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At 88 years old, the Masters is the youngest of golf’s four majors.
Yet it is steeped in tradition at every corner, a strange relic of a bygone era, isolated in today’s ultra-commercial sporting world.
Augusta National is a lot like Wimbledon on steroids. Tradition and history are combined with strict and sometimes strict rules, presented in a picture-perfect setting.
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Simply put, there is nothing else like it. That’s part of the reason why tens of thousands of fans are scratching their heads wondering who will be chosen in the annual ticket lottery.
You can’t call them fans – Augusta requires you to call them “patrons.” This is a lesson broadcaster Jack Whittaker learned the hard way in 1966 when he escaped a six-year ban for describing the gallery as a “mob.”
That’s just one of the weird and wonderful quirks of a unique tournament.
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rule
Phones cannot be used. Except for the payphones, which, despite the name, are provided free of charge by Augusta National. Other electronic devices are also strictly prohibited. Cameras are also prohibited, but only on the day of the tournament.
Patrons may only ask for autographs at certain locations near the practice area.
Security guards are on high alert against shouting by spectators (sorry patrons), and a long list of prohibited phrases is posted. In 2018, a list was leaked that included seemingly innocuous phrases like “infinity and beyond” and “you’re the man.”
Broadcasting stations also have strict rules regarding what can be said. There are many other restrictions besides calling a gallery a “patron.” If the player misses the fairway, he is in the “second cut” rather than the “rough”. The course has “bunkers” rather than sand traps. Instead of a front nine and a back nine, there is a “first nine” and a “second nine.” This rule is said to have been introduced because the term “back nine” might remind one of backside. seriously.
Patrons are not allowed to lie down on the grass, but they can bring their own chairs, but only folded chairs with no armrests. And if you want to go to a place with the best view, it’s better to walk. Running is prohibited.
Breaking any of these rules will result in an immediate punt and you will probably not be allowed to return to Augusta National.
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food
Despite the strict rules, there are many reasons why fans love the Masters. The reasons include diet.
Our famous pimento cheese sandwiches and egg salad sandwiches cost just $1.50. The iconic Georgia peach ice cream sandwich costs $3, but the price has increased this year from his $2.50 last convention. Beer has gone up $1 in price, but it’s still $6 including a wheat he ale brewed specifically for the tournament called Crow’s Nest.
Sandwiches, cups, and all products sold are packaged in green packaging. That means when the tournament is televised, all food and drinks will be the same color as the grass.
At Augusta, looks are everything.
course
Speaking of turf, courses sometimes use paint to ensure that the brown areas of the Bermuda grass match perfectly with the rest of the course.
Former greenkeeper Andy Stranger once told National Club Golfers:
“Everything seen on camera will be painted green.”
There is one area of artificial turf on the course, just across the iconic and picturesque Hogan Bridge that leads players to the 12th hole green.
When it comes to keeping the course in perfect condition, there have long been rumors that Augusta National dyes the water in the ponds throughout the course. This is to account for the crystal-clear reflections from the dark water surface. In 1996, a Golf Digest reporter sampled water from the 15th hole and tested it and found it contained what appeared to be blue food dye. Augusta National, of course, refuses to confirm whether the dye is still in use.
Despite its appearance, the beautiful white sand in the bunker is actually a type of quartz that comes from the Spruce Pine mining district of North Carolina.
Professor Drew Coleman once explained:
“Spruce pine quartz is the best in the world, and the quartz produced from the feldspar mining process is extremely white and pure.”
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Augusta National’s grounds span more than 365 acres, and the club has purchased approximately 100 nearby properties since 2000. However, one neighbor famously refused to sell, despite receiving regular multi-million dollar offers from the club. The house now stands near a large parking lot on the outskirts of the course.
This isn’t the only interesting building at Augusta National. His one of the many white cabins on the course was used as his residence by former U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower, a member of Augusta. His cabin had a basement that was used by the Secret Service whenever they visited the club.
