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Can You Tour Augusta National? A Guide to Visiting the Iconic Golf Course

By Happy Sharer

Introduction

Augusta National Golf Club is one of the most iconic golf courses in the world. Located in Augusta, Georgia, it’s home to the Masters Tournament, one of the four major championships in professional golf. Every year, thousands of golf fans flock to Augusta National to watch the world’s best players compete. But what if you want to experience the course for yourself? Can you tour Augusta National?

Exploring Augusta National: A Tour of the Iconic Golf Course

The answer is yes! The club offers public tours of the golf course throughout the year. These tours are a great way to get an up-close look at the course and learn more about its history and significance. On the tour, visitors can explore the grounds, take pictures, and even get a chance to hit some balls on the driving range.

When planning your tour, it’s important to note that access to the club is strictly limited. Tours must be booked in advance, and availability is limited. It’s recommended that you book as far in advance as possible to ensure you get a spot. The tours typically last two hours and run from 9am to 5pm Monday through Saturday.

Behind the Scenes at Augusta National: A Tour Guide’s Perspective

On the tour, visitors will be led around the course by knowledgeable guides who can provide interesting information and anecdotes about the golf course. They’ll also have the opportunity to stop and take pictures at various points along the way. The guides are passionate about the course and are always willing to answer questions and help visitors get the most out of their tour.

The tour guides also offer tips and advice on how to make the most of your visit. They can provide tips on where to stand to get the best view of the course, what clubs to use when hitting shots, and other helpful hints.

A Guide to Visiting Augusta National: The Home of Masters Golf

When preparing for your tour, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, dress appropriately. The course is a private facility and has a strict dress code. For men, this means collared shirts, trousers, and no jeans. Women should wear skirts or slacks. Second, bring a camera. You won’t want to miss out on capturing photos of the beautiful scenery. Third, be prepared to spend some money. There are plenty of souvenirs and snacks available for purchase at the course.

If you’re planning to stay overnight, there are several hotels in the area that offer comfortable accommodations. Additionally, there are several restaurants nearby where you can grab a bite to eat. If you’re looking for other activities to do during your stay, there are several attractions within a short drive, including the Augusta Museum of History, the Morris Museum of Art, and the Augusta Canal.

Visiting Augusta National is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that shouldn’t be missed. Whether you’re a golf fan or simply looking for a unique adventure, the course offers something for everyone. With its stunning views, fascinating history, and knowledgeable tour guides, Augusta National is sure to provide an unforgettable experience. So, if you’re looking for a unique way to explore this iconic golf course, consider taking a tour of Augusta National.

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Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way.

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Is it possible to 'walk the course' or visit at any time if you are not a member?

Is there a souvenir store?

Visiting early March.

No not really. You might be able to get a quick peak at the course as you drive down the road.

It's a private club that stays private until the week of the Masters. There's not much to see from outside the grounds, but I'm with PeachBelle - drive down the road and see what you can see if you're going to be in the area anyway. Don't make a special trip for it, though.

That's a pity.

After walking the greatest course in the World, The Old Course at St Andrews, it would have been nice to add Augusta National to the list.

Thanks for the replies

Is it possible to visit and walk the course at Augusta National.

Will be visiting and watching the US open at Chambers Bay mid June.

You have to have a practice round badge for Masters week. The practice badges are pretty easy to get if you inquire around. (it's illegal to sell them but not illegal to buy them from people) This gets you on the grounds and they do have a souvenir store and $1 sandwiches and the like.

You could try and get tournament tickets, but they are going for around $2000 right now.

Last year sandwiches cost 1.50 to 3 dollars. Sodas were $1.50. Domestic beer $3.00. Amazing prices!

Having read your review, I hope you can help me? We are planning to visit the course to visit the pro shop and hopefully get a glimpse of the course.

Hope you can help

Hi Phil, did you see replies 1 and 2 above?

You might want to call Augusta National directly to verify before you waste time on the road.

706-667-6000

Phil, to be honest, not a chance, this is private as prvate can be!!

There is no way you can just show up and be let on to the property. As other posters have said, it is necessary to get a practice day or tournament ticket (aka "badge"). You can go to the Masters website and apply to be in the lottery to get some of the tickets. It took me 21 years of applying to get Masters tickets. Another option is to sign up as a volunteer for the tournament. That, too, is a very long process. You can go on to the secondary market like Stub Hub, etc., to get tournament tickets, but they are incredibly expensive. A word of warning - many fake Masters tickets are sold during and before the Masters each year. It's much more of a problem than is reported. If you are a member of a private club somewhere, you might be able to get reciprocal privileges with the Augusta Country Club which is right next door to Augusta National. You can see a lot of the course from there. Of course, during Masters week, the ACC is closed, I think.

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A view down Magnolia Lane prior to The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 02, 2021 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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Nine things to know: Augusta National Golf Club

18 Min Read

Need to Know

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The annual rite of spring that is golf’s visit to Augusta National is upon us. The Masters is defined by timeless traditions that tie today’s best players with the legends that preceded them. While golf fans may feel intimately familiar with the only venue that hosts a major on an annual basis, here are some stories from its past that may enhance your enjoyment. This is Nine Things to Know about Augusta National Golf Club:

1. FLOWER POWER

The world’s best convene at Augusta National each year to play for one of golf’s most prestigious prizes, but a local legend says men may have been searching for treasure on the site centuries earlier. It’s been said Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto may have visited the land where Augusta National now lies in the 16th century while on a futile search for riches. He may not have found what he was looking for, but a small spring in the trees between the 13th and 14th fairways allegedly yields trace amounts of gold after heavy rains, according to David Owen’s “The Making of the Masters.”

The land became an indigo plantation – the owner’s home is now Augusta National’s clubhouse – before the Berckmans family of Belgium purchased it in the 1850s to form Fruitland Nurseries, importing trees and flowering plants from around the world. The first attempt to bring a golf course to the site was made in 1925 by a Miami businessman who wanted to build a course and $2 million hotel. He went bankrupt shortly after pouring the concrete footings, which were buried during the construction of Augusta National.

Augusta National co-founder Bobby Jones, the greatest golfer of his time, was pointed to the site during his search for the land where he could build his dream course. He was seeking a rolling piece of property that could use natural terrain instead of excessive hazards to befuddle players.

“I shall never forget my first visit to the property which is now Augusta National,” Jones wrote in “Golf Is My Game.” “The long lane of magnolias through which we approached was beautiful. The old manor house with its cupola and walls of masonry two feet thick was charming. The rare trees and shrubs of the old nursery were enchanting. But when I walked out on the grass terrace under the big trees behind the house and looked down over the property, the experience was unforgettable. It seemed that this land had been lying here for years just waiting for someone to lay a golf course upon it.”

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 30: A view of the locked gates at the entrance of Magnolia Lane off Washington Road that leads to the clubhouse of Augusta National on March 30, 2020 in Augusta, Georgia. The Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals has been postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Jones enlisted Scottish architect Alister MacKenzie to create the course, saying in a 1931 interview that “we are in perfect agreement that a good golf course can be designed and constructed which will be an exacting test for the best competition, and at the same time afford a pleasant and reasonably simple problem for the average player and the duffer.

“Dr. MacKenzie and I believe that no good golf hole exists that does not afford a proper and convenient solution to the average golfer and the short player, as well as to the more powerful and accurate expert.”

