The Masters is no longer a fan-friendly tournament

	Walking around Augusta National can often be a tight squeeze. David Cannon/Getty Images

The Masters stands apart from the other major championships for several reasons, including the legend of founder Bobby Jones, the unique beauty of Augusta National and the fact that it's the first major of the year. And there's another important -- but often overlooked -- reason: Masters spectators, which the club prefers to call "patrons," have always been a high priority.

"The Club undertakes to provide first-class facilities and arrangements designed to make the Tournament enjoyable to its patrons," said a mission statement that was printed for years in Masters record books and programs. "The Club's chief objective is to stage a golf show that is enjoyable to all -- our members, patrons and player guests and to interested golfers generally."

The Masters remains the best show in golf. But its patrons are no longer the priority they once were. Spectating at the Masters has never been more difficult, or less rewarding. The mission statement seems to have been forgotten.

The recent course changes implemented by chairman Hootie Johnson, designed to battle improved golf equipment technology and retain the course's shot values for players, created the unintended side effect of making spectating -- especially trying to walk along for 18 holes with the same group and actually see golfers' shots -- much more difficult.

The dozens of trees Johnson ordered planted has ruined spectator sight lines. The lengthened holes have cut off spectator walkways. The gallery ropes on some holes have been pushed further from the fairway, reducing how close fans can get to the action and, worse, reducing the area they have to move around in. Augusta National is a big, big course, but the areas where patrons can walk have shrunk considerably and have become more congested.

Two viewing areas were all but wiped out at the 7th and 11th holes, where new trees were planted. And when new pines are planted at Augusta, they're not seedlings, but 30-footers or bigger.

The 11th tee was pushed back up a slope into a chute of trees so the par-4 could be lengthened to 505 yards. It's an intimidating view from the tee. The length, many players agreed, was a good move. However, a massively wide fairway was shoved to the left and reduced and nearly five dozen pines planted on the right side where fans used to walk outside the ropes.

The hole routing was designed to force players into a specific landing area and put a premium on accuracy and eliminate the old bailout area, which was down the right side where spectators walked. The problem is, the fairway is now 50 yards from the gallery ropes. And those new pines -- I counted 53 and I know I missed a few -- block viewing.