The History of the Masters Golf Tournament: A Legacy

Augusta’s first US Masters event or first National Invitational Tournament was held on a 365-acre golf course located in Augusta, Georgia. It originally used to be farmland filled with flowers and trees until co-founder Bobby Jones took it over in 1931. Bobby Jones added great value to the beauty of the course, and since its founding, the field of Augusta golf continues to be the envy of golf courses around the world. The event is normally held in the first week of April each year. The history of the Masters Golf tournament has witnessed 72 of these consecutive events, with the exception of the 3 years in which the United States was mired in World War II.

Throughout its history, the Masters event at Augusta National Golf Course has been known for its conservative nature with respect to spectators. The tournament’s founders believed that access to the golf course should be limited to golfers and their caddies only. Although these rules were relaxed over time, there is still a code of conduct in place for viewers, who are often referred to as patrons here. Due to the strict rules of etiquette for both players and the public, the US Masters is known to be quite the privileged golf event. Not only is it extremely difficult for a professional golfer to put on a good show and win the tournament here, it is an extremely challenging task even for the sponsors who attend. Even the practice round tickets are reserved in advance for years and years and one must keep waiting on the waiting list before getting a chance to witness the spectacle that the US Masters puts on.

The History of the Masters Golf Tournament has an interesting lineage of traditions that are observed to date. It is these traditions that make racing at Augusta even more special and memorable. One such tradition that is observed to date is the awarding of the Green Jacket to the winner of the tournament. Winners are adorned with a green shamrock jacket, a symbol of membership in the Augusta National Golf Club. They are allowed to keep the jacket for about a year, after which they must return it to management. They can also wear this green jacket while on the golf course. One such infamous incident associated with this green jacket is the Gary Player episode. He never returned his first green jacket after winning it in 1961. He later also won the tournament in 1974 and 1978. Other big-name winners of the coveted title at the US Masters include six-time winner Jack Nicklaus, four-time champion , Arnold Palmer and, of course, Tiger Woods, who became the youngest US Masters winner at the age of 21.