A Beginner’s Guide to the Masters Golf Tournament

It’s the greatest week of the year, a tradition unlike any other, but if you’re new to golf you may be asking yourself, why? Well if so, you’ve come to the right place, here is a beginner’s guide to the Masters.

The Course

You can’t have a golf tournament without a golf course, so it’s best to start there. Construction on the esteemed course began in 1931, and it officially opened for member play in December of 1932. The property sits just a few hundred feet from neighboring Augusta Country Club, on a 365-acre plot of land once known as Fruitland Nurseries.

Fruitland Nurseries. CC: Augusta, Ga

The course was designed by golf course architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie in collaboration with Bobby Jones. Jones was one of the game’s all-time greats and remains the only golfer to ever complete the Grand Slam in a single calendar year. In 1930, that feat included the U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, British Open, and British Amateur. Today, the modern Grand Slam consists of the Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and the British Open.

Unlike today’s professionals, Jones remained an amateur throughout his entire career, never accepting compensation for his play. After completing the Grand Slam, he chose to retire from competitive golf at just 28 years old. It was at this point that he turned his attention to creating something lasting, a course that would reflect his vision for the game and eventually become the home of The Masters Tournament.

Alongside MacKenzie, he envisioned a course that would capture the spirit of golf’s earliest designs while presenting a challenge suited for the ever evolving game. The result, a challenging course featuring wide fairways, no rough, few trees, drastic elevation changes, and contouring greens.

The Old Course, ANGC’s inspiration, CC: Rob Bishop

Since it’s first design in 1931, the course has evolved strikingly. The game of golf has grown with time, and players are hitting the ball further then ever. Too combat this Augusta added the “second cut” in 1978. The second cut was introduced to penalize shots that stray too far offline, with the thicker rough limiting a player’s ability to generate spin and control the shape of their next shot.

However, the most significant change since the course first opened has been the addition of trees. Over 80,000 trees have been planted at Augusta National Golf Club. The trees provide a greater penalty for shots that fall too far off line, but that isn’t there only purpose. The trees provide a sense of separation from the outside world. Whether it’s the towering pines that make the course truly cloistered or the belle of the historic oaks, every tree is perfectly placed and perfectly manicured.

Perhaps the most famous stretch of the course is Amen Corner. It’s here where champions will rise to the occasion, most notably Tiger Woods in 2019. Woods entered the par-4 11th hole trailing by 2 strokes, and left the 13th hole with a one shot lead. His lead would grow to 2, and despite a bogey on 18, he would go on to win his last Masters in one of the game’s greatest comebacks. While champions may flourish in Amen Corner, leaders fall.

No hole in golf has provided more drama than the 12th hole at Augusta National. The 12th hole is the prized possession of Augusta National, yet at just 154 yards, the shot doesn’t demand much from the best golfers in the world. Yet time and time again, players come up short, their shots trickling into the water of Rae’s Creek along with their hopes of victory. Jordan Spieth is one of the 12th’s hole most eminent victims. Spieth entered the 12th hole making consecutive bogies, still, he held a one-shot lead over Englishman Danny Willett. What followed was one of the most stunning collapses in Masters history, as Spieth hit two tee shots into the water and carded a quadruple-bogey 7 on the 12th hole. Willett would go on to win, and Spieth hasn’t reached the same level of play since.

The Traditions

Every part of the Masters feels intentional. The tournament has fallen on the first full week of April since it began in 1934. History and respect are two of the core values at The Masters, well unless you’re Jose Ballester who took a leak in Rae’s Creek last year. At The Masters, there is no rough, only a second cut. Fans are referred to as patrons, and the back nine is known simply as the second nine.

However, there is no greater display of history at The Masters then the 18th hole. There’s no swanky hospitality boxes, no 4k electric scoreboard, just a small green, thousands of masters chairs, and one iconic manual scoreboard. All of the game’s greats have made the walk up 18 with the lead, the crowd chanting their name, and their loved ones waiting just a few feet away.

The award winning The Masters? A simple Green Jacket with the club’s logo, a trophy, and $4.2 million. Following the conclusion of play, the champion heads into the Butler Cabin, where the crowning ceremony commences. The tournament’s past champion crown’s the current champion, and places the green jacket on him. The ceremony is everything The Masters is about, simple, yet so rewarding. The champion then completes an interview and hoists the trophy.

Another tradition that sets the Masters apart is the Champions Dinner. Each year, the defending champion hosts a private dinner for past winners, selecting the menu themselves. It’s a rare gathering of golf history, where legends of different eras come together in a way no other tournament can replicate.

Then there are the Honorary Starters, a tradition that begins the tournament each year. Legends of the game, often figures like Jack Nicklaus or Gary Player, hit the opening tee shots, connecting the present field to the champions that came before them.

Even the way you experience the Masters feels different. Phones aren’t allowed on the course, which means the focus stays entirely on the golf. When something big happens, you don’t see it first, you hear it. The roars travel through the trees, building anticipation in a way that’s completely unique.

All of these traditions come together to create something bigger than just a tournament. They give the Masters a sense of permanence, like it exists slightly outside of time. That’s why, year after year, it doesn’t just feel like another event on the schedule. It feels like something you return to. Every April, every year, it’s the start of spring, it’s the start of the golf season, and it’s The Masters..

Tenth Hole, Augusta National Golf Club. CC: Mbrooks

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