Friday, April 6, 2018 / by Susan Annis
Interesting Master's Facts
MASTERS WEEK
For those of you who love to golf, you can understand the peaceful feeling that comes through when you step on that first tee box and know the next several hours of your life are going to be spent on the course. You can also appreciate the beauty of a well-maintained course with bright green grass and glistening water in the lakes. Those who know what I mean by that, also know that there are not many golf courses in the world that can enhance that atmosphere like Augusta National can on Masters weekend. For many, Augusta is the top golf course in the world and holds the most prestigious professional tournament in the world, The Masters. It is held in April every year and is one of the four major tournaments of the golf season. Professional players play for a coveted green jacket. With this weekend being that memorable time of year here are some of the many interesting facts regarding the Masters gathered from www.augusta.com.
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* The Masters started out at Augusta National Golf Course as the Augusta National Invitational in 1934 and was organized by Bob Jones and Clifford Roberts
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* Horton Smith won the first tournament in 1934
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* Jack Nicklaus has won the Masters more than any other player with 6 wins and was also the oldest player to win the Masters at 46 years, 2 months and 23 days
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* The first green jacket was awarded to Sam Snead in 1949
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* Hole numbers 11, 12, and 13 have become famous for their beauty and difficulty at times and are known by many as Amen Corner
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* “The Big Oak Tree” on the golf course side of the clubhouse is between 145 and 150 years old.
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* The Masters was not played in 1943, 1944, and 1945 because of World War II
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* You cannot apply for membership at Augusta National as you have to be invited, and John Harris, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer are the only professional players who have been members.
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* Dwight Eisenhower is the only U.S. President to have been a member of the course
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* Each hole is named after a plant or shrub.
After finishing this blog but before posting it another really special event happened. This year in the Par 3, played by current players and legends of the game, Jack Nicklaus’ 15 year old grandson Gary hit a “Hole-in-One”. Gary was Jack’s caddy for the day and was allowed to tee up and proceeded to hit his first Hole-In-One, it brought his grandfather to tears. Nicklaus later posted “With all due respect to @themasters, allow me to put my 6 green jackets in the closet for a moment and say that I don’t know if I have had a more special day on a golf course. To have your grandson make his first hole-in-one on this stage... WOW!”
