Augusta National Golf Club is one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the world. Located in Augusta, Georgia, it is home to The Masters tournament, which has been held annually for 87 years. The course is renowned for its meticulously maintained greens and scenic beauty, featuring lush grass and vibrant flowers.
Although the Masters is an important historical event, it has an ugly past. Augusta National was built on a slave plantation and land that belonged to slave owners. It then became Fruitland Nurseries, on of the most successful nurseries in the southeast U.S. Before becoming Augusta National, the property was an indigo plantation in the mid-19th century. The land had previously been owned by a slaveholder, and there is evidence suggesting that slaves were housed on the property.
Augusta National reflected the racist mores of the 20th century, initially being a private white men’s society. Bobby Jones, an amateur golfing champion, and Clifford Roberts, a Wall Street stockbroker, founded Augusta National in 1932. The Masters used to be called Augusta National Invitational and some believe that the name, Masters, had something to do with slave masters in the south. Their argument was that one cannot ‘master the sport’ and the name really has nothing to do with golf if you think about it.
The course was designed by golf course architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie. The club’s Clubhouse, built in 1854, was originally part of Fruitland Nurseries, one of the South’s oldest nurseries. The co-founders, Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, established the tradition of awarding green jackets to Masters winners, which remain the property of the club after the champion’s winning year. Winners also receive a 132-pound silver trophy, a replica of Augusta National’s Clubhouse.
While The Masters is a celebrated event, Augusta National has faced criticism for its history of racial and gender exclusion. According to The New York Times, the club did not invite a Black golfer to compete until 1975, admitted its first Black member in 1990, and began allowing female members in 2012. Golf.com reports that of Augusta National’s approximately 300 members, only nine are African-American and six are women.
The 2023 Masters Tournament, held from April 6 to April 9, saw Jon Rahm emerge as the champion, making history as the first European to win both The Masters and the U.S. Open. Five-time Masters winner Tiger Woods withdrew from the tournament due to re-aggravating his plantar fasciitis, a lingering injury from his 2021 car accident. Despite his struggles, Ramapo JV golf coach Adam Kellogg expressed hope that Woods’ recent surgery will allow him to continue competing at the highest level.
