Somewhere between the comfortable existence of my home in a leafy neighborhood and the service entrance to the famed Valhalla Golf course, the metamorphosis began.

FORBES: Connect

Go in through the service entrance.

FORBES: Life Lessons From a Fire-Breathing, Stilt-Walking Billionaire

After arriving through the East Visitor Entrance, guests are invited to write thank you notes to service members and view the Gold Star Families Tree in the East Landing.

WHITEHOUSE: Our Top Stories

But in 2005, authorities took that Routemaster model out of service, replacing it with versions that only have an entrance at the front.

BBC: London's iconic buses are back