Who is the chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club?
Fred S. Ridley is the Augusta National and Masters chairman. Here are the six men who have served as chairman before him: CLIFFORD ROBERTS (1931-76): He was the brains behind most of what is the Masters Tournament today.
What company owns Augusta National?
Augusta National Inc. owns Augusta National. It also owns the Masters tournament that is held there. Augusta National Inc. was founded in 1935. It describes its core business as ‘owning a golf club and running golf tournaments’. RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU...
Is this a new era at Augusta National Golf Club?
AUGUSTA, Ga. — This is a new era. The chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club had a question for a reporter. Usually, you know, it goes the other way.
What is the Masters Tournament at Augusta National?
Since 1934, the club has played host to the annual Masters Tournament, one of the four men's major championships in professional golf, and the only major played each year at the same course.
How many chairmen are there at Augusta National Golf Club?
The 7 chairmen of Augusta National are as interesting as the club itself. The seven chairmen of Augusta National Golf Club. Raymond Floyd has known all seven Augusta National chairmen. Not many can say that. When Floyd won the Masters in 1976, Cliff Roberts, the club’s first chairman, still held the reins. Fred Ridley, the current chairman, was in ...
Why did Augusta get their green coats?
There are a dozen or so Augusta members who got their green club coats because Floyd introduced the right man the right way to the right chairman. There’s no membership committee at Augusta. Autocratic leadership is a threat to any democratic institution, but it works well at Augusta National.
Who was the first chairman of the Masters?
Not many can say that. When Floyd won the Masters in 1976, Cliff Roberts, the club’s first chairman, still held the reins. Fred Ridley, the current chairman, was in the field that year, as the U.S. Amateur champion. The next year, Roberts was found dead by Eisenhower Pond, on the club’s Par-3 course. Roberts built and loved that Par-3 course.
Who founded Augusta National Golf Club?
Augusta National was founded in 1932 by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts on the 365-acre site of a former nursery/antebellum plantation called Fruitland (later Fruitlands). [1] Jones sought to create a world-class winter golf course in his native state of Georgia. During the first decade of the club's existence, membership was low and finances were short due to the Great Depression and the relatively remote location of Augusta, forcing the duo to scrap future plans for a "ladies' course," squash and tennis courts, and various estates.
When was Augusta National first opened?
When Augusta National originally opened for play in January 1933, the opening hole (now the 10th) was a relatively benign par 4 that played just in excess of 400 yards. From an elevated tee, the hole required little more than a short iron or wedge for the approach. Maxwell moved the green in 1937 to its present location – on top of the hill, about 50 yards back from the old site – and transformed it into the toughest hole in Masters Tournament history. Ben Crenshaw referred to Maxwell's work on the 10th hole as "one of the great strokes in golf architecture".
Why is Augusta National in Richmond County?
Because Augusta National has spent so much to acquire land, homeowners in Richmond County have had to apply for special property tax assessments in order to negate the effects of the club's activities. Investors have also begun to purchase property and condos next to Augusta National.
How many holes are there in the Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship?
In 2018, chairman Fred Ridley announced that the club would establish the Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship in 2019, a 54-hole event for the world's top amateur players.
How much did Augusta National buy?
From 1999 to 2019, the club spent about $200 million to buy 100 separate properties totaling over 270 acres, some more than a mile distant from the club proper. Most purchases are arranged via LLCs connected to Augusta National in order to obfuscate the transaction's details. More than a dozen of these LLCs are known to exist, and up to five may be involved in a single purchase. Augusta National ultimately purchases each LLC, acquiring its land holdings and keeping the real estate price away from public records. Non-disclosure agreements are also commonly employed.
What is Augusta known for?
Augusta is renowned for its well-maintained impeccable appearance: pine needles are imported, bird sounds are played on inconspicuous speakers, and even the ponds were once dyed blue. The club is famed for its azaleas and dogwoods.
What is the press building at the Golf Club?
The club's on-site press building has television studios, a complimentary restaurant and snack options, staffed bathrooms, and leather chairs. Cameras placed throughout the course are directly connected to the press building's studios via underground cables.
