The fascinating history of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters is also a story of what could have been given the ambitious initial plans for the club. In fact, considering its tumultuous early struggle to survive through the Great Depression and World War II, it's a wonder the club exists at all today.
That Augusta National and the Masters survived those early years and grew into what they are today is “mainly a credit to the stubborn single-mindedness of Clifford Roberts,” writes David Owen, a longtime New Yorker and Golf Digest writer and preeminent historian on the Masters. While writing a comprehensive history of the club and Masters in his book, “The Making of the Masters,” Owen was granted exclusive access to the Augusta National Golf Club archives. He lived on the club grounds on and off, playing the course often, during this time
Owen gave his unique insight to Golf Digest+ members during our hour-long Q&A: The true story of Augusta National's near demise, according to the club's leading expert. Using early photography of the club, Owen discussed Augusta National’s formative years, including Bobby Jones’ and Clifford Roberts’ ambitious plans for two 18-hole courses (one for women), a sprawling neoclassical clubhouse and a golf Hall of Fame.
Of course, many of those plans never came to be, largely because of the club’s early financial struggles. Owen explained how out of those struggles came Roberts’ unceasing desire to build and grow the Masters tournament to help the club survive. Owen discussed the many innovations created by Roberts that helped define modern tournament golf and grow the Masters into one of the world’s model sporting events.
Below you will find our key takeaways from our Happy Hour with Owen, as well as the complete recording of the webinar.
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