Golf

Who Designed Augusta National?

April 8, 2023 10:48 am
Who Designed Augusta National?

Augusta National is one of the most famous golf courses in the world. Spanning 5.2 miles, the famous course is not only one of the most challenging courses around but is also one of the most beautiful and well-designed. The beauty of Augusta is one of the reasons that tickets for the Masters are so hard to come by year after year.

The man who designed the course was Dr. Alister MacKenzie, a former Physician who was trusted with putting the famous course together by Bobby Jones. Jones was one of the best golfers around at the time but shocked the world when he announced his retirement at the age of 28.

After retiring, he asked MacKenzie (one of the best golf course architects around) to help him build a world-class course that he could play on in the winter in his home state of Georgia. Sadly, MacKenzie died just a few months before the first Masters tournament was held meaning he never got to see the finished article.

Notable design features at Augusta National

Augusta National golf course has several landmark features that make it stand out above the crowd. Let’s take a look at some of the most notable ones:

Amen Corner

Amen Corner is a section of the golf course which has seen some of the Masters’ most iconic moments. The corner covers holes 11, 12 and 13 and it was first given its name by sportswriter, Herbet Wind in the 1950s. Each hole is designed to test a player’s nerve with many professionals coming unstuck around the three holes during the final round on a Sunday.

The Big Oak Tree

The Big Oak Tree was first planted way back in the 1850s but MacKenzie resisted the urge to have it chopped down when he designed the course. The huge tree is on the golf course side of the clubhouse and is often where you’ll see members and media personnel congregate.

Eisenhower Tree

Another famous tree at Augusta National was the Eisenhower Tree, which used to be a prominent part of the 17th hole until it took substantial damage during a storm in 2014. The name for the tree stems from the fact that back in the 1950s, President Eisenhower had a habit of hitting his ball straight into the tree on the 17th hole whenever he played at Augusta. Eisenhower even that the tree be cut down but the club rejected his request.

Ike’s Pond

Another Augusta landmark named after President Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower. This one, however, was one that he personally asked for after saying that the club should have a fish pond. The pond was subsequently built and the 8th and 9th holes of Augusta’s par 3 course play around it.

Rae’s Creek

Rae’s Creek has been the undoing of many professional golfers over the years. The creek is very much in play on holes 12 and 13, right in front of the green on both holes. The greenside slope on the par 3 12th runs straight down to Rae’s Creek which means whenever the pin is positioned at the front of the green, danger is lurking.

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