2. FORTUITOUS MEETING

Pebble Beach has been called “the most felicitous meeting of land and sea in the world.” It also was the site of one of the most fortuitous meetings in golf history, after a shocking loss to a teenager allowed Bobby Jones to strengthen his relationship with the man whom he’d tab to design Augusta National.

Marion Hollins, a U.S. Women’s Amateur champion and the developer behind two MacKenzie designs on California’s central coast, Cypress Point and Pasatiempo, is credited with creating the circumstances that led to Jones and Alister MacKenzie connecting in 1929. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame this year for her play and role in so many prestigious clubs.

Jones, the 1929 U.S. Open champion, shared medalist honors in that year’s U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach before losing to a 19-year-old, Johnny Goodman, in the opening round (Goodman would win the U.S. Open four years later, becoming the last amateur to do so). Exiting the tournament early gave Jones more time to discuss course architecture with MacKenzie, whom he’d first met while competing in Great Britain, and play his nearby designs.

"If Jones had been impressed with Pebble Beach, he fell head over heels in love with the newer Cypress Point," Charles Price wrote in “A Golf Story: Bobby Jones, Augusta National and the Masters Tournament.” "He found the design 'almost perfect.’ … The more they talked, the more impressed Jones became with Dr. MacKenzie's theories. While neither was aware of it, the Augusta National Golf Club – and, hence, the Masters Tournament – was being born."

MacKenzie and Jones bonded over their reverence for St. Andrews. MacKenzie once wrote, “I do not know a single example of a successful golf architect who is not enamored of the Old Course and the strategic principals embodied in it.”

MacKenzie also wrote that an architect should “be able to put himself in the position of the best player that ever lived, and at the same time be extremely sympathetic towards the beginner and long handicap player” and that “there should be a complete absence of the annoyance and irritation caused by the necessity of searching for lost balls.”

The original design of Augusta National had fewer than 30 bunkers, and thick rough is not part of Augusta National’s course setup. The course’s rolling terrain and dramatic slopes are used to challenge the skilled player, while its wide fairways and large greens make it playable for the average golfer.

That is the genius of Augusta National, which opened in December 1932.

3. TOUGH START

Augusta National was created during the Great Depression and it was not exempt from the financial difficulties of the day.

The club struggled to pay course architect Alister MacKenzie for his design services. He reduced his fee from $10,000 to $5,000 just to keep the construction moving along, according to David Owen’s “The Making of the Masters.” After the course had been open several months, MacKenzie had received just $2,000. That didn’t even cover his estimated expenses. At one point he wired the club, asking “Can you possibly let me have … $500 to keep us out of the poor house?” MacKenzie died in January 1934, never seeing Augusta National in its finished form.

While becoming a member at Augusta National is now all but a dream except for only the well-connected, Bobby Jones sent thousands of invitations for the club’s opening membership drive. There were few takers, however. Despite an initiation fee of just $350 (plus tax) and annual dues of just $60, the club had only 76 members as the first Masters neared. That was well short of the 1,800 that the club’s business plan called for.

There were hopes that a tournament, with Jones as the headliner, would solve the club’s financial trouble.

Augusta National co-founder Clifford Roberts went to the City of Augusta asking for $10,000 to help stage the first Masters. The city council said yes, continuing its financial support through 1936, according to David Barrett’s “The Story of the Masters.”

Unfortunately, the club’s financial difficulties didn’t end with the inaugural Masters. The club ceased operations in 1943 and 1944 because of World War II and cattle grazed its fairways. Cows and turkeys were kept on the property – and sold at market – in hopes of earning the club much-needed income.

Owen wrote that Roberts once found $2 on the clubhouse floor and immediately added it to the club’s credit ledger.

“The only reason the clubhouse still exists – the most famous clubhouse in the world – is that they didn’t have the money to tear it down,” Owen told Golf Digest.

The club couldn’t afford to pay Horton Smith for winning the first Masters until 17 members chipped in for the purse. It was one of several times over its first 15 years that the club was on the precipice of financial ruin. Herman Kaiser, the 1946 Masters champ, said he would receive his winner’s plaque once the club could come up with the silver, according to Owen’s book.

4. HOME GAME

Living on Augusta National sounds like a dream come true. It almost was a reality. One of the club’s best hopes for raising money was to sell building lots for members to build winter homes. Roughly a third of the property was reserved for that purpose, according to David Owen’s “The Making of the Masters,” and the lots were numbered and delineated on several early maps. The lots were expected to occupy areas west of the second fairway and east of the 10th and 11th holes (another subdivision was planned for the land where the par-3 course now sits).

There was only one buyer, however. W. Montgomery Harrison bought three adjoining lots and built a large mansion that was visible behind the first green. The house stood until 1977, when another member bought the Harrison property and sold it back to the club. Owen writes that one of Roberts’ last acts before taking his life was walking to the first tee, with the help of a waiter, so that he could look up the fairway and assure himself that the home was gone.

The fact that the club could only sell one lot after two decades of trying “underscores the immensity of the challenge that (Clifford) Roberts, Jones and other early members faced in nearly every area of the club’s operation,” Owen wrote.

5. BY ANY OTHER NAME

Both Augusta National Golf Club and its tournament almost went by different names. American-International Golf Club, Georgia-National Golf Club, International Golf Club of Augusta and Southern National Golf Clubs were among the names considered for the club, according to “The Making of the Masters.”

Jones had his eyes on hosting a different tournament on his course, as well. He first thought about hosting a U.S. Open, but the tournament’s traditional June date wasn’t conducive to Augusta’s hot Southern summers. An April date was ideal. And as an added benefit, the date would attract sportswriters who were headed north from Spring Training.

Augusta National co-founder Clifford Roberts recommended the new tournament, an invitation-only affair, be called The Masters to reflect the quality of the field. Jones found that name presumptuous, so he called it the Augusta National Invitation Tournament. But over Jones' objections, the tournament was called the Masters from the start. Famed sportswriter Grantland Rice, an Augusta National member, called it the Masters in his syndicated columns leading up to the inaugural event, and the Augusta Chronicle referred to it as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament just once, according to author David Barrett.

“The newspapers didn’t want the Augusta National Invitation Tournament because that wouldn’t fit in any headline in the world,” said golf writer Dudley Green, who covered the tournament for The Nashville Banner for 30 straight years starting in 1947. “So they just started calling it The Masters.”

It wasn’t until 1939 that the tournament officially took that name.

6. FLIP THE NINES

Augusta National’s second nine includes some of the game’s most recognizable holes, including the trio known as Amen Corner (Nos. 11-13). Those holes were not the backdrop for the conclusion of the inaugural Masters, however. The first Masters was played with the first hole as No. 10 and vice versa. The routing was reversed before the second Masters and has been used ever since.

"The change was made because we learned through experience that play could begin earlier after a frost on what is now the first nine, due to its being on higher ground," Roberts wrote in “The Story of Augusta National.” "The switch was made in time for the fall season club opening (in 1934)."

The holes down in Amen Corner are among the last to receive sunlight. The routing we have come to know also gave players “the opportunity to warm up before reaching the intricate problems of the difficult holes,” the Augusta Chronicle wrote in 1934. Nos. 11-13, 15 and 16 are the only ones on the course with water, and the two par-5s, Nos. 13 and 15, offer eagle opportunities to those willing to take a risk over water.

