So you’re saying that this started because a golfer was bored? Go on...
Here’s the unhinged and chaotic story of how the Masters got started and why everyone is so feral about it all.
Okay. Imma need you to be SAT for this one.
I honestly went back and forth on writing about the Masters because I felt like everyone was doing it.
But as you’re probably noticing, the entire golf world is collectively losing its mind over this tournament so, I’m going to do some top-level coverage here on why everyone is acting like this is a religious experience.
Because honestly. It is.
Let me explain....
First. How did we get here?
So, it’s 1930 and a dude named Bobby Jones, who at the time was the most famous amateur golfer who ever lived (Dramatic? Yes. True? Also yes.) decides at the ripe old age of 28 that he’s gonna retire.
Alright, my guy. Must be nice.
Bobby Jones
(picture from Golf.com)
But instead of taking up, oh, I don’t know, something like fishing, he looks around and goes, “You know what would be insane? If I bought a former plant nursery in random Augusta, Georgia, and built the most intimidating and wild golf course in human history on it.”
And his business partner, Clifford Roberts, said, “Bet.”
And that’s what they did.
They found a 365-acre former nursery called Fruitland Nurseries, and Bobby was all, “PERF!”
He had a vision, I tell ya.
An unhinged one, but a vision nonetheless.
The first tournament was in 1934, and at the time was called the Augusta National Invitation Tournament (seems really long for merch, but I digress...) because Bobby thought calling it “The Masters” was a bit too arrogant. (insert side eyes here.)
Now, Cliff (can we call him Cliff?) wanted to name it The Masters from day one because it was for the “masters of golf,” but Bobby was like, “Bro...I don’t know...seems too flashy.”
But our guy Cliff won.
Noted.
Now let’s talk about the course itself because IT IS NOT NORMAL.
I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find a professional golfer who won’t agree that Augusta is the most beautiful golf course they’ve ever played. For some reason, the sun seems brighter, and the sky seems bluer. They honestly describe it as feeling like heaven. And it might be. Maybe I’ll find out one day. *sigh*
(Picture from Golf Digest)
Paying mad respect to the property’s original life as a nursery, each hole at Augusta is named after a flowering plant. Magnolia...Camellia, Flowering Peach... pretty cool, if you ask me. Definitely loving it.
But wait...there’s more.
Holes 11, 12, and 13 have been coined, Amen Corner. Which came from a 1958 Sports Illustrated article where the writer heard a jazz record called “Shouting in That Amen Corner” and really needed something catchy to add to this golf course article so, that was it. That’s the story.
Our dude heard a great jazz record, named the golf course corner, and now it’s the most famous three holes in sports.
Absolutely iconic.
Okay now THE JACKET. We need to talk about the jacket.
Let me just say that with my golf league, 1930Fore, all members in our Clubhouse should get jackets. Not green ones, but like, something...right?! Reply if you’re into it.
Anyhoo...in 1937, all the members of Augusta National started wearing green sport coats, aka casual blazers, so that fans patrons could holler at them if they had any questions during the tournament.
(I say “holler” because it’s Georgia, but this is a respectable place, and I imagine they most likely asked like, “Excuse me, distinguished gentleman...” but I digress.)
But by 1949, this tradition shifted to the tournament winner being presented with a green jacket. Sam Snead was the first to receive one, and then all the other winners before him retroactively got to snag one as well, so nobody got their BVDs in a wad about it. Or maybe they did, and that’s why everyone else got one. That part I’m unclear about.
(Picture from CNN)
And for any design nerds like myself, this green jacket does have its own Pantone shade, btw, it’s 342 appropriately named, Augusta Green. Gotta respect her.
Now, I’ll be honest, there are a lot of rules with this jacket; the one that stands out the most is that the latest winner has to return the jacket to the clubhouse one year after his victory. And going forward, it can only be worn on Augusta National property. So, it’s like you win, and then it’s Rent the Runway...boys are so weird.
The Champions Dinner, which is unhinged in the best way.
Every year on the Tuesday before the tournament, all the past Masters champions get together for a private dinner. The previous year’s winner sets the menu aaaaaaand he also foots the bill, which often runs into five figures.
So, you win the Masters and bam...you get to host the most exclusive bougie dinner in sports AND you get to pay for it. Congrats...here’s your bill. (I wonder if an 18% service charge is added?)
This year, Rory McIlroy is hosting, and below is the most talked-about dinner menu in the world.
I gotta be honest though... not a big fan. Probably because I eat like a seven-year-old, but I will say, there ARE a few things I would dabble with.
Oh, and a lot of people out on the interwebs dug into how much each bottle of wine costs, and it ranges from $500+ to over $1,200...I have no words.
Check this out…
The Par 3 Contest, which is actually the purest thing in sports.
By far one of the cutest things you’ll see at the tournament happens on Wednesday, before all the drama begins. The players participate in a Par 3 Contest where their spouses, kids, or grandkids can caddie for them. Holy cuteness...I’m going to link a video HERE of Tommy Fleetwood’s son last year. It went viral, and you should absolutely watch. (It’s only about 45 seconds long.)
(Picture from Sports Illustrated)
Fun fact: no one has ever won the Par 3 Contest AND the Masters in the same year. It’s become sort of a curse. Winners of the Par 3 are basically cursed for the week. Golf is a sport built on superstition, and we love her for it. I think, lol.
Why does everyone go completely feral over it though?
So, this is my opinion, but I honestly believe it’s something quite beautiful.
Most golf events (and most sporting events in general) rotate venues. The US Open moves around. The PGA Championship moves around. Even the Super Bowl can’t commit to a location.
But the Masters? It’s played at Augusta every single year.
Same course. Same week in April. Same azaleas. Same Amen Corner waiting to absolutely destroy someone’s Sunday.
And I feel that consistency creates something most sports can’t make up or even market...it’s truly traditional. Nothing about it changes. You can count on it. It doesn’t have commitment issues.
So, when you watch the Masters, you’re watching these badasses navigate the exact same holes that Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and many other legends surrounding this game have played.
I do need to pause a minute and focus on Tiger when, in 1997, he reached par-5 greens in two shots with nothing but a wedge and basically split the entire course in half.
I need you to think about that for a second. He drove the ball, then on his next shot, he landed on the green. ON A PAR 5! Unreal.
Ok, let’s get back to biz...
So, noting that players follow in the footsteps of the ones before them, then you layer on all the traditions...the jacket that’s been handed from champion to champion, the Champions dinner, the Par 3 curse, and what you end up with is a tournament that doesn’t just have a history. IT IS HISTORY.
And I believe that’s why people lose their minds. Including me.
It’s not just a tournament. It’s a 90-year-old tradition built on a plant nursery, a borrowed jacket, an accidental jazz reference, and one very competitive retired amateur who just wanted something to do.
Honestly? Relatable.
See you on the leaderboard.
Happy Masters Week.
Delaina