Augusta National Golf Club: Everything you need to know

Augusta National golf club Also referred to as Augusta or the national is one of the prominent golf clubs worldwide in Augusta in Georgia in the United States. Most private clubs operate for non-profit, but the Augusta club is usually performed for profit generation. It never discloses its ticket sales, the list of its members, their holdings, and its incomes.

The history of the Augusta National Golf Club

Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones established the club. Alister Mackenzie and jones designed it; it started operating in the year 1932. At its foundation, it was set up on a 365-acre site of a nursery known as Fruitland.

Jones had a creative idea of creating it into a world-class winter golf course in his home town. In the club’s first decade of existence, there was a low member turnout. It had several financial difficulties resulting from the great depression and its location that proved to be in the remote Augusta. It led to them scraping the plans of having a ladies course, various states, and tennis and squash courts.

The club’s first professional was known as Ed Dudley, who played the role until the year 1957. Dudley turned out to be one of the most incredible tournament professionals of the era, where he amassed over 15 wins on the PGA Tour.

In 1934, the masters were held for the first time to attract players and crowds. Roberts played a vital role in persuading jones as he was against the name masters even though he later retired to participate in the tournament.

In 1948, Dwight D. Eisenhower and his beloved wife Mamie were given personal invites to the Augusta by Roberts. Eisenhower liked what he saw thus became a member of the club and hired Roberts as his financial advisor and executor. Roberts had construction done on the grounds for Eisenhower. Eisenhower visited the club during his presidency a record 29 times.

Membership

The club, at any given time, has at least 300 members. There is no application process to the club; thus, its membership is strictly on invitation merit. The list of its current members was published by USA Today in the year 2004. The cost of membership is believed to range from $10000 to $30000, and its annual dues in 2009 were approximated to be not more than $10000 yearly. The club members are sometimes referred to as the green jackets.

The club denied membership for decades to African Americans. The club’s chairman, Roberts, a co-founder, is remembered for saying that as long as he lived, all the club’s golfers were to be white and all the caddies were to be black.

In 1990, Augusta invited its initial African American member, Ron Townsend, a television executive after shoal creek golf and country club, an all-white golf club situated in Alabama, refused to grant membership African Americans. There were demands for the PGA championship not to be held due to its founder’s racist comments.

In the 2012 pre-masters press conference, the chairman Billy Payne refused to discuss the club’s refusal of admitting women. Payne defended the club’s position by saying that the active members’ spouses took over 15% of the club’s non-tournament round spots in the previous year. Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore were the first two women to be admitted to the club on the 20th of August 2012.

Some of the notable current members include

Bill gates-the co-founder and the Microsoft chairman
Lynn Swann, a former player of the NFL
Condoleezza Rice, a former united states secretary of state

Facilities and grounds of the club

It is known for its well-kept and impeccable appearances. It is also famed for its dogwoods and azaleas.
There is the Butler cabin where the winners of the tournament are given the green jacket.
The club’s press building has television studios and a restaurant. The cameras placed on the course are connected directly to the building’s studios through the underground cables.
Some of the things that are not mentioned on TV
The cheapest ticket among the premier sporting events
A badge that can give one entrance to four competitive rounds goes at $200-$50 per game. But the badge for the recent US open cost more than double the price.
The prices of the 1980s
The prices of the 80s were mere pimento cheese sandwiches, but as of now, there is a chicken that goes for something close to $3. A beer goes at under $#.
The value
To join the club is reportedly not more than $100000, and the guest fees are said to be close to $40