Full Answer
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.
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.
Is Augusta National a good golf course?
Unlike most other private or public golf courses in the US, Augusta National has never been rated. During the 1990 Masters Tournament, a team of USGA raters, organized by Golf Digest, evaluated the course and gave it an unofficial rating of 76.2. It was re-evaluated in 2009 and given an unofficial rating of 78.1.
Who designed the Masters golf course in Augusta?
Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, the course was designed by Jones and Alister MacKenzie and opened for play in 1932. 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.
How to close a modal window?
This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.
What is the legacy of Hord Hardin?
A bloodless coup. Hardin’s legacy (per Floyd) is that he worked obsessively on the tournament at the expense of the club. As Joe Torre was a players’ manager, Jack Stephens was a members’ chairman.
What is the champions dinner about?
His golf game, along with other traits, got him to where he is in his life. The Champions Dinner is about the players again, Floyd said: their wins, their course suggestions, their stories. In 1976, in the first round, Ridley, in blue flared pants, played with Big Jack.
What is Hardin's legacy?
Hardin’s legacy (per Floyd) is that he worked obsessively on the tournament at the expense of the club. As Joe Torre was a players’ manager, Jack Stephens was a members’ chairman. “I once said to Jack, ‘You’ve got everything here but a practice bunker,’” Floyd said. “Jack said, ‘Go ahead and build one.’”.
Where is Floyd's house?
We were sitting in Floyd’s office, in his house in South Florida, at Old Palm Golf Club. (Floyd designed the course.) There was a LeRoy Neiman painting — Raymundo, in action — on a nearby wall. Floyd is 77, with a big boat and a lady friend.
What is Berckmans Place?
Berckmans Place, sometimes called Berckmans or BP, is a 90,000-sq.-ft. non-public shopping and dining complex built in 2012. It operates for one week each year, during the Masters. Entry passes for the week cost $10,000 (up from $6,000) and require Augusta National's approval; there is a 10-ticket limit. As in the rest of the club, neither cell phones nor photography are allowed. The price includes free dining at Berckmans' five full-service restaurants, each of which can seat hundreds of guests: Augusta's Seafood, Calamity Jane's, Ike's Place, MacKenzie's Pub, and the Pavilion. Bathroom stalls are attended and cleaned after each use. There is a pro shop and four putting greens dubbed the "Putting Experience": three slightly smaller replicas of holes 7, 14, and 16; and a "composite course". BP customers can use an exclusive parking lot and entryway (Gate 9). The complex is located near hole 5.
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.
Why was Ike's Pond built?
Ike's Pond was built for Eisenhower to fish in and named after him; the dam is located just where Eisenhower said it should be.
How much was Horton Smith's jacket worth?
Horton Smith 's jacket, awarded for his wins in 1934 and 1936, sold at auction in September 2013 for over $682,000; the highest price ever paid for a piece of golf memorabilia. Smith died at age 55 in 1963 and it had been in the possession of his brother Ren's stepsons for decades.
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.
How many times did Ridley miss the Masters?
Initially gaining entry as the 1975 U.S. Amateur champion, Ridley would crack the Masters field in 1976, ’77 and ’78. He missed the cut all three times.
Who shot 77 in 1976?
For the record, Ridley shot a 77 that day. Jack Nicklaus, left, and Fred Ridley stride down the 14th fairway during the 1976 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo from Augusta National Golf Club) While a career playing golf was not in his future, Ridley rebounded nicely.
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?
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 Payne's successor?
As Payne’s hand-picked successor, Ridley not surprisingly received the highest kind of endorsement from the outgoing chairman.
Who is Steve Hummer?
Steve Hummer writes sports features and columns for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He covers a wide range of sports and topics.
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.
Why does Paul Casey tell him to aim left of the pin on 6?
Paul Casey remembers Knox “telling me he aims left of the pin on 6 because he hates hitting it and ricocheting back into the bunker. Then he landed it a foot or two from the hole.”. Few famous names from the world of golf are members. However Jack Nicklaus is, and Arnold Palmer was.
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 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.
Who is Sir Michael Bonallack?
Sir Michael Bonallack, a former leading amateur golfer who three times played in the Masters, as the winner of the previous year’s Amateur Championship, is another famous golfing figure among the membership. He is best known for being R&A Secretary from 1983 to 1999.
Who was Ronald Reagan's guest?
Ronald Reagan stayed there as a guest of his Secretary of State, George Shultz, a member.
How many Masters have been played at Augusta National?
But how much do you really know about Augusta National? The truth is, despite the fact that 83 Masters tournaments have been contested there, the hallowed grounds of the club are still shrouded in mystery — and history.
What are some of the most bizarre but true stories about Augusta National?
From hostage situations, to radical course redesigns, here are some of the most bizarre but true stories about Augusta National. 1. President Reagan’s round ruined by hostage situation. Heavily armed Secret Service agents surrounded President Reagan’s limousine during the hostage incident at Augusta National.
What was Augusta known for?
These days, Augusta is renowned for the impeccable conditions maintained by the club’s greenskeepers. It’s often said there isn’t a blade of grass out of place during the Masters.
What is the Augusta National Invitational?
Without a U.S. Open to hold there, Jones and Roberts decided to create their own event, the “Augusta National Invitational” which soon came to be known as the Masters , and eventually rose in prominence to sit beside the U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship as one of golf’s four majors. 4.
When did Augusta National Golf Club close?
The club shut down in 1942 with the United States’ entrance into World War II and remained closed until 1945. Instead of keeping the land dormant, the club decided to temporarily transform into a cattle farm. You read that correctly. During the war years turkeys and cows roamed the sacred fairways and greens of Augusta National. The endeavor proved to be less financially successful than they hoped, and the end of the war brought the return of golf to ANGC. The Masters returned in 1946, where Herman Keiser beat Ben Hogan by a stroke to take home a check for $2,500.
Did Pruitt go to the hospital?
A quick-acting doctor and fellow Masters patron immediately performed CPR as a club employee rushed Pruitt to the medical tent. He was eventually transferred to a local hospital, where he miraculously recovered after being near-death for weeks. Incredibly, Pruitt returned to Augusta National one year later at the 2019 Masters, and — feeling reborn from his struggle to survive — revisited Amen Corner. You can listen to the entire story, which is well worth your time, here.
What is the name of the golf tournament that Roberts and Jones created?
Without a U.S. Open to hold there, Jones and Roberts decided to create their own event, the “Augusta National Invitational” which soon came to be known as the Masters, and eventually rose in prominence to sit beside the U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship as one of golf’s four majors.
Overview
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…
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' …
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."
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.