August critic challenges Masters' sponsors... "Be at the club at 7 a.m.," we had been warned. And you don't question an instruction from Augusta National, especially as one of a select group being permitted to play its hallowed terrain.

That was on the Monday morning after the 1994 Masters and, as things turned out, my colleagues and I had a two-hour wait.

It was an opportunity to see others who had been similarly honoured. Like Michael Bonallack, the then secretary of the R and A, and a stream of CBS Network employees. And there was Jan Stephenson. In tight, leopardskin slacks, she wasn't easily missed.

The image of Stephenson as a glamorous visitor, returned to me this week, on reading a piece on the Golf Digest website by Marcia Chambers of "Golf for Women" in the US. She had some very interesting observations to make about Augusta National GC as an all-male bastion, while, incidentally, having a similar swipe at the R and A. Essentially, she wanted to know how the corporate world could publicly advocate diversity, while tacitly supporting discrimination in golf clubs.

This weekend, TV commercials are limited to four minutes each hour. And with up to 40 million viewers in the US alone, they are highly-prized slots, especially with all 18 holes of tomorrow's final round being televised for the first time. In this context, Chambers noted that Coca Cola and IBM are new to the Masters airtime this year. Citigroup joined the telecast last year, but its subsidiary, Travelers Insurance, has sponsored the coverage since 1958. Cadillac are no longer involved, though they provide the official courtesy cars. All of these companies are run, or have been run by Augusta members.

Donna Shalala, president of the University of Miami, is quoted as urging these corporate executives, who have been leaders in affirmative action, to use their clout to bring change. As leaders in promoting women and being very visible about it, she says their attitude should extend to the golf course: "It's good business for them, and increasingly, they have women executives who play golf. At the end of the day it's up to advertisers, too, as to whether they will sponsor events at men-only clubs."

Then, turning to the right of free association, which was for so long the cornerstone of golf clubs' resistance to change in this country, Shalala claimed: "Once you start to attract outside sponsors and you want to run an international tournament, that changes the rules regarding rights of association."

Among Chambers's notional nominees as Augusta's first female member is Ruth Ann Marshall, a passionate 16-handicapper, who happens to be president of MasterCard North America and is a boardroom colleague of many existing members.

Unthinkable? I wouldn't be so sure.

"My sense is that there wasn't a vote. I don't know. I've never asked. I just know I was offered to become the 300th member." - Ron Townsend on becoming the first black member of Augusta National, in September 1990.

Jacklin is well versed

A week ago, Tony Jacklin and Ben Crenshaw shared the distinction of being former Ryder Cup captains, each with two major championship triumphs to his credit. Now they share the further distinction of being the latest inductees into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

By way of response, Jacklin plans a special contribution to the World Golf Village, involving a one-handicap friend from 40 years ago in Bellsham, Lincolnshire. "He used to caddie for me and would recite bits of a poem," recalled the 1969 British Open champion. "It made such an impression that I asked him to print it out. Which he did. "

Jacklin's friend wrote: "If you think you are beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, you don't. If you would like to win but think you can't, it's almost certain you won't. If you think you'll lose, you've lost. For out in the world you'll find; success begins in the fellow's will, it's all in a state of mind. Think big and your deeds will grow. Think small and you'll fall behind. Think that you can and you will. It's all in a state of mind. Life's battles won't always go to the strong, or to the fast of hand. But sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can."

Jacklin, who in 1970 was the last European to win the US Open, added: "The man, John Elnor, is dead now, but those lines came to mean a lot to me. As far as I was concerned, they embodied the very essence of golf."

All in the mind

A while ago, a former colleague had to cope with the crushing misfortune of losing his sight. And when I wondered sympathetically how he was going to face the rest of his life without golf, he remarked with extraordinary stoicism: "It won't be too bad. After all, my best rounds were always in my mind."

So, he will appreciate Lee Trevino's story of the two golfers who decided to play a round, using their imagination instead of balls as they walked the course. And when one player reported that he had driven the ball 270 yards, arrow straight, his opponent managed to squeeze his drive five yards further. And so the match progressed until they came to the 18th, all square.

There, they both hit good drives. Then, after a four-iron approach, the first player shouted excitedly: "It's in the hole!" To which his opponent retorted: "Pity, old man. You played a wrong ball."

Crystal clear-outs

It's four years since an Irish player won crystal at Augusta. The crystal is awarded for an eagle (pair of goblets), hole-in-one (crystal bowl) or day's lowest round (crystal vase). Ronan Rafferty, who won more than his share of Waterford crystal during a sparkling amateur career, was the first Irishman to earn some of the Augusta variety. That was in 1991 when, despite failing to make the cut, he was presented with a pair of goblets for an eagle at the long 15th in a second round of 76.

David Feherty had only prize money of $3,550 to show for a share of 55th place in 1992 and there were no further Irish qualifiers until 1998, when Darren Clarke, on his way to a share of eighth place behind Mark O'Meara, collected a vase for the lowest round of day three (67) and two pairs of goblets for eagles at the long 13th and the long 15th, on the same day. Since then, he and Padraig Harrington have drawn a blank.

The most crystal by a non-winner in recent years was collected by Japan's Toshi Izawa who, after sharing fourth place last year, went away with two vases (one each for the best round on day two and day four) and three pairs of goblets for an eagle at the 13th and two at the 15th.

THIS DAY IN GOLF HISTORY: On April 13th 1986, a trim, 46-year-old Jack Nicklaus, donned a 42 regular jacket as winner of the US Masters for a sixth time. When capturing his first Masters at half that age, 23 years previously, his size in jackets was 44 long.

TEASER: A player's ball lies against a board at the base of an out of bounds fence. He swings a club from the out of bounds side of the fence against the board, i.e. swings at the ball with the board intervening between the club and the ball. The stroke moves the board which causes the ball to move away from the fence. Is such a stroke premissible? Answer: Yes. The player fairly struck at the ball even though other material intervened between the club and the ball. The definition of out of bounds allows a player to "stand out of bounds to play a ball lying within bounds."