<h3>White Dogwood</h3> Stewart Cink: “First of all, you deal with the fear. That’s how you start. The fairway is so narrow that you’re just aiming for the center; even if you miss the fairway in the rough, you’re just hoping you stay between the trees. If you hit the fairway, you have a middle- or long-iron to a real demanding green. The shot is about 8-10 yards downhill. When you’re hitting your approach you just have to decide how bold you want to be. If you miss to the right, you’re about 3-4 feet below the green there, so you have a scary shot uphill to a green that slopes toward the lake. You know you can’t miss right, so then the pond becomes more in play. You rarely ever go for a flag unless it’s on the right side and then you still have to be really disciplined. The green is basically large and has one general slope, back right to front left.”

Flipping the nines paid immediate dividends. The 1935 Masters was won by Gene Sarazen and his famous “Shot Heard ‘Round the World,” an albatross on the par-5 15th. That put him in a playoff with Craig Wood, who had been the presumed champion when he finished several holes ahead of Sarazen. Wood would go on to become the first man to lose playoffs at all four major championships before winning both the Masters and U.S. Open in 1941.

Sarazen, who had missed the inaugural Masters while on a worldwide exhibition tour, was on the 14th hole when he found out that Wood had finished the second Masters with a score of 6-under 282. “Well Gene, that looks like it’s all over,” said his playing partner, Walter Hagen.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Sarazen replied, according to a report from the journalist O.B. Keeler. “They might go in from anywhere.”

That premonition proved true on the next hole, when Sarazen holed out from 230 yards.

7. TRADITION UNLIKE ANY OTHER

Augusta National may be one of the most exclusive clubs in the world, but as the only venue to host a major on an annual basis, much of it feels familiar to golf fans. It starts with the entrance to the club, Magnolia Lane. Many of the trees that line the club’s famous entry were planted as seed by the Berckmans family in the 1850s. The 330-yard road wasn’t paved until 1947, more than a decade after the first Masters (imagine Tiger Woods driving down a dirt road to get to the Masters). The trademark Green Jackets began in 1937 as a way for patrons to recognize Augusta National members in case they needed assistance. Sam Snead was the first champion to receive the Green Jacket, after his 1949 win.

The first Masters Club, now known as the Champion’s Dinner, was held by Ben Hogan in 1952 after his victory the previous year. Hogan proposed membership in the Masters Club be limited to Masters champions, with Augusta National co-founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and club chairmen added as honorary members.

The traditional Par-3 Contest, held each year on the tournament’s eve, was first held in 1960, giving players and their families a chance for some fun before a stressful week begins. A fountain located adjacent to the par-3 course’s first tee lists every winner of the Par-3 Contest (no one has won the Par-3 and the Masters in the same year). The nine-hole course is 1,060 yards. Jimmy Walker holds the course record with an 8-under 19.

The tournament begins each Thursday with the ceremonial opening tee shots from the honorary starters. Only 11 men have served in that role: Jock Hutchison (1963-1973), Fred McLeod (1963-1976), Byron Nelson (1981-2001, non-consecutively), Gene Sarazen (1981-1999), Ken Venturi (1983), Sam Snead (1984-2002), Arnold Palmer (2007-2016), Jack Nicklaus (2010-present), Gary Player (2012-present), Lee Elder (2021) and Tom Watson, who joined Nicklaus and Player in the role in 2022.

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 08: Honorary Starter Lee Elder of the United States (L), waves to the patrons as he is introduced and honorary starter and Masters champion Gary Player of South Africa and honorary starter and Masters champion Jack Nicklaus look on from the first tee during the opening ceremony prior to the start of the first round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 08, 2021 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

In addition to the Green Jacket, the winner also receives a trophy that is a Sterling replica of the Augusta National clubhouse and a gold medal. The runner-up receives a silver medal and silver salver and the low amateur who completes 72 holes receives a silver cup. Awards are also given for various feats throughout the week. A crystal vase is awarded for shooting the day’s low score, a hole-in-one gets a large crystal bowl and an eagle earns a pair of crystal glasses. Players who make an albatross are awarded a large crystal bowl.

There are also three bridges on the second nine that commemorate incredible achievements in Masters history. The Hogan Bridge, which players cross en route to the 12th green, was dedicated in 1958, five years after Hogan set the 72-hole scoring record of 14-under 274. The Nelson Bridge is located off the 13th tee to mark when Nelson went birdie-eagle on Nos. 12 and 13 to pick up six shots on Ralph Guldahl en route to victory in the 1937 Masters. Two years later, Guldahl eagled the 13th hole during his Masters victory.

The Sarazen Bridge is located on the 15th hole to commemorate the most famous shot in Masters history, Sarazen’s albatross on No. 15 in 1935.

8. BERMUDA TO BENT

One of the biggest changes in Augusta National’s history took place four decades ago, when the course’s famous putting surfaces were converted from Bermuda to bentgrass, which isn’t common in the South because it is harder to maintain in warm temperatures. Augusta National is closed during the summer, however, and the course’s Bermudagrass greens had slowed in the years preceding the change. Bentgrass plays faster than Bermuda, allowing the tournament to achieve the green speeds that it is known for.

The experiment was first conducted on the club’s par-3 course. Those surfaces were switched to bentgrass in 1978, and after that experiment was a success, the greens on the big course were switched after the 1980 Masters.

“We could make them so slick we’d have to furnish ice skates on the first tee,” said former Augusta National chairman Hord Hardin. The bentgrass greens debuted in the 1981 Masters and immediately struck fear into players.

“The faster bentgrass surfaces have made the course play to an entirely different tune,” said Arnold Palmer. “Augusta National’s greens already are among the most undulating in the world – that’s part of the Masters tradition. Bentgrass greens are lightning fast; when the speed combines with the severe sloping of Augusta’s greens, they can get out of hand.”

Many of those extreme undulations are credited to another famed architect, Perry Maxwell, who was a partner of MacKenzie’s in the latter stages of his life and did further work on Augusta National in the late 1930s.

“Such undulations were his trademark and were known as ‘Maxwell rolls,’” Owen wrote. “MacKenzie was no longer alive at the time, but he undoubtedly would have approved. He loved dramatic contours.”

9. THE BIG THREE

Three of golf’s greatest stars convened for a practice round before the 1996 Masters, a collision of golf’s past and its future. And when the round was over, the two legends, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, declared that the progeny in their midst, Tiger Woods, could one day claim 10 Masters titles, as many as Palmer and Nicklaus combined. Woods is halfway there, sandwiched between Nicklaus (6) and Palmer (4) on the list of most victories in Masters history.

“He is absolutely the finest, fundamentally sound golfer I have ever seen, almost at any age,” Nicklaus said after playing with Woods for the first time. “(He) hits it 9 million miles without a swing that looks like he’s trying to kill it. … Whether he’s ready to win here this week, I don’t know, but he’s going to be your favorite here for the next 20 years.”

Nicklaus was right. Woods won the next year by 12 shots – breaking the 72-hole scoring record that Nicklaus shared with Raymond Floyd – for the first of his five Green Jackets.

Palmer ushered Augusta National into the television era, as troops from nearby Fort Gordon formed Arnie’s Army and cheered him to four straight wins in even-numbered years. The first, in 1958, came just two years after the Masters first appeared on television (and in the same year that famed golf writer Herbert Warren Wind first used the phrase ‘Amen Corner’ in a story). Palmer followed with wins in 1960, ’62 and ’64. The final win was an emphatic six-shot victory that made him the first four-time winner in Masters history.

