By Iain Carter BBC Five Live golf correspondent

There's something wrong with the calendar. Each year it's the US Open that coincides with Father's Day. It should be the Masters.

Augusta is Paternity City. It's all about fathers and sons or grandfathers and sons.

Obviously there are the on-going concerns for Tiger Woods, who for the first time is in Augusta without his ailing dad Earl, which cast a big shadow over the world number one's title defence.

Carrying the bag is a family affair on Wednesday at Augusta

Fortunately, happier stories abound. Nick Faldo will have his 17-year-old son Mathew on his bag this week.

Faldo thought his son would be too young for the Augusta authorities' liking, but at the Open last year Jack Nicklaus let it be known that his son had done the honours when he was 14, so Mathew got the job.

Nicklaus isn't playing this year but did turn up with his clubs for the Par Three Contest. His 12-year-old grandson Charlie is on caddie duty, though was slightly perturbed at the size of Jack's golf bag.

"I don't have a small bag," Nicklaus admitted. "I told him I was going to put rocks in it."

Even our summariser on Five Live, Jay Townsend, tried to get in on the act. Jay offered to caddie for his great friend Craig Stadler in the Par Three Contest - but the slot was gone.

You guessed it, Stadler's son Chris had already got the job.

The European Tour, meanwhile, invited the media to the adjoining Augusta Country Club.

What a place, with a grand clubhouse and superb-looking course that borders its more exclusive neighbour.

Apparently the members play their golf at the weekend oblivious to the fact that Masters is going on next door.

I don't know if this is an apocryphal tale, but I'm told one year a ball flew from the Country Club close to the 12th green of the Augusta National.

The men from the Masters weren't overly impressed but nor were the members at the Country Club when they were asked to cease playing during Masters week.

Their suggested solution was, apparently, to tell the Green Jackets to move their famous 12th green.

You can always recognise Augusta National members as they wear their exclusive green jackets as they wander the grounds.

Hootie was at his sphinx-like best during his pre-event conference

They were there in force at the back of the press conference room for club chairman Hootie Johnson's annual tete a tete with the media.

As ever Hootie, or Mr Johnson as most of his questioners deferred to call him, gave little away.

There were no promises that the course will not be lengthened again - though he did say that the 12th would never be touched while he was Chairman. So he's taking no notice of the neighbours!

He did confirm a new practice range will be built, either by 2010 or 2011. The current one is too small for the distances the players hit the ball these days. It would suit me fine!

The media ballot has opened for the chance to play on Monday. Ticket 520 is the one to have. I hope.