When the course famously tried to “Tiger-proof” in the early 2000s, part of their strategy was to plant trees to prevent Woods from going driver-wedge into the par-5s, especially the 13th.
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It is therefore not surprising that Augusta National is as much arboretum as it is sporting venue. Thanks to television, the trees and flowers of Augusta National have become known worldwide. Famously, each of the holes at Augusta National are named for a tree, bush, shrub or flower found on the course.
Before Augusta National became a world-famous golf course and the host of The Masters Tournament, it was actually a plant nursery. In 1857, Louis and Prosper Berckman purchased the property and named it Fruitland Nurseries. They also built Fruitland Manor, which eventually became the clubhouse at Augusta National.
A major reason why Augusta is considered to be one of the most beautiful courses in the world is due to the vast majority of flowers which decorate a large majority of the course. But Augusta was not always like this.
The most abundant tree at Augusta National is the pine. The predominant specie is the Loblolly Pine, Pinus taeda, with a scattering of Shortleaf Pine, Pinus echinata, and Slash Pines, Pinus elliottii. There are also several Longleaf Pines, Pinus palustris, and Eastern White Pines, Pinus strobus, found on the property.
Magnolia Lane contains dozens of magnolia trees that were planted before the Civil War. The “big oak tree” behind the clubhouse was planted in the late 1850s. The wisteria vine, on a tree near the clubhouse, is believed to be the largest vine of its kind in the country.
The iconic clubhouse at Augusta National has journeyed from its origins as a 19th-century plantation owner's manor house through its dark days as an early 20th-century ruin to its 21st-century status as one of golf's spiritual homes. We chart its resplendent history.
Crowell and Berckmans arranged for the planting of more than 4,000 plants and trees in the spring of 1932. Each hole was to have its own distinct flora, and this was to be reflected in the hole name as all holes at Augusta are named after the flora on them,.
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."
There are 350 varieties of more than 80,000 plants at Augusta National, but only one palm tree on the golf course.
There are roughly 300 members of Augusta National, and being invited by one of them is the quickest way to get a round in at the famous course. Members are allowed to bring up to four guests on the course at a time, each for a relatively small fee of around $40.
However, despite being a 5-time champion at the Masters, Tiger Woods doesn't have a membership at the Augusta.
Why is it called the Masters? When the tournament began it was called the Augusta National Invitation Tournament. Roberts suggested it be called the Masters, a reference to the "masters of golf" who played in it, but Jones thought the name immodest. Roberts finally got his way in 1939.
Augusta National's 11th, 12th, and 13th holes are called “Amen Corner.” The name was attributed to Sports Illustrated writer Herbert Warren Wind who christened it such. He was describing the way Arnold Palmer played those holes in a somewhat miraculous manner.
1. Hole 10. This is probably the toughest hole at Augusta National. This hole is a dogleg left that spans just about 495 for a par 4.
The Masters: Hole #12 Golden Bell. One of the world's most famous golf holes, this is Augusta National's shortest par three. Club selection is often difficult, as varying winds can require anything from a six-iron to a nine-iron for Masters competitors.
The building, built in the 1850s, serves as the Augusta National clubhouse and is the inspiration behind the Masters Tournament's trophy design. Around 1960, the Berckmans planted both the 61 Magnolia trees that form Magnolia Lane and the 40 varieties of azaleas that now dot the layout.
Hole #1: "Tea Olive" Hole #1 is a Par 4 of 450+ yards, called "Tea Olive" which is described as an evergreen-type shrub which blooms with white, pale yellow, yellow, or orange-yellow flowers. Its fragrance is said to remind of apricot or peaches.
Azaleas are seen near the Clubhouse during practice for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Azaleas are seen near the par-3 course during practice for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
Augusta National Golf Club and many residents planted different varieties of azaleas that bloom early and late. The huge bushes full of stunning purple and the lighter pink-purple blooms are the Indica species, Holmes said.
A general view of the azalea flowers on the 10th hole at Augusta National Golf Club | Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Whenever you watch the Masters broadcast every year, you might notice ESPN or CBS show a nickname below a hole while showing a preview. Every one of the 18 holes at Augusta National has a unique nickname associated with a tree or flowering shrub, and the names can be traced back to Fruitland Nurseries.
