Last year's Masters Tournament was a soggy affair.

Mother Nature soaked the crowds and the course, and Martha Burk tried to rain on Augusta National Golf Club's parade.

But this year will be different. Protesters won't be here, but a prince will. The weather will be fair, the greens will be fast, and the focus will be back on golf.

With favorable weather expected after two soggy years, players are anticipating firm and fast conditions that should finally bring out the best - or worst - of the extensive course changes made to 10 holes since the 2001 Masters.

Phil Mickelson (Stats | Bio) , who holds a streak of five consecutive top-10 Masters finishes, including three straight thirds, is off to a hot start in 2004 and appears poised to win his elusive first major.

Arnold Palmer (Stats | Bio) 's 50th straight and final start in the tournament he has won four times will command much of the attention in the first two rounds, but the weekend should belong to the favorites.

Three-time champion Tiger Woods (Stats | Bio) is looking to snap his six-game winless streak in the majors, but he will be challenged by defending champion Mike Weir (Stats | Bio) , 2000 winner Vijay Singh (Stats | Bio) and a host of other marquee players at the top of their game, including Ernie Els (Stats | Bio) , Davis Love III (Stats | Bio) , Adam Scott (Stats | Bio) and John Daly (Stats | Bio) .

The tournament is a boon for Augusta's economy, even as the nation's economy begins to recover. Residents say hotel room reservations point to more visitors to this year's tournament, which could pump more money into local pockets.

A reservation system offered by tourism officials and paid for by hotel owners suggests the tournament is shaping up to be bigger than last year's.

"There's a noticeable increase over last year's figures, probably around 10 percent more," said Bob Irwin, the owner of the Columbia company that is contracted out by the Augusta Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau to run the toll-free reservation line.

Mr. Irwin says he has booked about 2,500 room nights in Richmond and Columbia counties.

There might be a suite for royalty among that number. Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, will pay a visit to the town that was named for his great-great-great-great-great-grandmother - Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenberg - more than 260 years ago.

The prince, captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, will arrive in Augusta on Monday for the practice rounds and attend a reception Tuesday at the Old Government House on Telfair Street.

Whatever furor the royal's visit might create will likely be more welcome than the attention Ms. Burk brought to Augusta last year, when her National Council of Women's Organizations protested Augusta National Golf Club's all-male membership.

Ms. Burk's organization and the American Civil Liberties Union took the city to federal court over its protest ordinance, which requires protesters to apply for a permit from the Richmond County Sheriff's Office 20 days before the requested date. U.S. District Court ruled in favor of the city, but Ms. Burk and the ACLU appealed to the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, where a decision on the ordinance is pending. For now, the law stands.

Richmond County sheriff's Col. Gary Powell said no one filed an application for a protest permit before the 20-day deadline for this year's tournament.

He said one person inquired about a permit but was told that he didn't meet the deadline, although he wouldn't need a permit if he was by himself. Col. Powell did not identify who inquired.

The controversy had some Augustans concerned about the city's image last year, but the protest fizzled, and Ms. Burk said she won't be back this year.

"The one thing I would say to you is this, unless something changes legally, there is no point in our coming," she said last week in a telephone interview. "There is no point in our being stuck on club property a mile away from the front gate, out of sight of even the surrounding traffic and surrounded by police."

MASTERS WEATHER The National Weather Service predicts sun for the practice rounds, with mostly clear skies and highs in the upper 60s and lower 70s. Temperatures will be chilly at night and in the morning, with lows dropping into the 30s tonight and Monday night. Rain is a possibility by Wednesday and Thursday, but the chances are only about 30 percent each day. Daytime temperatures for the tournament rounds are expected to be in the low 70s.

Restrictions

Personal bags, belt bags and packages may be no larger than 10 inches wide by 5 inches high by 5 inches deep. This rule also applies to purses and pocketbooks.

Staff Writers Sylvia Cooper, Scott Michaux and Matthew Mogul contributed to this article.

Reach Jeremy Craig at (706) 823-3409 or jeremy.craig@augustachronicle.com.