But he was soon to be supplanted as the greatest player in Masters history. Nicklaus won his first Masters in 1963 and was victorious again in 1965. A year after Palmer won by a half-dozen, Nicklaus beat Palmer and Gary Player by nine strokes to set tournament records for largest winning margin and low 72-hole score (271). Bobby Jones famously called it “the greatest tournament performance in all of golfing history” and said Nicklaus “plays a game with which I am not familiar.”

Nicklaus won again the next year to become the first player to go back-to-back at Augusta National. His fourth Masters win, in 1975, came in a duel against Tom Weiskopf and Johnny Miller that is considered one of the greatest duels in the tournament’s long history. And, Nicklaus’ sentimental win in 1986 at the age of 46 is among the game’s most famous triumphs.

Like Nicklaus, Woods authored a record-smashing win (1997), went back-to-back (2001-02, joining Nicklaus and Nick Faldo as the only men to do that) and then added one more emotional win (2019). Woods also won in 2005 with a chip-in at 16 that is among the most famous shots in tournament history.

Woods’ 12-shot winning margin in 1997 remains the largest in tournament history and his 18-under winning score, since matched by Jordan Spieth in 2015, remains the lowest score in an April Masters. Dustin Johnson won the Masters in November 2020 with a winning score of 20-under 268, the lowest score in relation to par in major championship history.

Sean Martin manages PGATOUR.COM’s staff of writers as the Lead, Editorial. He covered all levels of competitive golf at Golfweek Magazine for seven years, including tournaments on four continents, before coming to the PGA TOUR in 2013. Follow Sean Martin on Twitter .

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Masters Tournament: Walking tour of Augusta National Golf Club

We take you through Augusta National and show you how to get to Amen Corner, where to see the action and where to get an autograph of a favorite golfer.

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No. 1, 445 yards, par 4

No. 2, 575 yards, par 5, no. 3, 350 yards, par 4, no. 4, 240 yards, par 3, no. 5, 455 yards, par 4, no. 6, 180 yards, par 3, no. 7, 450 yards, par 4, no. 8, 570 yards, par 5, no. 9, 460 yards, par 4, no. 10, 495 yards, par 4, no. 11, 505 yards, par 4, no. 12, 155 yards, par 3, no. 13, 510 yards, par 5, no. 14, 440 yards, par 4, no. 15, 530 yards, par 5, no. 16, 170 yards, par 3, no. 17, 440 yards, par 4, no. 18, 465 yards, par 4.

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Masters survey 2023: augusta national is hallowed ground but where on the golf course is it most special, share this article.

Augusta National is one of golf’s great cathedrals.

To be there is the equivalent of seeing the Sistine Chapel or visiting the Vatican. For some, it’s a religious experience.

But where on the revered course does it feel the most hallowed or special?

That was the question we posed to more than two dozen contestants of the Masters, both past and present. Some are lucky enough to change their shoes in the club’s Champions Locker Room, some won other majors or reached No. 1 in the world but they’ve all had the privilege to participate in the first men’s major of the year and identified where it is that a very special place feels a little extra special.

Masters 2023 leaderboard : Get the latest news from Augusta

Will Zalatoris

Will Zalatoris walks over the Hogan Bridge on the 12th hole during the 2021 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)

Standing on the Hogan Bridge on 12. My dad has played Augusta National twice. He said every time you get on the bridge turn back and look because you’ll never get that view from TV.

Gary Woodland

Gary Woodland plays his shot from the 12th tee during the 2021 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Anytime you get down there on 12. It’s got so much history. Being on the 12th tee box is as good as it gets.

Justin Thomas

Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Shane Lowry on the 15th green at the 2021 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

I think 2 green and 15 green have a special feel. The 15 th green is a little lower where it echoes a little bit more. You have eagles, you have chip ins. You can have those big roars and it’s a cool spot.

Jordan Spieth

Jordan Spieth on the 12th hole at the 2021 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)

Left of 11, 12 green, left of 13 where you are kind of on your own. So Amen Corner to the left side.

Adam Scott reacts after a birdie putt the 18th hole during the final round of the 2013 Masters. (Photo: Augusta National/Getty Images)

There are a lot of spots, but 12 is a special place. The 10 th green is a special place for me, 18 is special.

Jon Rahm and caddie Adam Hayes on the 11th hole at the 2021 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)

When you start walking down 10 and see 11 and 12, that is as special as it gets.

Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player

A sign for Amen Corner at the 2021 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)

Amen Corner.

Collin Morikawa

Collin Morikawa celebrates after holing out from a bunker on the 18th hole during the final round of the 2022 Masters. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)

Walking up 18 I get chills. Last year it was Rory and me and we both holed out. But there’s nothing like the view on 12 green.

Matt Kuchar

Tiger Woods, Matt Kuchar and K.J. Choi walk over the Hogan Bridge at the 2016 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic)

The Hogan Bridge at 12, looking down at the plaque as you cross Rae’s Creek. Right when you do that, all the visions of the past greats who have made that same walk rush through my head.

Kevin Kisner

Kevin Kisner hits a tee shot at No. 12 during 2022 Masters at Augusta National Golf Course. (Photo: Danielle Parhizkaran-Augusta Chronicle/USA TODAY Sports)

Amen Corner on Sunday, when you start hearing the roars. The only time I was close to the lead to hear that was something special.

Zach Johnson

Zach Johnson on the 18th green during the the 2021 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Where do I start.

Butler Cabin, Amen Corner, the first tee on Sunday, the walk up 18.

Trevor Immelman

Trevor Immelman at the 2010 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Standing on 11 fairway, you can see all of Amen Corner.

Viktor Hovland

Viktor Hovland at the 2022 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Amen Corner, walking down to the 11 green, seeing 12 and then on the opposite side when you are walking up to 12 green and looking back, it’s pretty special.

Billy Horschel

Billy Horschel near Rae’s Creek at 2022 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)

Amen Corner. It’s such a great gathering spot.

Max Homa and caddie Joe Greiner on the 13th hole at the 2022 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

On the 13 th tee. It’s just you, the caddies and the players. It’s very special.

Jim Furyk at the Par 3 Contest ahead of the 1997 Masters at Augusta National Golf Course. (Photo: Chuck Bigger -The Augusta Chronicle via USA TODAY NETWORK)

I would say the first tee on my first time playing there on Thursday and Byron Nelson is sitting there watching. That was pretty good.

Tommy Fleetwood

The 18 th green late on a Sunday.

Tony Finau at the 2019 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: David J. Phillip/Associated PRess)

The first tee shot on the first hole. There’s nothing like that.

Harris English

Harris English at the 2021 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

The 16 tee where you can look over and see 15 green and then 16 is one of my favorite holes out there.

Corey Conners

Corey Conners with his caddie Kyle Peters at the 2020 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Matt Slocum/Associated Press)

The 15 green, 16 tee is so special. The atmosphere is electric on the weekend.

Keegan Bradley

A sign points to Amen Corner at the 2017 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

When you come over that hill on 11 and you look down and you’ve been looking at it your whole life and it looks fake, like a painting.

That’s the spot.

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Can you play Augusta? Yes! Here’s how to get golf’s most exclusive tee time

Published: 25 March 2022 Last updated: 27 March 2024

If you're very lucky or determined, you can play Augusta National

Augusta National Golf Club is one of the most exclusive venues in world golf and getting a tee time on the hallowed Masters turf is the stuff of dreams for most amateur golfers. But it’s not impossible. I’ll show you how to get a round at Augusta – and what you can expect if you do tee it up there.

