How the home of the masters has expanded over time and what could lie ahead
Illustrations by Chris O’Riley
1942
1. Augusta National was originally a 148-hectare nursery called Fruitland. Construction on the course began in 1931, and it opened in 1932. The first Masters was played in 1934.
2. The clubhouse was completed in 1857 and served as the home for a plantation owner.
3. The original practice facility was between the ninth and 18th holes.
4. Magnolia Lane, the 300-metre entrance, was dirt until the 1940s.
5. The Great Depression derailed ambitious expansion plans, and five members bought the club to rescue it from bankruptcy.
2002
1. The Par-3 course opened in 1958, and the first Masters Par-3 Contest was played in 1960.
2. The club constructed a proper practice facility in the 1950s to the east of Magnolia Lane.
3. In the 1980s, the club added a patron entrance and carpark off Berckmans Road.
4. About the same time, the club added more parking off Washington Road and Berckmans Road and another patron entrance on Berckmans.
5. From the club’s founding to the turn of the century, the population of Augusta grew by nearly 135,000 to more than 195,000 people.
2023
1. In 2010, a new range opened west of Magnolia Lane that is used only for the Masters.
2. Berckmans Place, an ultra-exclusive VIP retreat, opened for members and corporate hospitality in 2012.
3. The club is believed to be 75 percent bigger in size than at its founding. An entire neighbourhood west of the club was purchased and then converted into parking by 2016.
4. The Par-3 course was renovated for the 2023 Masters.
5. The club bought land from Augusta Country Club in 2017 to lengthen the 13th hole for 2023.
2043?
1. Housing for all competitors and media for Masters week.
2. A second 18-hole course, perhaps for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, would be a nod to the founders’ original wish to have a second course.
3. A new carpark could be constructed closer to I-20 with an interstate exit that runs into Augusta National property to avoid busy Washington Road.
4. A re-imagined fan village could be built to honour the Masters Tournament and the game.
5. A practice area for the potential new course could be added.
