The Masters is the youngest of golf’s 4 majors at a sprightly 88-years.
And but it’s overflowing with custom at each nook, a curious relic of a bygone period that stands alone within the trendy hyper-commercial sporting world.
Augusta Nationwide may be very very like Wimbledon on steroids – heritage and historical past mixed with strict and generally draconian guidelines, served up in a picture-perfect setting.
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In brief, there’s nothing fairly prefer it, which is partly why tens of 1000’s of followers cross their fingers that they’ll be chosen within the annual ticket lottery.
Not that you may name them followers – Augusta requires them to be referred to as ‘patrons’, a lesson broadcaster Jack Whitaker discovered the exhausting manner when he copped a six-year ban for describing the gallery as a ‘mob’ in 1966.
It’s simply one of many extraordinary quirks of a singular match.
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THE RULES
No telephones are allowed – besides the payphones, which regardless of their identify are offered freed from cost by Augusta Nationwide. Different digital machine are additionally strictly prohibited. Cameras, too, are a no-no, however solely on match days.
Patrons can solely ask for autographs at one particular website close to the follow space.
Safety is on strict alert for spectators (sorry, patrons) shouting out, with an extended listing of phrases banned. In 2018, one listing was leaked – and it included seemingly innocuous phrases like “To infinity and past” or “you the person”.
Broadcasters, too, have strict guidelines about what phrases they’ll say. Moreover calling the gallery ‘patrons’, there are many different restrictions. Miss the green and gamers are within the ‘second minimize’, not the ‘tough’. The course has ‘bunkers’, not sand traps. There’s a ‘first 9’ and ‘second 9’, not a entrance 9 and a again 9 – that rule allegedly introduced in as a result of the time period ‘again 9’ would possibly remind somebody of a bottom. Significantly.
Patrons can not lie down on the grass however can deliver a chair – however provided that it’s a folded one with no armrests. And if you wish to get to a main viewing location, you higher stroll: working is banned.
Break any of those guidelines, and also you’ll be punted instantly – and certain by no means allowed to return to Augusta Nationwide.
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THE FOOD
Regardless of the strict guidelines, there are lots of the reason why followers love the Masters – together with the meals.
The well-known pimento cheese sandwich prices simply $1.50 USD, as does an egg salad sandwich. The long-lasting Georgia peach ice cream sandwich is $3 – although that’s gone up this yr from $2.50 final match. Beers have gone up a greenback, however are nonetheless simply $6 – together with a wheat ale referred to as Crow’s Nest that’s solely brewed for the match.
The sandwiches, cups, and all merchandise bought is packaged in inexperienced wrapping. It signifies that when the match is televised, all meals and drinks are colored the identical because the grass.
Appearances are all the pieces at Augusta.
THE COURSE
Talking of the grass, the course generally makes use of paint to make sure that any brown areas of the Bermuda turf are completely matched to the remainder of the course.
Former greenkeeper Andy Stranger as soon as advised Nationwide Membership Golfer: “You’re going to get weak spots, bits which might be within the shade we will probably be engaged on.
“Something that may be picked up on digicam will probably be painted inexperienced.”
There may be one space of faux turf on the course – throughout the enduring and picturesque Hogan Bridge that takes gamers to the inexperienced on the twelfth gap.
Relating to guaranteeing the course is in excellent situation, there has lengthy been a hearsay that Augusta Nationwide dyes the water within the ponds throughout the course – given the crystal-clear reflections off the dark-coloured water. In 1996, a Golf Digest journalist took a pattern of water from the fifteenth gap and examined it, discovering it contained a form of blue meals dye. Augusta Nationwide, after all, refuses to substantiate whether or not dye continues to be used.
The attractive white sand within the bunkers, too, isn’t because it appears – it’s truly a kind of quartz that comes from the Spruce Pine mining district in North Carolina.
Professor Drew Coleman as soon as defined: “That’s why the bunkers are so white.
“Spruce Pine quartz is the perfect on the earth, and the quartz created from the feldspar mining course of is so white and pure.”
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Augusta Nationwide sprawls over 365 acres, with the membership having purchased round 100 neighbouring properties since 2000. However one neighbour famously refuses to promote, regardless of often being provided hundreds of thousands of {dollars} by the membership. That home now sits close to to a big automotive park on the outskirts of the course.
It’s not the one attention-grabbing constructing at Augusta Nationwide – one of many many white cabins on the course used to accommodate former US President Dwight Eisenhower, a member of Augusta. His cabin had a basement utilized by the Secret Service every time he visited the membership.
He’s not the one President to have performed at Augusta. President Ronald Reagan went there in October 1983, when a person wielding a gun took a number of hostages within the professional store, demanding to talk to the President. Reagan tried to talk to the person over the telephone, and the hostages had been ultimately launched.