Most golfers have a bucket list of courses they would love to play, but Augusta National tends to be conspicuous by its absence. The reason? Most golfers know that getting a tee time at Augusta National is nigh on impossible.

But… “nigh on”. That means it’s not actually impossible. As Lloyd Christmas would say: “So you’re telling me there’s a chance?”

I am. Because there are a few ways you can get to play Augusta National. They might be tricky or unconventional, but experiences of a lifetime don’t always land on your doorstep in a green envelope.

How to get a round of golf at Augusta National

There are a number of other ways of sealing a tee time at Augusta National Golf Club. Unfortunately, none of them are easy, but if you’re really keen you could…

Become an Augusta National Golf Club member

Don’t get excited, it’s easier said than done. Augusta only has 300 members and it’s by invitation only. Unsurprisingly, memberships only tend to come up when someone passes away.

If you do happen to get an invite, make sure your bank balance is pretty healthy. The initial joining fee is believed to be up to £30,000. Monthly subs are said to only cost around £230, though, which seems pretty reasonable.

Don’t assume you need to be an exceptional golfer. According to Augusta insiders, the average handicap of club members is only around 15.

Be invited by an Augusta National member

This seems far more realistic than becoming a member in your own right. If you can find a member willing to sign you in then you’re golden. They don’t even have to play with you, just be on-site. And, added bonus, your expenses all get billed to them!

Unsurprisingly, Augusta National doesn’t publish a list of members. Billionaire Bill Gates is believed to be a member, which is handy if you’ve got his number!

Pull on the famous white overalls as a caddie

There are two big perks to this.

Firstly, you get paid to wear the famous white overalls and caddie for members at Augusta National. Did we mention Bill Gates is a member? Imagine the tips…

Secondly, and most importantly, you get to play the course once a year as a work bonus.

Work as a volunteer

This could be an urban myth, but it’s my understanding that people who volunteer to work at the Masters are then invited back the following month to play the course.

Volunteer for the week? We’d happily sell the famous Masters Pimento Cheese sandwiches for a whole year if it meant we got a round at Augusta!

Play college golf at Augusta University

We’re guessing if you were good enough to do that then you already would be, but one of the benefits of attending the university is that your golf team gets invited to play Augusta National once every year.

Become a golf author

Tell Augusta National that you’re writing a book about the club or the Masters and they may allow you to play the course for your vital research (just pretend you’ve never heard of Google). David Owen, the man behind The Making of The Masters , has played the course on many occasions.

Become a golf journalist and then get very lucky

A media ballot takes place on the Saturday of Masters weekend. Everyone in attendance covering the event has their name in the hat, and the lucky few drawn get to tee it up on the Monday.

Apply for a job at Augusta National

Augusta National may be private but it still advertises vacant roles online. Get your CV up to date, practise your lawnmowing skills, and keep an eye out. All employees get to play the course once per annum.

What’s it like playing Augusta National as a club golfer?

Former Golf World editor and single-figure handicap golfer Nick Wright was fortunate enough to have his name drawn out in the media lottery in 2019. He got to play the course in its final round set-up the day after Tiger Woods’ famous victory.

Here, Nick talks you through the round of his dreams and reveals whether Augusta is really as hard as it looks.

At face value, the stub is just like any other lottery or raffle ticket – the generic type you’ll find on the floor in bingo halls and at school tombolas the world over every day. It’s pastel blue, a little over an inch square and on one side, as you’d expect, there’s a number printed in solid black type. But for the entire week at every Masters, hundreds of writers, photographers, journalists and reporters guard this flimsy slip of paper as though their lives depend on it.

There’s a simple explanation. You see, the ticket is confirmation of entry into golf’s most coveted game of chance – the annual draw to determine which fortunate 20 journalists will play Augusta National the day after the tournament ends. It’s a cliché to call the Masters’ media lottery golf’s equivalent of Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket, but that’s exactly what it is – a Charlie Bucket-style opportunity for mere mortals to walk in the footsteps of legends and to get a behind-the-ropes glimpse into a fiercely-guarded, uber-private world.

A round at Augusta is a once-in-a-lifetime experience at any time, but Media Monday comes with some gilt-edged touches. The course is prepped to the exact same final round condition, the pins remain untouched overnight from their traditional Sunday positions, and the lucky winners are given what the club calls a “member for a day” experience – the opportunity to drive down Magnolia Lane, change shoes in the Champions Locker Room, eat breakfast in the Augusta clubhouse and use the lavish practice facilities to warm up. The club even provides the services of one of its caddies free of charge, tip included.

Today’s warm and welcoming media outing is a far cry from what it used to be, though. Like everything at the Masters, it has evolved over the years. While it has been a tradition for as long as anybody can remember, it was originally offered on a first-come-first-served basis. Only when the line of journalists that would stretch outside the gates in the early hours of the morning became unsightly did the club switch to its current lottery system.

In the early days, the rule was that you could only play once per lifetime (nowadays, you cannot re-enter the draw for seven years once you play), and reporters were kept very much at arm’s length while on the property – reluctantly tolerated rather than welcomed. They were not granted access to Magnolia Lane, for example, and instead had to enter through the car park.

The practice ground was off limits and there was often a split-tee system, which meant those who started their round on 10 missed out on the sense of anticipation that builds around the turn as Amen Corner looms. And as soon as the round finished, the media were very promptly ushered away.

The member-for-a-day concept was implemented by the club’s media-friendly chairman Billy Payne. Some of the more cynical members of the working press claim the upgraded Monday experience, along with the construction of a new palatial media centre in 2018, are merely PR stunts to distract journalists from a gradual reduction in their reporting privileges and player access.

Others view it as a reflection of Augusta National’s more open and accessible persona – the modern-day embodiment of Bobby Jones’ philosophy of welcoming and showing gratitude to those who put his tournament on the map in the early days and who continue to add to its mystique through generous and cooperative reporting. Either way, it’s an experience one doesn’t want to miss.

The draw takes place in private on the Saturday morning around noon, after which the names of the lucky 20 are displayed on large screens in the media center reception and the main auditorium. It doesn’t take long for word to get around. They say it’s bad news that travels fast, but notification of a tee time at Augusta National reaches you at warp speed. I didn’t need to go anywhere near a TV screen to learn that my name had been pulled from the hat.

As soon as I walked in off the course at the end of the third round, two German editors greeted me with a slap on the back. Sky Sports Golf’s Keith Jackson, who played a couple of years ago, tagged me in a good luck Facebook message. Friends, family, and friends of friends of friends back in the UK knew I was playing long before I did. By the time I arrived back at my workspace and checked my phone, I had at least a dozen text messages waiting for me.

The following morning at 10am, the lucky 20 assembled in the large interview room in the media center with Augusta National’s Director of Communications, Steve Ethan, who outlined the schedule for Monday. I learned that my tee time was 11.10 and that I would be granted access to the club at 10.10. There was a question and answer session covering a broad range of dos and don’ts, which concluded with the subject that was on everyone’s mind – the weather.

The forecast for Monday was idyllic for golf – warm, blue skies and a light breeze – but that wasn’t the issue. The pressing concern was how the final round on Sunday would play out. Meteorologists were predicting that gale-force winds and a possible tropical storm would hit middle Georgia at around 6pm, just as the tournament would be reaching its crescendo. The club had reacted by moving the final round tee times forward by several hours – with play now scheduled to conclude around 4pm.

