I play the game and I've attended several PGA Tour events. I grew up in Greensboro, NC where the Greater Greensboro Open (now the G G Chrysler Classic) is played. As a golfer and a fan, I always found it pretty cool to not only watch the guys that I'd seen on tv, but to also appreciate their distance, short game and overall talent (and compare it to mine) on a course that I've played several times. I play to a single digit handicap, but to watch those guys up close is indeed a humbling experience. It's just like watching any other top-echelon athlete, musician, performer, etc. It is the appreciation of watching the best at what they do, doing what they do best. For alot of people, any major event is no more than a social gathering, a drunkfest or the opportunity to impress others by saying "I was there". I like the atmosphere, but I like the performance even more. I've watched The Masters on tv since I was a kid, but I would love to "smell the azaleas" and take in the entire aura of Augusta National in person. I will make it to Augusta, just as I'll make it to Fenway Park before I leave this rock. I definitely agree with you, as I'd rather play than watch, but I do enjoy watching top level performers "up close and personal". Pink Floyd comes to mind, but that's an entirely different topic.