Behind the Curtains at Augusta National

Five Architects Weigh in on Annual Site of The Masters

Tiger Woods of the United States hits a shot on the 12th hole during the third round of the 2015 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2015 in Augusta, Georgia. Andrew Redington/Getty Images

This week’s Masters marks not only the first major golf championship for 2015 but also once again brings to the forefront the showcase 18-holes called Augusta National Golf Club. Founder Bobby Jones and course architect Alister MacKenzie sought to bring to into being a golf course that would revolutionize all future golf courses. The strategic nature of Augusta National was a gigantic leap away from the more penal style courses that often served as sites for major golf events.

 

Viewers have been watching numerous Masters over the years and the golf course Jones and MacKenzie envisioned has been dramatically altered over the years. Given all the changes -- otherwise stated as “improvements” by the club -- the evolution of the golf course has been an ongoing matter of extreme importance -- and at times major controversy. For many watching the telecast this week the focus will be on the players and who ultimately dons the green jacket at the presentation ceremony in Butler Cabin.

 

Augusta National Golf Club, along with Pebble Beach in California and The Old Course at St. Andrews, are three of the most viewed and examined golf courses in the world. In fact, both Jones and MacKenzie had extreme affection for The Old Course and sought to incorporate many of those same architectural elements for Augusta National. To better understand the key elements, five architects have been enlisted to provide their expertise in shedding additional light on the major course progressions that have happened over the years. None of the men participating in the question and answer dialogue have worked on Augusta National and therefore have no direct conflict on the information they present.

 

The debate of when changes to a course are needed and how they are carried out is a matter of serious importance. Have such improvements been helpful in providing the needed balance as clubs and balls technology made startling advancements over the last 20 years? Have such architectural changes been in the spirit of what Jones and MacKenzie wanted? Or, have many of these changes simply been a hodge-podge of knee-jerk reactions in order to protect the course at all costs against the increasing skills of today’s world class players? There are no easy answers but the resulting debate makes for a lively dialogue on one of the most fascinating courses in golf.

 

The Participants ...
 
RICHARD MANDELL

 

Has worked on more than sixty golf courses since 1992 in 13 states and China. Restoration of Ellis Maples’ Orangeburg Country Club recently voted Renovation of the Decade by the South Carolina Golf Raters Panel this past month. Acclaimed work at the storied Keller Golf Course in St. Paul, Minnesota named Golf Magazine Municipal Renovation of the Year 2014. In 2011, named one of the 15 Most Influential Architects by GolfInc. Magazine. www.golf-architecture.com.

 

KELLY BLAKE MORAN

Has designed golf courses for over 30 years collaborating with other professionals to produce 23 new golf courses, and renovate 15 existing courses in 5 countries. Based in the United States and can be contacted at [email protected].

 

 LESTER GEORGE

Golf course architect for 25 years - located in Richmond, VA. Member of the ASGCA since 2006, retired as U.S. Army Lt. Colonel. Notable award-winning designs and renovations include Kinloch Golf Club, The Old White, Country Club of Florida, Ballyhack Golf Club, Independence Golf Club. www.georgegolfdesign.com.

 

IAN ANDREW

Has been a golf course architect since 1989, a member of the ASGCA since 2004 and lives just outside Toronto. www.Andrewgolf.com.

 

STEPHEN KAY

Member ASGCA, in practice since 1983 and has done renovation work at more than250 golf courses. Has designed 20 new golf courses while providing renovation services to over 250 courses specializing in Donald Ross, A.W. Tillinghast and Charles Banks courses. Architects GC, and restoration of Llanerch CC, are examples of his work. www.kayandsmithdesign.com.

 

First question: Founder Bobby Jones and course architect Alister MacKenzie patterned the creation of Augusta National Golf Club after many of the qualities found at The Old Course at St. Andrews which both men respected immensely. Has the movement in recent years away from the original intent sought by Jones and MacKenzie been a good or bad thing from an architectural dimension?

GEORGE: I’m not sure it’s been a bad thing for the general public because the average person has no frame of reference.  From an architecture standpoint, I would like to see more attention paid to shot length, values, difficulty, etc., than to simply making changes because they can. It would appear they have made changes due to outside influences. I do not think Jones or MacKenzie would have paid an iota of attention to members’ design ideas if their logic had been founded in “because we can afford it,” or, because “so-and-so,” thinks we should do it.

MORAN: The ideas embodied in the ancient qualities of the Old Course are important. The further we move away from those ancient ideas the less we may enjoy our present pursuits. 

KAY: It’s both. The ‘risk and reward’ is not as much as they intended it but they could have never imagined how good these players would be come both in talent and in equipment improvement -- including the maintenance improvements made.

MANDELL: When I think of Augusta National, I think that MacKenzie’s course is long gone and what remains is “The Masters Course”.  It is tough to keep a golf hole relevant in terms of angles when everyone hits 300 yard drives. I have no problem extending the length of the hole to give some challenge and restoring the possibility of a long iron as an approach on a par four. But I am not in favor of narrowing holes with trees as a defense.  Why we wonder why every club in America is overgrown with trees I'll never understand and now it will only get worse as more and more greens chairmen see the narrowing of Augusta. 

ANDREW: It was originally a course full of width and options. Competitors had the opportunity to play for positions that made certain pin locations much easier to access. For many of the holes, the addition of rough and trees have removed these options. Those holes are less compelling to watch.

Patrons watch the play on the tenth hole during the third round of the 2015 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2015 in Augusta, Georgia. David Cannon/Getty Images