Augusta National… Without the Prestige

[sofingaw]

I mean, I totally get ‘jazzing up’ the course for TV, and doing the grass dyeing, and fresh plant planting, etc...

I even understand maybe, ‘topping off’ the bunkers with fresh, bright sand before the show.

But wholesale replacement, and then re-replacement? For what?

I still don’t buy it. 

Why not just use the fancy shit all year round, and top it off if/when it starts to look like crap, say, before the tourney? If they have hella money, (they do), why not spring for quartz for thier billionaire/millionaire/hundred-thousandaire membership? They’ll make it all back from TV, anyway, yeah? 

Also, if I’m not mistaken, quartz is a very common mineral. Maybe among the most common?

It’s not like they’re filling the traps with rubies and pearl dust! 

It all just seems excessive beyond practicality to me. 

[RussUK]

Just now, sofingaw said:

I mean, I totally get ‘jazzing up’ the course for TV, and doing the grass dyeing, and fresh plant planting, etc...

I even understand maybe, ‘topping off’ the bunkers with fresh, bright sand before the show.

But wholesale replacement, and then re-replacement? For what?

I still don’t buy it. 

Why not just use the fancy shit all year round, and top it off if/when it starts to look like crap, say, before the tourney? If they have hella money, (they do), why not spring for quartz for thier billionaire/millionaire/hundred-thousandaire membership? They’ll make it all back from TV, anyway, yeah? 

Also, if I’m not mistaken, quartz is a very common mineral. Maybe among the most common?

It’s not like they’re filling the traps with rubies and pearl dust! 

It all just seems excessive beyond practicality to me. 

The Quartz they use at augusta is a particular type "Spruce Pine " (not the other way round, i've had a loooong weekend ) named after the quarry it is mined. It is apparently softer than sand but gives less spin. As in my previous post Augusta do seem to keep it all year round so i was mistaken there. They also put dye in the water as well to make it look nice!

The bunkers at Carnoustie were, according to my Uncle, "like hitting from a building site". Sand was coarse, had stones in it. The reason they told him they change it is that the good sand is expensive. I suppose they dont want the good stuff wasted on the mere mortals that play daily. This was after the last open there so whether their policies have changed i dont know but was correct at the time. My Uncle was dissapointed as he was after that "Open" experience.

Im sure there are lots of other things they do at the courses that we never hear about.

[sofingaw]

Just now, RussUK said:

The Quartz they use at augusta is a particular type "Spruce Pine " (not the other way round, i've had a loooong weekend ) named after the quarry it is mined. It is apparently softer than sand but gives less spin. As in my previous post Augusta do seem to keep it all year round so i was mistaken there. They also put dye in the water as well to make it look nice!

The bunkers at Carnoustie were, according to my Uncle, "like hitting from a building site". Sand was coarse, had stones in it. The reason they told him they change it is that the good sand is expensive. I suppose they dont want the good stuff wasted on the mere mortals that play daily. This was after the last open there so whether their policies have changed i dont know but was correct at the time. My Uncle was dissapointed as he was after that "Open" experience.

Im sure there are lots of other things they do at the courses that we never hear about.

“Im sure there are lots of other things they do at the courses that we never hear about.”

Hey, fair enough on the last point! No question there is a lot involved that the rest of us have no idea about. Even at our regular courses, I bet, let alone major venues! 

I think we can all take a moment once in a while to recognize the work of greenskeepers and course managers. It’s truly remarkable what they do so we can hack it around out there. 

[saevel25]

49 minutes ago, sofingaw said:

Why not just use the fancy shit all year round, and top it off if/when it starts to look like crap, say, before the tourney? If they have hella money, (they do), why not spring for quartz for thier billionaire/millionaire/hundred-thousandaire membership?

Doing some research, I believe with certainty that the course closes in May for the summer. So, why keep it maintained when it will not be in use?

 

[sofingaw]

1 minute ago, saevel25 said:

Doing some research, I believe with certainty that the course closes in May for the summer. So, why keep it maintained when it will not be in use?

 

A fair question, and it seems that they don’t. At least compared to tournament time. I would speculate that any maintenance that is done is done because they need to keep it in shape to become ‘Masters Augusta’ as needed each year. 

[saevel25]

13 minutes ago, sofingaw said:

A fair question, and it seems that they don’t. At least compared to tournament time. I would speculate that any maintenance that is done is done because they need to keep it in shape to become ‘Masters Augusta’ as needed each year. 

I think they do a lot of renovations and work over the summer. Also, I think they just want to keep wear and tear down from the hot summers. The greens at Augusta National are not Bermuda greens.

Quote

1. The grass: The first thing that pops into your head when you think about Augusta National is the lush, green grass that covers the property. It's the greenest Bermuda grass you've ever seen -- with an assist from the over-seeded rye added each fall -- from the tee boxes all the way up to the bent grass greens.

https://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/masters-2016-five-things-to-know-about-augusta-national-golf-club/

Most greens that far south are some form of Bermuda, which is heat resistant. Most greens in Ohio are Bent grass. If we get a stretch of days in the 90's with no rain, you'll see greens get burnt out. I've seen a course lose 1/4 a green for a whole summer before.