While the majority of the journalists on site were contemplating the impact the earlier final round tee times would have on Tiger Woods’ pre-round warm-up, we had more personal concerns. Finally, a Japanese broadcaster broke the ice and asked the question that was on everyone’s mind. “What happens if the storm arrives early and play cannot be completed on Sunday?” The answer nobody wanted to hear was that the final round would continue on Monday and that the media day would be cancelled. “But there is some good news,” Ethan said with a smile. “You’ll still be eligible to enter the lottery again next year!” Never have so many golf writers so diligently studied weather charts.

Ever since my first Masters in 1994, my own clubs have accompanied me back and forth across the Atlantic in anticipation of a Monday tee time, only to return with me untouched during the week. By my calculation, I was at least £1,500 down on excess baggage charges in that time. And so I felt I was due.

Typically, however, this was the one year I had decided to leave the sticks at home. It meant I had a little over 24 hours to rustle up a set. TaylorMade’s Brand Director Ryan Lauder generously put a call into his Tour team, only to discover the company’s truck had left town just a few hours earlier. Eventually, I secured a set of Nikes from a local friend of a friend. Not my ideal equipment choice to take on one of the world’s most iconic golf courses but, hey, if they were good enough to win Tiger a handful of Green Jackets …

The next hurdle is timing your arrival at the club. My invitation instructed me to arrive an hour in advance of my 11.10 tee time. I slightly jumped the gun, however, and pulled up to the security gate at 10.06. A gruff-looking sheriff in mirrored sunglasses approached the car. When I handed him my invitation, he advised that I was four minutes early and instructed me to exit the grounds. “Take a spin round the block,” was his suggestion. “By that time, it’ll be 10.10,” I protested. “Exactly,” was his response. He stood watching, hands on hips, as I turned the car around and pulled back out onto Washington Drive with my tail between my legs.

An hour later, having changed shoes in Zach Johnson and Tommy Aaron’s shared locker, acquainted myself with my caddie on the range, and stroked about 30 excessively tentative practice putts, I was ready to go.

Somebody once wrote that walking off the first tee with friends, free from the burden of carrying your own bag, is one of the most liberating and grandest experiences in golf. They were right. Striding up the first fairway, chatting amiably with my three playing partners, was a feeling of such carefree abandon it made up for pulling my opening tee shot into the pine straw just a few moments earlier. In all honesty, with what seemed like half of the club’s officialdom milling around me on the first tee, I was delighted to have sent the ball forward vaguely in the right direction.

The strangest thing about playing Augusta for the first time is that, despite being a rookie inside the ropes, you know exactly what’s coming. After a steady bogey at the 1st and a safe par at the par-5 2nd, I got my first taste of the course’s temperament at the par-4 3rd. For the world’s best, this 350-yard hole presents a conundrum: do you crunch a driver and attempt to make birdie with an awkward chip from a heavily contoured lie, or do you lay up and take your chances with a precise wedge shot?

I was forced into the latter option after a mediocre drive. I then pulled my 120-yard approach into the back left bunker. Unable to fire at the flag given the very real possibility of sending the ball off the front of the green if I caught it at all thin, I took my caddie’s advice and played sidewards, leaving a 10-footer for par.

I read the putt as a couple of inches from the left, as did my three playing partners. My caddie calmly said, “It’s an inch from the right.” Unable to commit to that line, I stuck with my original plan and saw the ball miss several inches on the low side as it seemingly moved up the hill. Lesson No.1: nothing is as it seems at Augusta National. Lesson No.2: listen to your caddie!

The front-nine is not as well-known as Augusta’s home stretch, but it boasts some all-worldly holes. The par-3 4th is one of the most difficult par 3s you’ll ever encounter. It’s followed by a long, dog-legging par 4. It’s not until you reach the elevated tee at the 165-yard 6th that you face a shot that actually looks enticing. Of course, it’s laced with danger. The back right pin is isolated on a slither of green behind a steep false front. From the sunken fairway at the par-4 7th, a trio of bright white bunkers completely obstruct the view of the putting surface.

With wide open fairways and generous recovery options from the manicured pine straw, Augusta National isn’t at all penal from the tee. Its main defence is its green complexes. Severe undulations and false fronts around the greens combined with heaving swales on them mean there are no-go zones on much every hole – and they can change daily depending on the pins. Bunkers are used, not so much to punish errant shot-making, but to tempt you into taking on a risky shot.

Overall, Augusta National off the members’ tees was manageable and playable. As a high single-figure player, I had a fighting chance of a par at every hole. With no double-bogeys on the card, I felt I coped well – the highlights being playing the four-hole stretch from 10 to 14 in just two-over par, and making a birdie at 16. I enjoyed being able to unleash drives into wide fairways and the opportunity to figure out puzzles around the greens. With epic chips, I saved pars from the left of the 5th green and the back of the 15th, while I scrambled a bogey at 13 with a smart pitch, having found the creek with my approach shot.

While Augusta National is not my favorite golf course, in many ways it is the pinnacle of golf in that it has everything – beauty, variety, tranquillity, risk-reward, towering pines, elevated open vistas, and just the right amount of water. Arguably, its greatest attribute is its ability to present the right type of challenge to each type of golfer. And that’s where its design genius truly lies.

I certainly don’t agree with Ben Crenshaw, who says “There’s not much strategy left at Augusta” .

How this amateur golfer took on Amen Corner… and lived to tell the tale

The 11th, 12th, and 13th holes at Augusta National comprise one of the world’s toughest stretches of holes. How would my eight-handicap game stand up to the challenge?

Hole 11 – White Dogwood

From the quiet of one of Augusta’s most secluded tee boxes, there’s no sense of the drama to come as you peer towards a fairway that tumbles up and down like a rollercoaster. The cambers and the left-to-right dog-leg camouflage your landing area, which is mildly unsettling.

As you walk over the final crest, the hole transforms from tree-lined to open-planned. And there it is, Amen Corner spread out in front of you in all its glory – the 12th tee and green to the right, and the par-5 13th stretching into the distance.

After a solid drive, I had 132 yards to the pin. My caddie handed me my 9-iron and told me to aim at the right edge of the green. “Everything will feed down to the hole.”

I did as instructed, the ball caught the right fringe and cruised down towards the flag. My 15-foot birdie putt grazed the hole and I tapped in for an easy par.

Hole 12 – Golden Bell

It’s difficult to articulate how surreal it feels to stand on the 12th tee. On the one hand, you’re acutely aware that it is one of the truly great holes – the scene of incredible historical heartache and glory.

On the other, it just seems, well, so innocuous. After all, how difficult can a slightly downhill 145-yard hole really be?

In true amateur style, I opted for a 7-iron in anticipation of a slight mishit. Instead I striped it to the back fringe, from where I three-putted down the slope. Still, what would Francesco Molinari and Brooks Koepka have given for a bogey the day before?

Hole 13 – Azalea

It was at this hole where I appreciated for the first time the vast disparity in length now between tour pros and amateurs.

Playing off the member tees, which were some 40 yards forward of the tips, I hit a best-of-the-day drive that barely made it to the corner of the dog-leg. A solid 4-hybrid up the right side of the fairway left me a 90-yard wedge into the green.