THE MEMBERSHIP
Being a US President helps if you wish to turn out to be a member of certainly one of golf’s most prestigious golf equipment. Aside from that, it’s principally a case of wishing. Membership is invite-only, and those that ask – or publicly state they want to be a member – are put proper again down the listing of potential invitees. It took till 1990 for an African American to turn out to be one of many 300-or-so members (Augusta Nationwide doesn’t reveal the particular quantity), and 2012 for a girl to turn out to be a member.
Even Masters winners don’t robotically get membership, however they do get the enduring inexperienced jacket. That mentioned, winners are allowed to put on their inexperienced jacket exterior Augusta just for a yr after their triumph. After that, their jacket is saved on the membership.
THE PLANTS
Augusta Nationwide is likely one of the most well-groomed, immaculately curated programs on the earth. There are roughly 80,000 vegetation with round 350 varieties in all. The bushes are all intentionally minimize so that they lean inwards, seemingly narrowing the fairways.
Most recognisable of the vegetation are the azaleas, these gorgeous swathe of purple, pink and purple that line the course. Greater than 30 varieties are on show across the course, particularly the thirteenth gap, appropriately named Azaelea – which has over 1,000 of the bushes.
One of many best myths about Augusta – and there are lots of – is that the azaleas are packed in ice to make sure that their quick two or three-week window of blooming – happens completely come match time. It has since been debunked.
There are additionally 1000’s of well-trimmed bushes.
However one stands aside: a single palm tree, a curious oddity among the many 1000’s of Georgia pines. Every gap is called after a plant or flower, and the par-three fourth gap was as soon as named ‘palm’.
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However the grove of palm bushes that after lined the suitable facet of the opening died off in a winter freeze many years in the past – bar one. The opening was renamed to a special plant, and the only palm tree turned hidden behind a mass of bamboo. It turned one thing of a secret, till the fifth gap was lengthened in 2019. The course tweaks noticed the bamboo minimize down – and instantly the only palm was on show for all of the world to see.
THE ANIMALS… OR LACK OF
A big fence across the property means there’s a outstanding lack of animals on the course. A deer has reportedly been noticed as soon as within the membership’s historical past, whilst you’ll by no means see squirrels or the like. Even bugs are uncommon.
One of many nice mysteries round Augusta is the city legend that broadcasts of the Masters have used pretend fowl noises.
Many journalists have investigated this with out particular solutions, however in 2001 Augusta Nationwide took the uncommon step of declaring no pretend noises had been used. But birds are hardly ever seen on the membership regardless of the 1000’s of bushes and flowers.
There may be, nonetheless, a minimum of some animals in Augusta – fish. The ponds and creeks across the course maintain bream and bass, or a minimum of did when President Eisenhower was round. He reportedly used to fish on the course, whereas different snippets of fishing tales have been revealed down the years.
A former caddie on the course, Tripp Bowden, wrote in his memoir that Augusta Nationwide was a “fishing haven”.
“The caddies cherished to fish there,” Bowden wrote.
Attempting to fish there as of late would appear to be a nasty thought, given Augusta Nationwide’s brutal historical past of punishing those that break their strict guidelines.
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THE RULE-BREAKERS
In 1994, TV analyst Gary McCord was completely banned by Augusta Nationwide for describing the seventeenth inexperienced – stay on air – as enjoying so shortly that it appeared as if it had been “bikini waxed”. He additionally joked that there have been “physique luggage” of golfers who had been victimised by the course hidden behind the inexperienced. He would work for CBS till 2019 – however was by no means allowed to cowl the Masters once more.
He’s not the one one to cop a ban for breaking the principles.
In 2021, Wayne Participant, son of golf legend Gary Participant, held up a branded sleeve of golf balls on TV through the Honorary Starters ceremony. That yr, the Masters had been paying tribute to Lee Elder, the primary black man to compete within the match.
Wayne was promptly kicked out and acquired a lifetime ban.
In 2012, revered golf author Alan Shipnuck walked into the enduring Butler Cabin simply as Bubba Watson was being introduced along with his inexperienced jacket for profitable the match. Solely the official broadcaster is allowed to view the particular ceremony – and Shipnuck copped a one-year ban from Augusta Nationwide.
Additionally in 2012, one fan tried to seize a cup of sand as a singular memento. The patron, Clayton Barker, ducked below a rope and went to a bunker on the tenth gap to replenish a cup – solely to be arrested shortly. He was banned for all times and spent $20,000 on authorized charges.
And in 2011, a younger Ricky Fowler – again then along with his lengthy hair and outlandish type – turned as much as a press convention sporting a cap dealing with backwards. He was advised to show it round, and tried to clarify his look was to assist individuals see his face. Augusta Nationwide officers had been having none of it – and fortunate for Fowler, he caught on shortly sufficient.
As Fowler discovered, Augusta is a particular place – as long as you comply with the principles.