Dave and LeAnn Patton have long been avid golf enthusiasts. The Lake Creek couple realized a decades-long dream earlier this month when they joined Dave’s brother Scott and his wife Angie on a trip to the prestigious Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga.

With their 30th wedding anniversary approaching later this year, the couple’s shared passion for golf has been a constant throughout their marriage. Dave, who has been a golf fan and player for years, attributes his deeper appreciation for the game to marrying into a family of golf enthusiasts.

“I married into a big golf family, the Lockins from Aurelia,” Dave Patton explains. 

LeAnn played collegiate level golf at Iowa State while the couple’s daughters Lexie and Annika have followed suit, leaving their own marks on the fairways. 

“Our daughter Lexie played golf for Central College and Annika for UNI,” Dave says, reflecting on his family’s golf legacy. He jokes that he has “learned in the last 33 years to be the best golf supporter and cheerleader around.” 

During their trip to the Masters Storm Lakers Dave and LeAnn Patton took a moment to snap a pic of the Amen corner on the historic golf course.

A family tradition? 

The 2024 Masters Tournament is the first one that Dave has attended. However, it seems trips to the Masters are becoming a slow-developing tradition for LeAnn.

In 2010, LeAnn attended the Masters with her three siblings. And, Dave says, it is an experience she has been talking about ever since. LeAnn’s stories were enough for Dave to quickly decide that any future Masters Tournaments needed to be on his bucket list. 

“We started putting our names into the lottery drawing every year since,” he says with a laugh.  

“My brother Scott, who lives in Woodstock, Ga., has been doing the same,” he continues. And the hard work has paid off. 

Late last year, Scott gave Dave a call asking if he and LeAnn would be up for visiting in April. As it turns out, Scott and his wife Angie had secured four coveted tickets to the practice round on Monday, April 8. Of course, neither Dave nor LeAnn were going to turn down this incredible opportunity. They soon began planning to attend the event.

Among the stars the Pattons caught sight of at Augusta National was the legendary Tiger Woods.

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Xander Schauffele unleashes his precision swing as his caddy observes closely, navigating the greens with calculated precision at Augusta National.

The journey began on Friday night, April 5

“We flew to Atlanta, Ga. on Friday night (April 5) and spent a few days with Scott and Angie,” Dave says. By Sunday, the group took off for Augusta to explore the iconic golf course, soaking in the atmosphere. Their time watching the tournament started at 6:15 a.m. – five miles from where they were staying to ensure they would be in line before the gates opened at 8 a.m. When the group went through the security and bag checks, they were inside the grounds at the famous Augusta course at 7:45 a.m.

“We walked the famous back nine first to see the famous AMEN corner, and holes 15, 16, where practice round days they try to skip across the par 3 water,” Dave recalls. 

With around 24,000 steps ticked off on each of their smartwatches by the end of the day, the couples were exhausted after 11 hours of Masters excitement. Plus, they enjoyed some delicious treats along with this once-in-a-lifetime golf experience. 

One famous component of the Masters is the famously delicious and well-priced food available at the event. The couple feasted on the famous pimento cheese sandwich, which cost $1.50 as well as the equally delightful Georgia Pecan caramel which also went for $1.50. 

The 16th hole at Augusta National is another well-known spot on the historic course.

Of course, Dave and LeAnn made sure to bring home a dozen souvenir cups – which means they enjoyed just as many cold drinks during their visit to the tournament.

An awesome experience

As Dave and LeAnn returned home on Tuesday afternoon, the memories of their Masters adventure remained etched in their minds. 

Reflecting on their visit to the Masters, both Dave and LeAnn expressed awe at the immaculate condition of the course and the generosity of the patrons. 

“The way the golf course is groomed and prepared is beyond anything I had ever seen,” Dave remarked. “This bucket list of mine did not disappoint one bit.”

Inspired by their experience, Dave and LeAnn are already envisioning a future trip with their daughters Lexie (Christian Messick) and Annika (Joe Powell) and their husbands, eager to share Augusta’s magic with their loved ones.

“Everyone needs to experience this at least once,” he says.

Augusta National’s 12th hole –– a par three challenge.

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