By Andy Simon @AndySimon55

Without doubt, The Masters at the Augusta National in Georgia USA heralds for me at least, the arrival of Spring. A truly beautiful and perfect location for bringing together some of the greatest talent the game of golf has ever seen.

And if like me you are a fan of golf, then this particular venue is quite frankly unmissable for a variety of reasons.

Personally; I have been watching The Masters since 1998 when America's Mark O'Meara won his first major, with a birdie putt on the 18th hole, to win by one stroke over runners up Fred Couples and David Duval, finishing with a final round of 67 (-5).

From that moment, I was hooked.

Nineteen years later and this particular major has not lost any of its charm, watchability and overall appeal. Even if you are not a big fan of golf, the Augusta course alone is a sight to see.

Beautifully kept and maintained by an army of dedicated individuals who tirelessly work extremely hard and usually, when the cameras are not rolling, to maintain the reputation of excellence The Masters has richly deserved for many years.

Sometimes; it's like watching an episode of Gardeners World. If there is an afterlife for golfers, then it would most likely look like this.

However it's not just the splendour of the course I have tuned in to see. The real attraction is obviously the players. And I have been fortunate to witness some tremendous golf played at Augusta.

This year there are 94 players competing with no less than 11 English players in the line up.

An impressive record and a first for The Masters.

So it's fair to say British golf is having a resurgence, with defending champion Danny Willet who incidentally is the only british player since Sir Nick Faldo and only the second British player to wear the coveted green jacket, will be hoping to bag another one.

A big ask me thinks, but not beyond the bounds of possibility.

The BBC's coverage of this tournament is, well, questionable at best, with what I would call decent coverage not commencing until Saturday evening. However having said all that, there is of course plenty of coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live, videos, news and highlights are also available on the BBC's sports website.

The Augusta Masters website too is worth a look, and all of this and more is for me, a healthy alternative assuming of course that you are indeed like me, a bit tight fisted and don't really want to shell out extra hard earned cash to watch the entire tournament probably greatly interrupted by commercials anyway on one of those ridiculously overpriced Sky sports channels.

Bah humbug!

Besides; I would rather listen to BBC's Radio 5 Live's commentary and to Hazel Irvine (she really knows her stuff) on the telly when live coverage comes into its own on BBC2 Saturday evening.

Plus, you have legends like Peter Alliss (he must be 183 by now) who's been around since golf was invented, and who incidentally was a Masters player himself back in 1966/67, and there's Ken Brown (Masters player in 1988) to give you the latest strategic hints and tips regarding every hole on the course.

He really is a knowledgeable guy, and a joy to watch.

So there you have it. I'm all set for the next three days. And judging by Wednesday night's preview show hosted by the rather attractive and very knowledgeable Hazel Irvine, we're in for a treat, providing the weather doesn't spoil it all, or the country's President doesn't start World War Three by provoking Russia via air strikes in Syria.

Personally speaking; my hopes are on Justin Rose who after eleven Masters appearances, has yet to get himself a green jacket.

Rory McIlroy; who already has won three majors, The US Open in 2011, The Open in 2014, and the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014, has still yet to grab hold of the one major trophy I feel he has always wanted the most. Perhaps; this time?

But this is the attraction of golf, you just never know how it will go.

You can look at all the world rankings, study the form and say any of the top ten players could easily win this tournament, however, golf is a funny old game (to quote Peter Alliss) and good fortunes can turn ill in a heartbeat, or with a wrong swing or wrong club selection. That's usually the time to blame the caddy.

As the last final day holes approach, you cannot help but feel the nervous tension and excitement as the last strokes of The Masters play out. It's more gripping than any TV soap storyline.

So if you're bored with the usual dull weekend TV, why not give The Masters a watch. If nothing else, you may just enjoy (weather permitting) the beauty and splendour of a course, that not only has had tons of money poured into it, but also has been attentively cared for and beautifully kept with bucket fulls of love.

Just ask any golfer, who has played there.

Coverage of the 81st Masters tournament begins on BBC2, Saturday from 7:30pm.

Thanks for reading.

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