Lady's 10 / what I took away from the 2009 AT&T National

Here are 10 things I took away from the PGA TOUR's 2009 AT&T National at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD. Some may even help your next (or first!) professional golf experience. Many of these are true of most events: PGA, Champions, LPGA, etc.

10. A week pass is the most bang for your stay-cation buck. I'm on a very limited budget, and with no real vacation prospect, I forked over the $120 for a week pass. I went Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, but I got a lot of golf in. Add $30 or so for food, another $30 for gas, $20 for a souvenir, and you have a packed, long weekend for $200. Plus a rockin' golfers tan.

9. Under Armour clothing is EVERYWHERE. Playing high school sports a mere seven or so years ago, Under Armour was the nice (expensive) under garments/first layer for cold weather. But everywhere I turned at Congressional, people were wearing Under Armour athletic wear: shorts, shirts, socks. I don't own any, but based on their roots as a temperature-controlled clothing option, I bet it does well in the hot sun.

8. Mike Weir is sensitive. I'm not knocking the guy; everyone has their own style of playing. But the poor rangers were just not getting the job done. Weir's caddie was constantly stopping people 70 yards away, and asking the nearby spectators to be quiet(er). He must need uninterrupted silence. Good thing President Obama didn't drop in on Marine One...

7. AK is short, Vijay is tall, and they can both smash the ball. In general, this is one of my fave things about golf. I love the benefits athleticism provides golfers, but the game does not discriminate: male, female, young, old, short, tall, black, white, thick, thin, it doesn't matter. There is remarkable talent across the board, no matter what your makeup.

6. Follow through is crucial. Confession: I feel weird watching players hit balls on the range. It's a little like watching animals in a zoo. Loud voyeurism. However, I learned a ton watching a few players. One common trend: follow through. Both Parker McLachlin and Justin Rose were spending considerable time practicing the motion in their follow through from impact and beyond. Each player seemed to be ensuring their follow through shifted their weight forward and that their arms swung out to the target, the head pointing at the flag. Might be something for you to practice on the range, too.

5. Golf is a generous sport. We read a lot about the thousands and millions raised for various charities, which is great. But the lesser told stories are the small, generous gestures from players and their caddies. On several occasions I saw caddies and even Vijay himself hand balls to kids at the rope line. And of course there are the long autograph sessions after signing scorecards. It makes me proud to be associated with the sport.

4. Happy Gilmore made a lasting impression. I'm sure there was hockey-like crowds at golf tournaments before Adam Sandler (remember when that girl ran out to Tiger during a round in her bra and underwear?). But I imagine fan craze is even more palpable post-Gilmore and Shooter McGavin. Spotted: two teenage boys with AK taped on their white T-shirts; guys in blond wigs following Charley Hoffman; loud "BOOOOOOO's" for Weekley. Also spotted: 80-year-old man in a black Martina McBride T-shirt. Hot.

3. I miss the old days, because the new electronic leaderboards are obnoxious. I'm young so yes, I need to know what I want to know right now. So when Hunter Mahan made a move on Sunday, it was great to see Tiger's position as H dropped shots. But those things are huge. And bright. And full of those off-the-wall stats that only a computer can generate. I once read a quote from Ian Poulter about being distracted by one and then hit a poor shot. I believe it. They're sort of impossible to ignore. You try sticking your four iron after reading "You Amateur have missed this green in regulation 87% of the time."

2. A tournament is more fun when you have a horse or two in the race. Having someone (or a few players) to root for feels like you have a stake in the event. To me, it makes the experience more fun. And helps to organize your time on the course. I planned on rooting for fellow IU alum Jeff Overton that weekend. But after an injury forced him to withdraw Friday, I needed another strategy. And as fate would have it, a few groups later Hunter Mahan came up 14. Turned out to be a great pick. He shot 62 on Sunday to nearly win the thing and tie AK's course record from Thursday (something awesome I also witnessed). One big difference between Thursday Mahan and Sunday Mahan? Focus. Including a lot more time reading his line on the green. Something else us civilians can learn from.

1. Tiger is not the only player on the course. If you've never seen him play in person, add it to your golf bucket list. But if Tiger is in the field, so are many, many other very talented players who aren't being followed by thousands of people. You can spend considerable time on the rope watching players and learning how they play a ROUND in COMPETITION, not just hit a ball. There is so much to learn by watching caddie interaction, club selection, yardage book consultation, and all around course strategy. And if you're lucky you'll see something magical that TV can't possibly capture.