A slightly heavy approach saw my ball catch one of the slopes in front of the green and trundle down into Rae’s Creek. A 40-yard pitch to six feet enabled me to scramble a bogey.

I had taken on and survived Amen Corner with a very respectable score of two-over par.

My five scariest shots at Augusta National Golf Club 

The tee shot on the opening hole, Tea Olive

With what seems like half of the golf industry milling around behind the tee, just making contact is your goal.

Tee shot on the 4th hole, Flowering Crab Apple

A 200-yard par 3 where the penalty for coming up short is extreme. The front bunker is almost head height.

The approach to the 7th hole, Pampas

Five bunkers surrounding an elevated green make it tough to find and hold the target. Go long and you’re dead.

The approach shot to the 11th hole, White Dogwood

Even though you know you have half of Georgia to the right, you’re aware that a slight pull puts you in the water.

The tee shot on the 12th hole, Golden Bell

Sand front left and a diagonally angled creek. The slope is deadly and the green is just eight paces deep!

My key takeaways from a round at Augusta National Golf Club

It’s actually easier than you would think

In the past year, many people have asked me what I scored at Augusta, and when I tell them I shot 81 their jaws drop. But from the members’ tees, the course is fairly benign. It’s easy to keep the ball in play and you never get a bad lie – even in the ‘second cut’ or the pine straw, which is as well-manicured as the rest of the course. It’s all about the chipping and putting. My perspective is that it is relatively straightforward for mid-handicappers who have a few shots to play with but a very stern test for scratch players.

The bunkers are terrifying

You might be playing from pristine white sand, but the traps are deep and, very often, you’re struggling to see over the top of a lip. Not only that, you’re either playing into a sharp upslope or you have to be wary of a steep runoff the other side of the hole. It’s often best to play sideways!

It’s very, very hilly

You’ve probably heard it mentioned countless times on TV over the years, but you just don’t get an appreciation of Augusta National’s severe topography until you see it in person. For example, the descent from the 10th tee to the green is 116 feet, more than the Statue of Liberty! During the winter, if they ever have snow at Augusta, it would make a great ski run. The real genius of the design is how those contours are disguised from a playing standpoint. Other than the steep climb up 18, which runs adjacent to the 10th, you never really feel the gradients are too taxing.

The breaks on the greens are epic

The day after Tiger Woods stroked in a three-footer for birdie on the par-3 16th, I found myself 20 feet below the hole after a nice 6-iron into the green. I was just about to settle over the ball when my caddie interjected. “How much break are you playing?” I told him I was looking at about four feet. “Try 10,” he said. It felt like I was aiming at 90 degrees to the hole, but the ball traced a nice arc up the slope and then dived down into the hole!

It feels intimate but open

Augusta simultaneously feels expansive and intimate. The 1st tee and the 9th and 18th greens are a stone’s throw away from each other, while several hole pairs (1/18, 2/8 and 3/7) run parallel to each other, separated only by a slither of dogwoods. At the same time, it takes an age to walk from the clubhouse to the 12th green at Amen Corner. Elevated views across from vantage points such as the crest of the 8th fairway make it feel wide open.

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About the author

Rob McGarr – Contributing Editor

Rob has been a writer and editor for over 15 years, covering all manner of subjects for leading magazines and websites.

He has previously been Features Editor of Today’s Golfer magazine and Digital Editor of todays-golfer.com, and held roles at FHM, Men’s Running, Golf World, and MAN Magazine.

You can follow him on  YouTube  where – depending on what day of the week it is – he’ll either be trying his best to get his handicap down to scratch or shoving his clubs in a cupboard, never to be seen again.

Rob is a member at  Royal North Devon , England’s oldest golf course, where he plays off a three-handicap.

One of the best golf swings on tour has some good swing tips for you

This article originally appeared in the Golf IQ newsletter, which is available exclusively for Golf Digest+ members. You can sign up for that newsletter, and more awesome content, by joining the Golf Digest+ community right here.

Last week I was walking around Augusta National with my fellow newsletter writer Sam Weinman. We were talking about the things us newsletter writers talk about, which is golf swings. Specifically, Tommy Fleetwood’s golf swing.

As we watched Tommy play his way up Augusta’s ninth hole, Sam pointed out something:

“I probably get more swing videos of Tommy Fleetwood on Instagram than anybody else.”

I hadn’t really thought about it before, but it was a good point. If your Instagram feed looks anything like mine, open it up at any given point and you’ll be flooded with lots of golf swing videos, but three players’ golf swings in particular:

• Nelly Korda
• Rory McIlroy
• Tommy Fleetwood

And of course, each time I do, I linger over the video, like it, and move on, leaving the algorithm with all the information it needs to know what to give me more of.

Anyway a day later, Tommy Fleetwood finished off his third-round 72 en-route to his career-best T-3 finish, so I decided to ask him: Why do golfers seem to get so many Tommy Fleetwood golf swing videos? And what can they learn from it?

He laughed.

“Good question! I dunno. Probably because people like you won’t stop talking about it.”

“Listen, I’m not a coach, but I think my swing has a kind of good framework that could help a lot of golfers .”

That word—”framework”—is important because it’s essentially how Tommy views the golf swing. Like a car driving down lanes on the road. You’re not too worried about the little movements; the goal is keeping the car between the lines.

One of those is the idea of staying very centered on the backswing. A common fault of amateur golfers is to slide their hips too far away from the target on the backswing. And when that happens, they can’t get back to their left side enough in time. It causes chunked shots and tops and all sorts of ugly shots.

“I like to stay quite centered,” he said. “If I’m centered on the backswing, it’s easier for me to get to transfer my weight, and get to my lead side on my downswing.”

Often you’ll see Tommy work practice hitting golf balls caddy holding an alignment stick on the ride side of his head. The stick literally prevents him from swaying too much off the ball.

The clubface is king in golf —it accounts for about 80 percent of the ball’s starting direction. In other words, if the clubface is pointing way left or right, that’s probably going to be where the ball goes.

Naturally, Tommy says he thinks about this a lot—and thinks you should, too. Something you’ve no-doubt seen him do is hit shots with an abbreviated follow through ( you can learn more about that here ).

It was a go-to shot once upon a time, which has basically become his stock full swing. The key feel here is making sure he finishes so his arms are straight, and his chest is pointing towards the target. You can see him doing exactly that on Augusta’s 12th hole on Sunday.

“It helps me feel the right things, and get a sense of where the clubface is,” he says. “That’s a good thing for a lot of golfers .”

The final piece of Tommy’s framework is his swing path, or the literal direction he’s swinging the golf club. Golfers who tend to swing over-the-top generally tend to swing too far to the left. If you’re stuck, you may be swinging too far out to the right.

Tommy wants his golf swing right somewhere close to straight down the middle, and he’ll practice this by hitting balls between a yoga block and a set of alignment sticks .

“It just helps me feel the right things and makes sure my swing isn’t moving in any crazy directions,” he said. “Again, just a basic thing that I think golfers like.”

A few things Fleetwood says we can learn from his move, that will maybe make our own Instagram-worthy.

Questions? Hit me at [email protected] . You can follow me on Instagram here, or Twitter here.

Power walking Augusta National during Masters

Hitting the course with a fast-paced walk, trying to go tee to green on every hole, is hard to complete. Crowds create block and dead ends appear when tees and green abut. You have know the ropes, literally.

Taking a few liberties, on the Back Nine only, a walk starting near lunchtime on Day 2 of the 2012 Masters took just over 112 minutes.

