the most manicured acreage in the entire United States. It seems that not a leaf or a blade of grass is out of place, and that this little corner of golfing heaven must be surrounded by similar beauty.

Of course, those of us who have been to The Masters know better. Augusta National is actually a bit of an island, a place of perfection set in the middle of a typical mid-sized southern Army town. That's not to say the National is in a sketchy part of town (for that, visit East Lake in Atlanta) but the contrast between inside the gates and outside is definitely interesting.

For some reason, it's never occurred to me to take even a snapshot of Washington Road when I was down there, but fortunately, Google Maps has a Street View of it, which you can see below. On your left is the National, and and everywhere else, Anytown Southeast USA.

(Click photo to embiggen)