Among the trees and flowers of Augusta National, the Magnolia is perhaps best known. The entrance to Augusta National is Magnolia Lane. The Magnolia is found in Asia, as well as North, Central and South America. Fascinating Fact: Magnolia trees, as a species, are older than bees, and relied on beetles for pollination.
The tree and fruit have great cultural significance in many parts of Asia. Georgia is known as The Peach State . The Peach also is the state flower of Delaware; Peach Pie is Delaware’s state dessert.
Hole 8: Yellow Jasmine. Also known as Yellow Jessamine, and Caroline Jasmine, the Yellow Jasmine is a flowering vine native to southeastern United States. An evergreen that is mistaken for honeysuckle, it is actually poisonous. Yellow Jessamine is the state flower of South Carolina.
The Azalea is the state wildflower of Georgia. Of the flowers and trees of Augusta National, these may get the most television time.
It is an evergreen flowering tree native to the Southeastern United States. Its leaves and branches break down into hydrogen cyanide when damaged, making it toxic and highly deer resistant .
It is therefore not surprising that Augusta National is as much arboretum as it is sporting venue.
Azinger’s comment contained some truth: Well-positioned trees can have a major influence on strategy and scoring. But Tour pros aren’t the ones who tend to have a problem with them. Far more often, the golfers who get irked are the average Jane and Joe. A lot of clubs have their version of Judge Smails, an irascible stuffed shirt on the greens committee who takes issue with a tree not because it doesn’t belong where it is but because they’re tired of hitting it with their errant tee shots. They complain. And complain. Until everyone gives in and the poor tree goes.
In the interest of arboreal understanding, we asked Dan Cutler , superintendent of Rio Verde Country Club, in Arizona, and co-host of the turf-care focused podcast From the Jingweeds, to explain why courses trim or cut down trees (he cited seven reasons!), and what learnings there might be when caring for your own lawns.
Whether Azinger was right (you could argue that trees aren’t really all that tough on Tour pros, and that, more than anything, thick rough and firm greens are what give them fits), his comment missed a broader point: Golf courses do away with trees for all kinds of reasons, and most of them have nothing to do with scoring.
Turf or tree? You can’t always have both, Cutler says. Which one you choose is a calculus involving many factors. Is the tree really starving out your grass? Depriving it of sunlight? Are its roots unsightly? Are they interrupting your children’s play? Some grasses do better in the shade than others. Creeping red fescue is one of those varietals.
“You need air movement to evaporate that droplet,” Cutler says. If you’ve got too many trees around that turf, you won’ t have sufficient circulation, which means the grass will have less chance to dry off and cool down. As you can probably guess, that’s no good.
Just ask any golfer with a tender wrist: hitting a tree root is no fun. Trees also get old and wobbly. They get struck by lightning. They topple over.
Grass in shady spots stays wetter longer, and sodden turf is more susceptible to fungus and other diseases . It’s also more vulnerable to invasions of poa annua and other weeds that do better in those damper conditions. The solution? See above
Among the trees and flowers of Augusta National, the Magnolia is perhaps best known. The entrance to Augusta National is Magnolia Lane. The Magnolia is found in Asia, as well as North, Central and South America. Fascinating Fact: Magnolia trees, as a species, are older than bees, and relied on beetles for pollination.
The tree and fruit have great cultural significance in many parts of Asia. Georgia is known as The Peach State . The Peach also is the state flower of Delaware; Peach Pie is Delaware’s state dessert.
Hole 8: Yellow Jasmine. Also known as Yellow Jessamine, and Caroline Jasmine, the Yellow Jasmine is a flowering vine native to southeastern United States. An evergreen that is mistaken for honeysuckle, it is actually poisonous. Yellow Jessamine is the state flower of South Carolina.
The Azalea is the state wildflower of Georgia. Of the flowers and trees of Augusta National, these may get the most television time.
It is an evergreen flowering tree native to the Southeastern United States. Its leaves and branches break down into hydrogen cyanide when damaged, making it toxic and highly deer resistant .
It is therefore not surprising that Augusta National is as much arboretum as it is sporting venue.