April 5, 2007

AUGUSTA, Ga.---If you've been out in the area from Augusta Regional Airport to Washington Road, you've seen some rare traffic in Augusta...the kind only a lucky few can afford.

Chances are, if you can afford a Masters ticket, you can afford to arrive in style.

'"Augusta gets big one week out of the year, and this is it," said David Fields, general manager of Augusta Limousine Service.

For some golf fans, paying tens of thousands of dollars for a few hours of convenience is worth it. Roughly one thousand private aircraft will land here this week.

"We are serving the who's who of corporate America, celebrities, as well as professional golfers, making sure they get in safe and sound," said Paul Svensen, Jr. of JetNetwork.

And the first-class options don't end there. Augusta limousine counts on this week for 60 percent of its annual revenue.

"Yesterday I picked up a Saudi prince, and I had no idea!" Fields said.

Chauffeurs, chefs, and shelling out big bucks for them. It sure makes Washington Road a road well-traveled.

So if it's by private jet, limousine, or by a more modest means of transportation, you can bet Masters guests aren't gettin' to the course on foot.

In addition to the Masters, those private jets also fly folks to the Super Bowl and to the Grammy awards.