The good folks at Augusta National Golf Club that run the Masters Tournament have a set of rules and they follow those rules to the letter.

Absolutely no telephones are allowed on the golf course. Each patron is electronically scanned upon entry to assure no pesky telephones escape detection.

No running is allowed on the premises. Augusta National is a pristine haven of genteel southern society. It does not cotton to the harried and hurried pace of the outside world.

They also do not allow the wearing of sandals inside the gates.

In a story reported by the Telegraph, U.S. Amateur Champion, Matt Fitzpatrick’s caddy was asked to leave the grounds of Augusta National because he was not wearing appropriate footwear.

It seems the Masters has deemed that feet shod with sandals are unacceptable inside the gates.

The caddy, Lorne Duncan, suffers from a foot ailment which requires wearing the sandals and he created a bit of a row with tournament officials.

“I can’t wear trainers,” he said. “Apparently aesthetics are more important than people.”

Duncan is an experienced caddy. He was on Fitzpatrick’s bag last year when he made the cut at the Open Championship and has caddied for Jesper Parnevik and Ben Curtis.

Nevertheless Duncan was banned from the tournament and a new caddy had to be summoned to carry Fitzpatrick’s bag.

Lee Westwood’s long-time caddy Billy Foster was consulted and he arranged for Brooks Koepka’s caddy Ricky Elliot to come to the amateur’s aid.

Elliot, from Nothern Ireland, filled the bill quite nicely and was able to arrange a practice round for Fitzpatrick with fellow countryman, Rory McIlroy.

All’s well that ends well, but the Masters may want to revisit their policy on what designates proper footwear.