AUGUSTA, GA—As viewers prepare to watch this year’s Masters the perspective of architects actively involved in golf course design can provide additional insights into one of the most famous golf courses globally. The Augusta National Golf Club was brought into being through the collaborative efforts of founder Bobby Jones and legendary architect Alister Mackenzie. Since opening in the early 1930’s the course has experienced numerous different changes—or as club officials are quick to point out are “improvements”—to its core design. Some of the results have been embraced, others panned as being out of character. The following interviews provide the perspective of four active professionals on how the existing course stacks up now.
What reaction would architect Dr. Alister Mackenzie have to the various changes made to the course he designed in collaboration with Bobby Jones over the years?
Ian Andrew: Mackenzie designed Augusta National around his greens. The bold contours dictated the ideal angles of approach and minimized the need for bunkering. The result was an undefined path where the players had to learn the ideal positions and discover the shots would produce the best results. Recent changes now dictate play and punish those who won’t follow the defined path. MacKenzie would be disappointed in that style of architecture imposing itself on his design.
Lester George: He would barely recognize it and would have no concept of the reason for the length. I am not sure he would think much of it—other than maybe for the grooming. He might be curiously astonished at the detail and mowing heights but overall, I think he would have general disdain for the changes made to his masterpiece.
Stephen Kay: If Mackenzie got to know what the game was like today—how far they hit it, improved maintenance—he would approve of most changes, except I think he would not like the simple shapes of the bunkers he would want them to be more intricate.
Richard Mandell: Both he and Jones would be less than pleased about the addition of sand bunkers and narrowing of the golf course. I believe they would be at the forefront of dialing the golf ball back, distance-wise, as their counter. Unfortunately, even their efforts would lose out to the equipment manufacturers.