Worth noting on the Power Tour:

1. Most slippery spot: Coming down the hill on No. 4.

2. Nice stretch: Along No. 5.

3. Most confusing part of the walk: Getting back on course after the green on No. 5.

4. Roads least traveled: Walk to No. 11 tee and left side of No. 10.

5. Longest bathroom line (on the walk at this time of day): Amen Corner

6. Great walking vistas: Along No. 11, looking as you walk from the trees and spying the green and No. 12 into view as you approach. Another: Coming over the hill on No. 2 viewing the greens and tees ahead.

7. Terrific static vista (no surprise): Eyeballing No. 13 green from No. 14 crosswalk.

8. Two-fisted challenge: Navigating beer-carrying people in the pass-thru from concession to Amen Corner.

9. Longest crosswalk waits (observed): No. 15.

10. Hardest uphill while walking fast: No. 18.

The music of moans and roars heard while in rare locations was a great distraction during this unusual lunchtime workout opportunity. I don't think I've seen that many golfers in an hour and a half in my life.

From AugustaChronicle.com »

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Bandon Dunes at 25: The groundbreaking Oregon resort keeps getting bigger (and better)

Bandon Dunes, the original course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, opened 25 years ago this month.

Evan Schiller

Let’s take a trip in the wayback machine to a long ago gray morning on the Oregon coast: May 2, 1999. A light rain is falling. A brisk breeze is blowing off the water. And a 2-iron of a man named Mike Keiser is greeting golfers on the first tee of a rugged-looking layout, gifting everyone he meets with a commemorative coin. Each marker bears the image of a tufted puffin, a logo that will grow into an icon.

It’s opening day at Bandon Dunes.

Given the way things are in recreational golf today, it’s easy to forget how different things were then, and how sharply Bandon broke from what had come before it.

For decades, public access courses in this country had largely been developed as real estate plays or lush amenities to frill-filled resorts close to major population centers. Golfers buzzed around in carts and lost balls by the box load. Errant shots that didn’t land in artificial lakes risked smashing the windows of neighboring homes.

In Keiser’s eyes, this was not golf as it was meant to be or anything like what he aimed to create. With a fortune earned in recycled greeting cards and a vision shaped by golf trips to Ireland and Scotland, he’d set out to revive the game’s rustic, windswept spirit in a market that had stifled it with waterfalls and buggies. To realize his dream, he’d further shirked convention by acquiring seaside land in an outlier location, a few miles north of the sleepy town of Bandon, Ore., and hiring as his designer a young, untested Scotsman named David McLay Kidd.

All the courses at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, explained

“I was full of piss and vinegar at the time,” McLay Kidd says. “But aside from confidence, I didn’t have a lot to show for myself.”

Keiser wasn’t shy on self belief, either. But in quieter moments, he couldn’t help but wonder if the skeptics — and there were many — might be right about walking-only golf exposed to coastal elements on a course situated at the edge of nowhere. He was going to build it, but would anybody come?

The answer arrived sooner than expected. Of the 144 golfers invited to the ribbon cutting, 25 years ago this month, there was only one no-show in the dreary weather. The reviews were glowing, in person and in print. Afforded a sneak peek, GOLF magazine described the land as “the finest made available for a golf course in America since Alister MacKenzie was shown the site for the Cypress Point.” In another publication, a giddy scribe confessed that the course gave him the urge to sprint down the fairways naked. He meant that in a good way.

The point was that Bandon had awakened something primal. It had taken the old and made it new again, meeting a demand for a throwback form of golf that had been ignored for so long that people had forgotten it even existed.

In that first year, Keiser hoped the course would draw 10,000 rounds, a number he figured he needed to break even; it wound up registering 25,000.

“After that full tee sheet on opening day, I was optimistic,” Keiser says now. “But after that first year, I was absolutely astonished.”

And clear in his conviction that a single course was not enough. “One plus one equals three” was Keiser’s formulation (even his approach to simple math was different), the idea being that a second layout would bring exponential benefits to the resort. As most avid golfers know, Bandon today is home not to two but five 18-hole courses ( Bandon Dunes , Pacific Dunes , Bandon Trails , Old Macdonald and Sheep Ranch ) and a par-3 course (Bandon Preserve) with another short course (Shorty’s) set to open this month. Among the striking features of that growth is how faithful the resort has stayed to its founding ethos: that great golf doesn’t require fancy extras. Even if wagyu beef has joined “Grandma’s meat loaf” among the menu items, everything at Bandon revolves around the game and the fellowship, fresh air and challenge that come with it. You can book a massage, but you can’t hit the spa because there isn’t one. Most guests rise at daybreak, play until exhaustion, then get up the next morning and do it again.

Meanwhile, beyond its property lines, Bandon has inspired profound change. In a once-flagging region whose two main industries — fishing and logging — had sputtered, the resort has become a vital economic engine, the second-largest employer in the county, after the hospital system. And then there is its impact on the game itself.

Even as it broke a mold, Bandon offered a fresh template for “destination” golf. That world-class courses now extend from the sand barrens of Wisconsin and the shores of Nova Scotia to Saint Lucia, Tasmania, Norway and beyond owes largely to a pioneering project on the Oregon coast.

“It flipped everything,” says the architect Bill Coore, who, with his design partner, Ben Crenshaw, had a hand in many of those courses, including three at Bandon. “We take it for granted these days that if you find a great site and build great golf on it, golfers will come see it, no matter how far they have to go. But if you said that before Bandon, a lot of people would have said you’d lost your mind.”

As Bandon now prepares to mark a major anniversary, it is also getting ready for another ribbon cutting at its new 19-hole par-3 course Shorty’s. What the weather has in store is anyone’s guess. But this much is certain: A large crowd of Bandon loyalists will be on hand. So will Mike Keiser, greeting guests and handing out commemorative coins.

“Has it really been 25 years?” Keiser says. “To me, it actually feels like we’ve been around much longer.”

No wonder, really. Bandon fits so naturally into the landscape, it almost seems to have been there from the start.

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A golf, food and travel writer, Josh Sens has been a GOLF Magazine contributor since 2004 and now contributes across all of GOLF’s platforms. His work has been anthologized in The Best American Sportswriting. He is also the co-author, with Sammy Hagar, of Are We Having Any Fun Yet: the Cooking and Partying Handbook.

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2025, 04/09: The Masters

Since its establishment in 1934, The Masters Golf Tournament has been a symbol of excellence and has held its place as the most prestigious championship in golf. Each April, the world's top golfers vie for the renowned Green Jacket at Augusta National Golf Club. This extraordinary event, known as "The Masters," brings together legacy, competition, challenge, charm, and prestige, creating one of the most acclaimed weekends in sports. Seize the chance to witness this celebrated tournament firsthand. 

Indulge in a stay in the historic city of Savannah and enjoy a round at the Club at Savannah Harbor, a creation by Robert Cupp and Sam Snead. Journey to Augusta National on Friday for Cut Day and witness the thrilling competition of the world’s best golfers. This exclusive tour provides a perfect blend of golf, relaxation, southern charm, and the chance to be a part of the historic spectacle that is - The Masters. 

Trip Details:

Dates : April 9—12, 2025 Activity level:

2 Buffaloes: Moderately active. Moderate walking required, often on uneven or steep terrain. May involve traveling in small boats or other vehicles.

Tour operator : SET To book call : 855-281-2236 Pricing : From $6,999