1 Clifford Roberts
CLIFFORD ROBERTS (1931-76): He was the brains behind most of what is the Masters Tournament today. He joined with golfer Bobby Jones to organize the club and start the invitational tournament. Innovations included mounds for spectators to view play and bringing television to the tournament in 1956.
2 Bill Lane
BILL LANE (1977-80): He served a very short period of time as chairman. Lane succeeded Roberts in 1977 but soon became ill and was hospitalized. Notable occurrences during his tenure were the Par-3 Course being converted to bentgrass in preparation for installation on the main course and the patron badge waiting list being closed in 1978.
3 Hord Hardin
HORD HARDIN (1980-91): Changes during his tenure included the acceptance of Ron Townsend, the club’s first black member, in 1990; the change from bermuda to slick bentgrass greens in 1981; allowing non-Augusta National caddies to work the Masters beginning in 1983; and the reinstatement of honorary starters, featuring Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson and Sam Snead, in 1981.
4 Jack Stephens
JACK STEPHENS (1991-98): Under his watch, limitations on practice-round tickets were instituted and an agreement was reached to use Augusta National as the venue for golf in the 1996 Olympic Games. The plan was later rejected by the IOC when Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell was critical of the lack of minorities on the Augusta National membership roll.
5 Hootie Johnson
HOOTIE JOHNSON (1998-2006): To combat advances in technology, he oversaw several changes to the golf course that stretched the layout to 7,445 yards. He also made headlines for refusing to give in to activist Martha Burk, who urged the club to admit women as members.
6 Billy Payne
BILLY PAYNE (2006-2017): The first native Georgian to serve as chairman welcomed the club’s first female members, embraced digital technology to promote the Masters Tournament and sought new ways to grow golf by introducing the Drive, Chip and Putt National Championship and two international amateur competitions.
Who is the chairman of Augusta National?
Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne, left, confers with his eventual successor Fred Ridley during the 2016 Masters. Augusta National will have its first chairman who knows the Masters inside and out, as both a competitor and longtime club member.
Who was the president of the United States Golf Association in 2004?
In 2004-05, Ridley served as president of the United States Golf Association. In 2006, he received the PGA of America’s Distinguished Service Award. Winning the U.S. Amateur was the highlight of his golfing resume, as much for the quality of those he beat along the way in match play as for the title itself.
Who is the chairman of Augusta National Golf Club?
On August 23, 2017, Augusta National announced that Ridley would succeed Billy Payne as chairman of the club. Ridley took over when the club reopened for its 2017–18 season on October 16, 2017.
Who was the captain of the USGA in the 1980s?
For example, Ridley played the 1987 British Amateur. He also served as captain for the American sides of the 1987 Walker Cup, 1989 Walker Cup, and the 2010 Eisenhower Trophy . Ridley was elected president of the United States Golf Association (USGA) in 2004. He has also served as co-chairman of the International Golf Federation.
When did Ridley win the Walker Cup?
In 1977 he competed in the British Amateur. In the 1977 Walker Cup, he won two singles matches (both against Sandy Lyle) and lost his foursomes match. Between 1974 and 1977 Ridley was a law student. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Stetson University College of Law in 1977.
Who won the 1975 Amateur?
In 1975, Ridley won the U.S. Amateur, the preeminent amateur golf tournament in the United States, on the James River Course of the Country Club of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia. He defeated Keith Fergus in the 36-hole final, having beaten Curtis Strange and Andy Bean in previous rounds of the match-play championship. At the end of 1975 Ridley was ranked the #2 amateur in the country by Golf Digest.
Who is the most famous golfer at Augusta National?
One of these was Bill Gates. Knox is one of the more famous Augusta National members, at least in golfing circles anyway, for he reputedly holds the club course record of 61. So when a marker was required on weekends at the Masters, it was Knox who stepped in.
How old is Jefferson Knox of Augusta National?
