Golf by David McPherson It’s the second day of spring as I write this column from North Redington Beach, Florida, where I’m lucky to get a respite from Ontario’s wintery weather. Mother Nature remains moody. For snowbirds returning home to find snow still on the ground in early April, the hope that warmer weather is on its way – and that golf season is just around the corner – is found in watching on TV the “tradition unlike any other.” During the dog days of February, I hunkered down in my basement office to finish writing the first draft of my next book: “101 Fascinating Golf Facts.” In researching and curating these stories, I was amazed at the depth of fascinating tales that this game — invented by my Scottish ancestors more than 500 years ago — has produced. One of the stories which I included was a roundup of the history of that “tradition unlike any other” (cue Jim Nantz’ voice and images of Azaleas and dogwoods in bloom): The Masters. With Georgia on my mind, and with the year’s first golf major often a harbinger of spring, further rumination on this storied place that I was lucky to visit in 2013 feels warranted. As the Masters celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2024, here are some fun facts about its origins. The brainchild of Bobby Jones – one the greatest amateur golfers of the early 20th century – and New York magnate Clifford Roberts, Augusta National was constructed on 365 acres (formerly Fruitlands Nursery) that this pair of entrepreneurs bought for $70,000. The original business plan called for 1,800 members with dues of $60. In the early 1930s, 59 captains of industry each paid $350 to become charter members. Somehow weathering the Great Depression, Augusta National opened for play in 1932. The first Masters Tournament was played two years later and was won by American Horton Smith. His payday? $1,500. By comparison, Spaniard Jon Rahm, who won the 2023 green jacket, pocketed $3.2 million. A green jacket is presented to the champion annually. This tradition started in 1949, when Sam Snead donned the first of these coveted blazers. The green jacket that winners receive is for them to keep for 12 months; it must be then returned to the club for safekeeping, but they can wear it whenever they visit the course. Jack Nicklaus holds the record for most Masters victories with six green jackets. The Champions dinner, for which the previous year’s winner selects the menu, is another tradition. Held in the Augusta clubhouse on the Tuesday of tournament week, all previous surviving winners are invited to attend. Walter Hagen started this annual soiree in 1952. For 2024, defending champion Rahm chose a menu that harked to roots growing up in the Basque region of Spain. The first golf major each year is a place of many firsts. Augusta National is the first course to provide complimentary parking for patrons; the first tournament to have bleachers for fans; and the first golf tournament that was broadcast live on radio from coast to coast. No other club, or tournament, has had as many books written about it as the Masters. And, no surprise, it’s one of the toughest tickets (or badges, as these prized ducats are called) to snag in all of professional sports. Since the mid-1990s, Augusta National has conducted an annual lottery for want-to-be patrons to secure the opportunity to buy tickets. Registration via Masters.com is free and runs from June 1 to June 20. The odds are still slim to get a patron’s badge this way, but hey, it costs nothing to try. Just like the real-world lottery, as they say, you can’t win if you don’t play. I digress. Here are a few more fun facts about the tournament’s history before I share some of my personal memories. English-Scot, Dr. Alister MacKenzie, designed the course. Unfortunately, the acclaimed architect never saw his finished vision since he died of a heart attack in early 1934. Magnolia Lane – the iconic 330-yard driveway that most only see on TV (since this road is gated and guarded) – is lined with 61 magnolia trees leading to the Augusta National clubhouse. Oh, and did you know that a Canadian made the first hole-in-one at the Masters? Sandy Somerville, from London, Ont., made the inaugural ace; he was also the first Canadian to win the U.S. Amateur in 1932. Somerville recorded this historic hole-in-one on the 145yard par 3 16th hole using a hickory-shafted club with an iron clubface, known as a “mashie niblick” – equivalent to a modern 7-iron. The popular Par 3 contest (that takes place on the Wednesday of Masters week), in which players often have their girlfriends, wives or kids as caddies, was first played in 1960. How about some of those enduring phrases specific to the Masters such as Amen A Tradition Unlike Any Other, or Masters Memories 40 | www.snowbirds.org
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