 

[iacas]

5 hours ago, RussUK said:

I dont think so. The course looks stunning during tournament week but like others have said it isnt like that the rest of the year. Take the bunkers for instance, they fill them with quartz so they are nice and white but remove it after the event and put the bog standard sand back in.

The grass is painted with dye during the event and one thing i learned is that Augusta National is next to a main road so the sound of birds tweeting on tv is added in to cover the road noise.

I think you're believing some old BS.

Pretty sure the grass isn't painted and that the bunker sand is the same all year 'round.

I'm friends with people who play (or played) there occasionally (they were good friends with Arnie).

The course is closed from shortly after the Masters until October. Of course the grass is brown-ish in the summer.

[RussUK]

19 minutes ago, iacas said:

I think you're believing some old BS.

Pretty sure the grass isn't painted and that the bunker sand is the same all year 'round.

I'm friends with people who play (or played) there occasionally (they were good friends with Arnie).

The course is closed from shortly after the Masters until October. Of course the grass is brown-ish in the summer.

Already corrected myself on the bunkers being changed,

Grass being painted is mentioned a number of times on the web including:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/3221849/18-secret-augusta-facts/

It is from the Sun so take it with a pich of salt 

[iacas]

Just now, RussUK said:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/3221849/18-secret-augusta-facts/

It is from the Sun so take it with a pich of salt 

I do, because again, I've known people who have been there and people who have played there.

The Sun article says they might paint a little bit where the players walk off and wear out spots. IMO that's a big step from "the grass is painted green" which implies, to me at least, a lot more wide-scale painting.

But whatever. Kinda OT, so I'm done with it.

[ncates00]

It would probably be a hidden gem.  Great course that only a select few know about.

[The Recreational Golfer]

To find out how Augusta was designed to be played, see the book, Golf Is My Game by Bobby Jones (1959). Chapter 20 contains his comments on the general concept of the course. Chapter 21 contains his hole-by-hole description of how the hole was meant to be played, accompanied by a detailed drawing. Talk about straight from the horse's mouth.

[Buckeyebowman]

On 4/16/2018 at 7:07 AM, saevel25 said:

Doing some research, I believe with certainty that the course closes in May for the summer. So, why keep it maintained when it will not be in use?

 

I've heard that as well. I think Augusta National is open for members from about Labor Day to somewhere around Memorial Day, and then closed. A course that hosts a Tour event every year has to be repaired. Having galleries out there can cause an incredible amount of damage! I've seen some fairway crossing areas (not at Augusta) that were nearly devoid of grass by Sunday!

Also, I played a local, Donald Ross designed course some years back. I knew the greenkeeper since he played in a couple of the same leagues that I did. I played midweek and told him the pin positions were some of the trickiest I had ever seen there. He told me, "Well, we put them there during the week because we are trying to save the middle, flatter part, of the greens for the weekend when we're crowded. We need to get people around in a decent amount of time, and most of them are more comfortable shooting for the middle of the green!"

There's more to it than you may think.

[Phil McGleno]

You cannot separate the two.-Pointless.

[The Bogey Guy]

It is a beautiful course no doubt. I would still play it absolutely but having the history behind it does make it just a little more special. :)

[SmiterofPV1x]

On 4/10/2018 at 7:06 PM, GolfLug said:

I have heard of it and years ago naively  tried to get on it by just calling.

Completely off topic; I know they are 100 percent in their right to do what they please and I am sure they have their reasons which I will never understand, but f**k exclusivity 7 days a week. 

There's gotta be ways to share treasure like that.

Sorry, had to get it off my chest.

Lol! I get the frustration. There's tons of courses that I'd LOVE to play, just once. Just one time. But if a course can still survive as a private club, then they have the right to be private. Can you imagine some of the premier courses that have 20+k buy ins and waiting lists at that for membership allowing private play? Even at 500.00 a round their members would go bananas. FWIW if all top courses had open play days at 500.00 to play I'd pick one or two a yes and play. They don't and while I could drop a couple grand a year to play a top course or two a year, coming up with 50k to buy in membership at an elite course isn't something that I have the means to do. 

Those that do, more power to them and I can see why they don't want me on their course. I'd love to play them, and have a couple due to connections, but for the most part it's not happening. I understand why, and if I was one of those that ponied up 50k initiation and 20k dues, I wouldn't want anyone that wasn't my guest or a guest of another to play there either. 

Plenty of high end public courses around and maybe I'm blessed because I play some darn fine tracks for anywhere from 10-75 a round anyways. I played a top 20 public course in the US for a 10.00 hot deal about 20 times before they built up enough business to drop golf now. It's still reasonable + at around 50.00 a round, but 10.00 to play it was beyond awesome!  I also play some goat pastures for 10-20 a round too. 

[308 Ragin Cajun]

On 4/9/2018 at 7:03 AM, saevel25 said:

I would say probably not.

If it never held a tournament and didn't have the history link with Bobby Jones, then I don't know how it gets recognition with it being a private course from a small town.

I agree. Especially its being a very exclusive course in a   small town. No one would ever get to play it.