Unsurprisingly, the membership is not young. When USA Today published a leaked list of Augusta National’s membership of 2002, 39-year-old Jefferson Knox was listed as the youngest. There were only three, among the roughly 300 members, who were listed as being in their forties.
What hole is named after Augusta National?
He is one of the most famous Augusta National members as the tree which stood on the 17th hole was nicknamed after him.
When did Augusta National admit its first two women members?
Well, not normally. When Augusta National admitted its first two women members in 2012 they trumpeted this fact as “a proud moment in our club's history.”
Who was Ronald Reagan's guest?
Ronald Reagan stayed there as a guest of his Secretary of State, George Shultz, a member.
When was Augusta National founded?
Augusta National Inc. was founded in 1935 . It describes its core business as ‘owning a golf club and running golf tournaments’.
How many trademarks does Augusta Golf Club have?
The company has registered around 90 trademarks relating to the golf club and the tournaments it hosts. These relate to items ranging from computer games to packets of peanuts. Trademarks include not only logos but also terms associated with the Masters and Augusta such as Ike’s Tree – ‘Footwear; headwear and clothing.’.
Who owns the Augusta jackets?
The lawsuit contended that the jacket could not be sold legally as Augusta National owns all the jackets.
Is Taste of the Masters trademarked?
Last year, when as no patrons were allowed on the grounds, the club launched Taste of the Masters. This they also trademarked.
Is Augusta National a private company?
Augusta National Inc. was founded in 1935. It describes its core business as ‘owning a golf club and running golf tournaments’. Augusta National is a private company. Private companies in the US are not required to disclose financial information, or details or its operation, to the public.
Overview
Membership
Augusta National Golf Club has about 300 members at any given time. Membership is strictly by invitation: there is no application process. In 2004, USA Today published a list of all the current members. Membership is believed to cost between $100,000 and $300,000 and annual dues were estimated in 2020 to be less than $30,000 per year. Club members are sometimes referred to as "green jackets."
History
Augusta National was founded in 1932 by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts on the 365-acre site of a former nursery/antebellum plantation called Fruitland (later Fruitlands).[1] Jones sought to create a world-class winter golf course in his native state of Georgia. During the first decade of the club's existence, membership was low and finances were short due to the Great Depression and the relatively remote location of Augusta, forcing the duo to scrap future plans for a "ladies' …
Facilities and grounds
Augusta is renowned for its well-maintained impeccable appearance: pine needles are imported, bird sounds are played on inconspicuous speakers, and even the ponds were once dyed blue. The club is famed for its azaleas and dogwoods.
Rules and policies imposed on employees, club members, and visitors (referre…
Green jacket
Every member of Augusta National receives a green sport coat with the club's logo on the left breast. Members are required to wear them during the tournament, and the jackets are not allowed to be removed from the grounds. The idea of the green jacket originated with club co-founder Clifford Roberts. Many believe it is because he wanted patrons visiting during the tournament to be able to readily identify members. Since Sam Snead's victory in 1949, the winne…
Caddies
Augusta National employs a staff of caddies to assist members, guests, and professionals. Augusta's caddie staff wears trademark white jumpsuits year-round.
Before 1983, staff caddies were assigned to players at the Masters. All four majors and some tour events required the use of the host club's caddies well into the 1970s — the U.S. Open had this policy through 1975 — but by 1980, only the Masters and the Western Open near Chicago retained t…
Appearances in video games
Augusta National Golf Club is featured in the Japan-exclusive video game franchise Harukanaru Augusta, which started in 1989. The games were produced by T&E Soft. One of its last titles Masters '98: Haruka Naru Augusta was released for the Nintendo 64.
Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament are also featured in the video game Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters, and has subsequently featured in later iterations of the game…
Further reading
• Roberts, Clifford (1976). The Story of the Augusta National Golf Club. Garden City, New York: Doubleday. ISBN 9780385115438. OCLC 1992063.
• Andrisani, John, ed. (2007). Golf Heaven: Insiders Remember Their First Trip to Augusta National Golf Club. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press. ISBN 9781560257882. OCLC 84741355.