Augusta National Golf Club is the home of the Masters Tournament. It is one of the most elite and famous golf clubs in the universe. Unlike other private golf clubs, Augusta is a for-profit organization. Only members can visit the club any time, while the public can visit during the Masters tournament.
Who owns the Augusta National Golf Club?
Augusta National, Inc owns Augusta National Golf Club. They operate as a golf club, which arranges golf tournaments. This company has more than 300 members, including notable golfers, business persons, and political persons.
History of Augusta
Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts founded Augusta National Golf Club in 1932. They bought a nursery in Georgia with a vision to make a world-class golf course. But it faced a hard time in its first ten years.
There was a lack of finance with a very few memberships. Jones and Roberts thought to change the plan as it was in a remote location.
The first Masters took place in 1934. The goal of the masters was to attract players and visitors. Ed Dudley was the first professional to join the club, and he was an active member until 1957.
In 1948 Clifford Roberts invited Dwight D. Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie. The couple liked the club, and Eisenhower became a member. Later, Eisenhower became the US president, and Robert built a house for him on the grounds.
Read Also: History of Masters Golf Tournament.
Facilities and Grounds at Augusta National
Natural beauty and flawless appearance made the Augusta unique. It has some significant facilities on the ground. For instance, Butler Cabin located near to the holes 18. Green jackets are presented to the winners in Butler Cabin.
The iconic clubhouse located near to the hole 1 has a wine cellar, which is well-stocked. There are three large cabins on the ground, which are solely reserved for the sponsors.
Other notable facilities and amenities are-
- Press building with television studios
- Restaurant with the snack options
- Luxury bathrooms
- Staffed leather chairs
- Security cameras throughout the course, which are connected to the studios in the press building.
- It has an on-public shopping and dining complex named Berckmans Place, which was built in 2012. It remains open for one week in a year during the Masters’ tournament.
Course
The courses in Augusta National named uniquely. As we know, it was a nursery when bought. So, all the courses were named after a tree. Augusta has 18 holes in total.
| Hole | Name | Yards | Par |
| 1 | Tea Olive | 445 | 4 |
| 2 | Pink Dogwood | 575 | 5 |
| 3 | Flowering Peach | 350 | 4 |
| 4 | Flowering Crab Apple | 240 | 3 |
| 5 | Magnolia | 495 | 4 |
| 6 | Juniper | 180 | 3 |
| 7 | Pampas | 450 | 4 |
| 8 | Yellow Jasmine | 570 | 5 |
| 9 | Carolina Cherry | 460 | 4 |
| 10 | Camellia | 495 | 4 |
| 11 | White Dogwood | 505 | 4 |
| 12 | Golden Bell | 155 | 3 |
| 13 | Azalea | 510 | 5 |
| 14 | Chinese Fir | 440 | 4 |
| 15 | Firethorn | 530 | 5 |
| 16 | Redbud | 170 | 3 |
| 17 | Nandina | 440 | 4 |
| 18 | Holly | 465 | 4 |
| Front | 3,765 | 36 |
How much does it cost to be a member of Augusta National?
Not every single person can be a member of the Augusta National Golf Club. Only invited person has the chance to get the membership, and they don’t have any application options.
The price for the membership is undisclosed. We believe membership varies from person to person. It is believed the cost is $20000 to $40000. Some people claimed the price to be $10000 to $30000. Monthly membership due is between $300 and $4000.
Controversies
Some arrogant comment from Clifford Roberts put the Augusta National in controversy over the years. He never wanted to invite any African-American member as well as women. Roberts’s racist and sexist attitude PGA Championship became questionable.
In 1990 Augusta invited television executive Ron Townsend as its first African-American member. After many controversies, the club invited two women members in 2012. They were Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore.
Rules
Everyone has to follow the rules at Augusta National regardless of their position. Some strict rules are-
- Cell phone and electronic devices are not allowed in the premises
- Loud talking and running is not permitted
- If a player makes any mistake, spectators cannot cheer them
- If any member breaks any of the rules, they will be banned permanently
Augusta Weather
Despite the Masters being held in spring, the weather in Augusta is not favorable.
In some cases, the tournament delayed, and the last day shifted to Monday sometimes. In 1961 and 1973, heavy rain washed out the whole day of the event. Before 1983, in some cases, the entire round had canceled due to the weather.
Video Games Appearance
Harukanaru Augusta, a Japanese video game franchise, added Augusta in 1989. Before that, the golf club was featured in a computer game named Mean 18 in 1986. Later, Augusta National featured in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters.
Conclusion
Like every year, The Masters Golf is going to take place at Augusta National Golf Club on April 7th. This invitation-only exclusive golf club was made for entertaining the rich white male people in the USA. Later they step out from their motto and starting to add black and female members to the club.