One Southern tradition that is enjoyed pretty much around the world is The Masters golf tournament, held each spring in Augusta, Georgia. One of the major stops on the PGA tour, this tournament goes way beyond a few rounds of golf. For some beautifully mysterious reason, The Masters seems to swim in a warm bath of magic elixir, and we're all invited to join in.
Augusta National Golf Club was born at the height of the Great Depression - the brain child of golfing legend Bobby Jones. He partnered with Clifford Roberts to purchase Fruitland Nurseries in Augusta and two years later the course opened. Raising money to build the course was nearly impossible at the time, but they did it. Beyond that, convincing enough members to join bordered on the miraculous - but they did that, too. The first tournament, which was Jones idea and the reason he built the course to begin with, was held in 1934, and the place has been dispensing magic elixir ever since.
Few people know it (including golfer Jack Nicklaus who said he had never heard the story), but Augusta National's famous "back nine" - which features water hazards, three holes that are nicknamed "Amen Corner", and enough legendary stories from Sunday afternoon final rounds to fill a book - was actually born as the FRONT nine. A year or so after the course opened, Jones and Roberts decided that the front nine holes were much more challenging and would instead provide high drama as the final nine holes in their fledgling tournament. So they flipped the first nine and the back nine and set the course of golf history. To say that they made a good decision is the equivalent of saying that the idea of something called the Super Bowl worked out okay.
By the way, this year's Masters is happening as we speak. Tournament action begins tomorrow. The crowds have already arrived, the famous sandwiches (homemade pimento cheese and egg salad) are being cranked out by the thousands, cameras are already rolling, and the azaleas and dogwoods are saying grace over it all. Something tells me the late Bobby Jones still has a hand on a club, standing just off in the pines with a smile that says "Welcome to paradise."
Photo of early morning practice round at The Masters by Carolyn Stanley.
Augusta native, here, living on Hilton Head! I sure do love the azaleas this time of year, and the course is covered in beauty!
Why a great story! I’ve never heard it before. I do not play golf, but I enjoy watching it and the Masters of course is a great show. Maybe one day I can attend and sample their famous pimento cheese and egg salad sandwiches.