By Iain Carter BBC Five Live golf correspondent

Washington Road - a green light to golfing paradise

There is nowhere quite like Augusta in the spring sunshine.

Well, actually, make that the Augusta National Golf Club at this time of year, because there are plenty of places like Augusta the town.

It never ceases to amaze me that this most glorious piece of golfing real estate is located in a neighbourhood that is only remarkable for the number of fast food joints it houses.

Washington Road is only attractive for connoisseurs of burgers, hotdogs, pizzas and doughnuts. It's more about thoroughly unhealthy fare than a thoroughfare but it does lead to golfing paradise.

It's been warm and sunny, which makes a pleasant change from recent years, and the forecast is good, so the course should play fast and firm.

That makes a change as well and another well-documented one is that the course has been extended by 155 yards. The common consensus is that this plays into the hands of the big hitters led, inevitably, by Tiger Woods.

But maybe not. I spent my first morning here this week wandering the fairways watching Colin Montgomerie in the company of his coach Denis Pugh, who believes his man can profit from the course changes.

Montgomerie is happy to be back at Augusta

Monty is not the longest of hitters and Pugh believes the course developments have put many of the bunkers out of range off the tee for all bar the longest drivers.

This should favour the Scot, who is delighted to be back after being ineligible for the Masters last year.

Interestingly, Monty believes he learned a lot through being able to watch the tournament on television. He told me he used it as an instructional and inspirational experience.

The inspiring bit was that he realised how much he missed being a member of the elite eligible for the year's first major and doesn't plan to miss out again.

It's not just the golfing elite who get to play the Augusta National.

Each year there's a ballot for reporters with a limited number of spots. So far I've had a zero success rate but my clubs are here in hope.

In fact, my driver HAS been round the course, borrowed by my radio colleague Alistair Bruce-Ball who was first-time lucky last year.

Actually, I'm slightly concerned as there appears no sign of the ballot boxes so far this year. I'll keep you posted.

Augusta's 12th hole has been imitated worldwide - even at Northwick Park

But I do know what it's like to play the famous par three 16th, as does anyone who has played the newly opened Northwick Park golf complex in North London.

It boasts authentic recreations of Augusta's 12th and 16th holes, offers a six-hole golf experience and novel approach to the sport by claiming to be golf in an hour.

What's more, you don't have to run the fast-food gauntlet to get there.

Having said that, the real Augusta is truly the place to be this week.

It's why you are prepared to go through Atlanta airport (more than two hours from disembarking the plane to leaving the car hire lot) and pay the price of staying nearby.

An engineering colleague was paying $38 (�22) a night for his room last week. By Sunday night the same room was up to $350 (�202) - and you don't even get complimentary fries.