The Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is one of the most famous and revered golf clubs in the world. One of the big reasons for that is that since 1934, it has been home continuously (except the war years, 1943 to 1945) to the prestigious Masters tournament—mens golf’s first major of the year.
Apart from being one of the most well-known and beloved courses in the world, it’s one of the most stunning too. The course is located on land that, once upon a time, used to be a fruit tree nursery.
The property, originally used as an indigo plantation run, was sold in 1857 to the Berckmans, a Belgian family that imported plants and trees from around the world and turned it into Fruitland Nurseries—a 365-acre business that was operated until 1918.
The Berckmans also purchased and planted in the 1850s the Big Oak Tree, which has become a popular gathering spot between the main clubhouse and the course for players, club members and news media during The Masters.
Also in the 1850’s the Berckman family purchased magnolia tree seeds from Athens, Ga., and planted them into the lush land to provide an entryway to their plantation. The 330-yard avenue known as Magnolia Lane became the main driveway that leads from Washington Road to Augusta National's main clubhouse. It’s flanked by 61 Magnolia trees on either side and was paved in 1947. It’s breathtaking, with those large Magnolia trees lining and hanging over the road as it leads to the clubhouse is an image so unique to Augusta National.
The land was sold to Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, who founded the club and hired legendary British golf course architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie to design the course, with help from Jones. The course's official opening was in 1933 and the first Masters was played in 1934, though it was known the first five years as the "Augusta National Invitational Tournament."
The course has undergone continuous modification since hosting its first Masters Tournament in 1934. Golfdigest published in April 2011 a very nice report depicting the various changes per hole throughout the years. Their graphic depicts the more than 100 major changes made to the course since then.
There are two changes that come to mind; one the switching of the nines and the so called “Tiger Proofing.”
Augusta's front nine were originally its back nine. Before the Masters in 1935, the decision was made to switch the nines. Only one tournament was played with the original course setup—the 1934 Masters won by Horton Smith who also won the 1936 Masters, making him the only person to have won with both course layouts.
After Woods dismantled the course with a record score of 18-under-par 270 to win by 12 shots over Tom Kite, the men in the green jackets who run Augusta National moved to combat the game's technological advancements by reinforcing the course's defenses—especially beginning in 2002.
In 1958, Herbert Warren Wind, the legendary writer for Sports Illustrated, christened the 11th, 12th, and 13th holes "Amen Corner" in his description of play on that Sunday afternoon. The term stuck and has been part of the tradition now for over five decades.
A big part of Amen Corner is the world-famous water hazard, Rae’s Creek. It runs in back of the 11th green, in front of the 12th green, alongside the 13th fairway and all the way up to a tributary at the 14th tee. It was named for Irishman John Rae, who arrived in Augusta in 1734.
On the subject of the course holes, all 18 of them at Augusta National are named after a tree or shrub: Tea Olive (the first hole), Magnolia (the fifth hole), White Dogwood (the 11th hole), Holly (the 18th hole), and so on.
Former president, Dwight D. Eisenhower was a member of Augusta National. Three Augusta National landmarks bearing Eisenhower’s name still stand today. One is the Eisenhower Tree; a loblolly pine at the 17th hole that the former president and avid golfer repeatedly struck with golf balls and requested be cut down—still stands.
Eisenhower once took a walk in the woods on the eastern portion of the Augusta national Golf Club grounds and informed the chairman of the club that he had located a great place to build a dam if he ever wanted to create a fishpond. As a result, Ike’s Pond was built based on his recommendation and takes up three acres.
Also the Eisenhower Cabin was built in the 1950s according to Secret Service security guidelines by the club for the former president’s visits.
Another icon from Augusta is the Green Jackets. It dates to 1937, when members of the club wore green jackets during the tournament so that fans in attendance could easily recognize them if a fan needed to ask questions.
It caught on and soon, the Green Jacket became the symbol of membership in the ultra-exclusive Augusta National Golf Club. Then, in 1949 began the tradition of slipping a jacket onto the winner of The Masters, symbolizing that golfer's entry into the exclusive club of Masters Champions.
Also, only the Masters Champion is allowed to take home the jacket. But during the following year’s tournament, he must return to Augusta National and relinquish the Green Jacket, at which point it’s placed in storage but available any time he returns to play at the club.
One thing you should not do is look for a membership application; Augusta National is a private club. It has been the source of controversy in the past, but mainly, due to their previous policies of excluding black members and women as part of their membership, as well as requiring that all caddies were black.
There are about 300 members at the private club. You cannot apply for membership; you have to be invited. Dues are a secret, as is the membership list, though USA Today obtained a copy of the list of members in 2002, when women's activist Martha Burk drew national attention to the fact that the club had no female members.
That started the controversy that ensued, culminating in 2012, when Augusta National finally decided to admit women. They extended an invitation to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina business executive Darla Moore.
Augusta National did not invite its first African-American member, Ron Townsend, until 1990, although Lee Elder became the first black golfer to play the course during the Masters in 1975. Up until 1983, all caddies at the Masters were black and employed by Augusta National, as pros were not allowed to bring their own bag jockeys to the tournament.
Now you’ve read some history about the revered club. You see its full of beauty, mystique and tradition; Magnolia Lane, Amen Corner, Rae's Creek, Bobby Jones' lasting presence, azaleas in full bloom, and the green jackets.
The history of Augusta National is so rich and extensive that is hard to sum up in just one article. For more great information, visit the website for Augusta National.