He’s not the only president to play at Augusta. When President Ronald Reagan visited the pro shop in October 1983, a gunman took several hostages inside the pro shop and demanded a meeting with the president. President Reagan attempted to speak to the man on the phone, and the hostages were eventually released.
membership
If you want to become a member of golf’s most prestigious club, becoming the President of the United States can help. Other than that, it’s mostly a matter of desire. Membership is by invitation only, and anyone who asks to become a member or who publicly expresses a desire to become a member will be immediately added back to the list of invitees. It wasn’t until 1990 that an African-American became one of the 300-some members (Augusta National doesn’t say how many), and it wasn’t until 2012 that a woman became a member.
Masters winners don’t automatically earn membership, but they do earn the iconic green jacket. However, the winner can only wear the green jacket outside of Augusta for one year after winning. Their jackets are then stored at the club.
plant
Augusta National is one of the most well-groomed and perfectly groomed courses in the world. There are about 80,000 plants of about 350 varieties planted in total. The trees have all been intentionally cut down so they lean inward, making the fairways appear narrower.
The most famous plant is the azalea. It’s a stunning swath of red, pink, and purple that stretches along the course. More than 30 of his varieties are on display around the course, especially his 13th hole with more than 1,000 bushes, aptly named “Azalea.”
One of the biggest myths about Augusta, and there are many, is that the azaleas are covered in ice to ensure their short two- to three-week bloom period is perfect for tournament time. That has since been proven false.
There are also thousands of neatly trimmed trees.
But among the thousands of Georgia pines, one palm tree stands out. Each hole is named after a plant or flower, and the par-3 fourth hole was once named “Palm.”
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But the palm groves that once lined the right side of the hole died in a winter freeze decades ago — except for one. The hole was renamed to another plant, and the lone palm tree was hidden behind a clump of bamboo. It was something of a secret until the fifth hole was extended in 2019. Bamboo was cut down to adjust the course, and suddenly that single palm was on display for people all over the world to see.
Animals…or lack of animals
There is a large fence around the property, meaning there are significantly fewer animals on the course. A deer has reportedly been spotted once in the club’s history, but never a squirrel. Even bugs are rare.
One of the big mysteries surrounding Augusta is the urban legend that fake bird calls are used in the Masters broadcast.
Numerous journalists investigated this and found no clear answers, but in 2001 Augusta National took the unusual step of declaring that no fake noise was used. But despite the thousands of trees and flowers, very few birds are seen at the club.
But Augusta has at least some animals: fish. The ponds and streams surrounding the course are home to bream and bass, at least as far back as President Eisenhower. He is said to have fished this course, but snippets of other fishing stories have come to light over the years.
Tripp Borden, a former caddy at the course, wrote in his memoirs that Augusta National was a “fishing paradise.”
“The caddies loved fishing there,” Borden wrote.
Given Augusta National’s brutal history of punishing those who break its strict rules, trying to fish there these days seems like a bad idea.
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rule breakers
In 1994, television analyst Gary McCord was accused of describing the 17th green on live television as “playing so fast that it looked as if it had been ‘bikini waxed.'” He was banned for life from the National. He also joked that the course had a “body bag” of the victim’s golfer hidden behind the green. He will work for CBS until 2019, but will not be allowed to cover the Masters again.
He is not the only player to be banned for violating the rules.
In 2021, Wayne Player, son of golf legend Gary Player, held up a branded golf ball sleeve on television during an honorary starter ceremony. That year, the Masters honored Lee Elder, the first African-American to play in the tournament.
Wayne was immediately expelled and given a permanent ban.
In 2012, respected golf writer Alan Shipnack entered the iconic Butler Cabin just as Bubba Watson was being presented with a green jacket for winning a tournament. Only official broadcasters were allowed to watch the special ceremony, and Shipnack was suspended for one year by Augusta National.
Back in 2012, a fan tried to get his hands on a sand cup as a unique souvenir. Patron Clayton Barker crawled under the rope to fill a cup with water and went to the bunker on the 10th hole, but was quickly arrested. He was banned for life and spent $20,000 in legal fees.
And in 2011, a young Rickie Fowler, then with long hair and an unusual style, appeared at a press conference wearing a backwards hat. He was told to turn him around and tried to explain that his appearance was to make it easier for people to see his face. Augusta National officials never understood any of that, but fortunately for Fowler, he figured it out quickly enough.
As Fowler learned, Augusta is a special place as long as you follow the rules.
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