Thank you, Augusta National, for always reminding us to enjoy the moment

AUGUSTA — There’s something to be said of Augusta National’s cell-phone restriction this time every year. As society becomes increasingly dependent on technology, let’s give further kudos in 2026.

For Masters veterans, this is tradition that calls back to earlier days when screens didn’t have a monopoly on our attention. For first-timers, it’s a sensation long heard about and finally experienced. For the Gen Z crowd, it’s probably even revolutionary.

Age and wisdom notwithstanding, it’s refreshing. So, thank you to America’s finest course for reminding us how uncomfortable it can be to continuously check your pockets to no avail; to be triggered by an imaginary vibration only to find nothing but a gum wrapper.

These days, we’re all guilty of it. We cringe upon getting that screen-time update at week’s end. We’ll mindlessly scroll X (Twitter), get absorbed into the TikTok vortex or live through the pictures we snap rather than the present day before us.

Not here. There will be no asking ChatGPT on these grounds.

Get off I-20 at Washington Road, head a bit south and cross into this phone-free oasis. You’ll find old-fashioned joy that eludes us everywhere else. It’s a place met with overwhelming applause despite bucking modern trends to which we’ve grown accustomed.

Augusta National remains firm, even as the world around it invites change. The seduction of modern times is rendered ineffective here.

It’s relaxing in that way, once getting adjusted. Hear strangers’ stories without digital interruption. Take in the azaleas and dogwoods without taking a pic that’s promptly (and perhaps obnoxiously) texted to every group chat. See the world’s best golfers without sharing a video of their every swing.

Indeed, the thousands upon thousands who descend upon Augusta this week are forced to relive simpler times.

Want a picture? You need an old-school camera rather than an iPhone. Otherwise, pictures of the endless scenery will exist only in your mental library.

Want audio? Those of us who still produce the written word, all dependent on our voice recorder apps, must travel back to the days of the tape recorder.

If the Braves have injury news (as they often do) or make an early season trade? You’ll likely remain clueless until returning to digital civilization.

Want to tell a friend back home the spectacle you just saw? It’ll have to wait. Patience and anticipation prevail over immediacy here. Just ask anyone who’s waited in line outside the gift shop.

Of course, you could always use one of the courtesy landline telephones to provide your update. They’re a bit of a throwback, too, in that you have to actually make a call. Those darn things don’t offer a texting option.

Doesn’t it seem what would be an inconvenience elsewhere is charming among these trees? You’ll hear as many complaints around here as you’ll see squirrels. This is a place of jubilation and bliss, little of which you’ll find on Instagram.

In a time when content creation rules all and even ESPN, “the Worldwide Leader in Sports,” has leaned into “sports and lifestyle content creator” as a valued position, the Masters is unfazed. There won’t be any TikTok dances near Amen Corner, nor quizzical reels filmed with Jason Kelce under the Big Oak.

This is not to disparage our digitally driven lives. We derive a lot of joy from the never-ending content stream and appreciate those who contribute. Plus, there’s too much convenience, too much reliance, too much entertainment for us to resent it all. It’s part of our societal fabric now. It’s only going to be more intertwined in our daily lives.