Remember public phones? The Masters still offers old-school devices as alternative to cellphones

Attending the Masters for the first time was a new experience for Thomas Abraham, and it wasn't just about the golf. The 16-year-old from Houston had the rare opportunity to use a public telephone for the first time. "It was kind of cool," said Abraham, who phoned a friend while attending the Masters Par 3 competition on April 9 with his father, Sid. "I've never used one before. I figured it out. If I had to use one of those (rotary) phones, I probably would've had to ask my dad." Augusta National Golf Club requires its patrons to leave their cellphones and other electronic devices behind. In place of those security blankets, there are several public telephone banks of those throwback devices from days gone by. They are a foreign sight for many in the younger generation who've never seen a phone with an attached cord. Abraham is not unlike most teenagers—or adults, for that matter—who are very much attached to the world through their cellphones. At some point, chances are, patrons check for their phone—patting their pockets, reaching for the clip on their belts, wherever it usually is. And when they can't find it, well... "It's kind of panic mode," Abraham said. "We were at 18th (hole), and I went to reach in my pocket, and it wasn't there. Then I remembered it's in the car." He wasn't alone. "I've checked my pockets for my phone no less than 10 times today," said Ryan O'Connor from Little Rock, Arkansas. "I was sitting in the bleachers on the 16th green, and someone dropped a water bottle, and it made a loud noise, and I instinctively reached for my phone. Not there." The line at the public phone bank can stretch up to 10 people deep at the height of the Masters. And while they provide an outlet for those looking to touch base with the world outside of Augusta National's gates, there are some issues that come with them. Like, remembering phone numbers. This article was provided by The Associated Press.