The iconic green jackets are back.
The 86th edition of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club kicks off Thursday morning with the first set of players teeing off at around 8 a.m. ET.
In order to better appreciate this prestigious event, you have to understand the history and unique traditions that make the Masters, the Masters.
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The first tournament was held in 1934, just a few years after legendary American golfer Bobby Jones established Augusta National Golf Club with the help of investment banker Clifford Roberts, who was the longtime chairman of the club from 1931-1976.
The Fruitland Nurseries, a 365-acre property nestled on the border of Georgia and South Carolina, was purchased in 1931 for $70,000, and construction on the site began shortly after, under the direction of famed golf course architect Dr. Alister Mackenzie.
The design of the course was built to incorporate the natural beauty of the grounds. The rolling greens are hard to capture in pictures but if you’re ever lucky enough to step on the grounds, it's hard not to notice their sheer size.
"Our overall aim at the Augusta National has been to provide a golf course of considerable natural beauty, enjoyable for the average golfer and at the same time testing for the expert player striving to better par," Jones said of the course at the club’s opening in 1933. "We want to make bogies easy if frankly sought, pars readily obtainable by standard good play, and birdies, except on par 5’s, dearly bought."
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In his 1920 book "Golf Architecture," Dr. Mackenzie highlighted the importance of incorporating the natural features of the land over building artificial ones. He wrote that the best courses are "almost entirely due to utilization of natural features to the fullest extent and to the construction of artificial ones indistinguishable from nature."
American golfer Horton Smith won the first masters, originally called the Augusta National Invitation Tournament for its first five editions, shooting 4-under par 284. The winner's earnings at the time was $1,500.
But Smith didn’t receive the iconic green jacket upon winning – a tradition that began in 1937 to allow members to be more noticeable. Winners began receiving the jackets in 1949.
The Masters' early notoriety evolved not only because of the golfers it brought in, but also because of the tournament’s media progression. The first nationwide radio broadcast was in 1934 and seven years later the first radio tower was built on the course. In 1956, the game was broadcast by CBS and in 1967 the tournament was televised internationally for the first time. The rest is history.
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The Masters is not without controversy. In 1975, Lee Elder became the first African American to participate in the tournament. Then in 2012, the club welcomed its first female members: former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and business executive Darla Moore.
There are currently only around 300 members.
Getting invited to the Masters is no easy feat, but getting a ticket as a fan is also a challenge.
The first observation stand for fans was built in 1962 and the following year the club began limiting attendance. In 1964 advanced ticket purchasing was put into place but just eight years later the patron badge waiting list was implemented.
In the 1990s limited tickets to practice rounds went up for sale. Now patrons can enter a lottery for a $75 daily practice round ticket or a $115 daily tournament ticket but the second-hand market prices for these tickets are exceptionally more expensive.
The tournament is filled with unique traditions – fans are referred to as patrons, no phones are allowed on the grounds – but all of them make the Masters what it is. Some of golf's most incredible moments have happened here. As Jim Nantz best described it, it’s "A tradition unlike any other."