It’s Masters season, which can just indicate something. That’s right, it’s time to examine the secret of Augusta National Golf Club’s bird tune debate.
Not knowledgeable about this case of (declared) bird shenanigans? Here’s the rundown. For years, reports have actually declared that the bird tune you hear in the background of Masters broadcasts is phony. Despite a CBS representative firmly insisting that “the birds you hear are live and they are indigenous to Augusta,” many individuals stay doubtful.
In a 2016 article, The Washington Post’s Thomas Boswell weighed in on the scenario, declaring:
“There are no birds, squirrels, insects or any other living creature indigenous to planet earth at the Masters. Nowhere on the property. Well, okay, there must be some somewhere. But the Post’s Dave Sheinin and I made a multi-day quest for a single bird sighting. So far, none. Those bird calls that you sometimes hear on the Masters broadcast? The source remains undiscovered.”
A bird strolls along the edge of the fairway throughout the 2022 Masters. / Photo by Rob Schumacher-U.S.A. TODAY Sports
Boswell and Sheinin aren’t the only press reporters who have actually browsed the premises of the Augusta National Golf Club trying to find birds. Sports Illustrated’s Michael Bamberger and Golf Digest’s Shane Ryan have actually likewise browsed the property for any indication of bird activity throughout the Masters Tournament. Both authors had a hard time to identify any birds, though Bamberger did ultimately discover one after it pooped on him while he was talking with Bob Costas.
While this entire matter might appear silly, using synthetic bird noise throughout golf occasions isn’t unmatched. CBS even confessed to utilizing tape-recorded bird sounds at the 2000 PGA Championship. For ornithologists and birdwatchers (birders, to those in the understand), the synthetic birdsong was simple to determine.
So, what do the specialists need to state about the chickadee and sparrow soundtrack at the Masters Tournament? As Cornell Lab of Ornithology director John Fitzpatrick informed Slate in 2019, the birdsong he heard throughout 2015 and 2016 Masters broadcasts originated from “a pretty representative list of birds that are singing in the pine woods of central Georgia.”
Still, Fitzpatrick believes that, while “the noise is definitely birds recorded there right on the grounds,” some “audio enhancement” might be taking place. Curious birders might wish to keep their ears perked for doubtful tweets and chirps throughout the Masters this year. For others, this odd case of bird shenanigans will most likely simply stay an enjoyable subject to chatter about while enjoying golf enthusiasts line up a shot.
