[Golfers' Bucket List③] Augusta National "The Notorious Snobby Club"

"Masters Battlefield" Top 100 Golf Courses in the USA: "Top 3 Competition," Key Holes 11-13 'Amen Corner,' Viewpoint at Hole 16

'Guseong (球聖)' Bobby Jones purchased 450,000 pyeong of Indian farmland near Augusta in 1930 and created the Augusta National Golf Club.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "Not just anyone can enter."

The third destination is Augusta National Golf Club (Par 72, 7,475 yards) in Georgia, USA. Along with Pine Valley in New Jersey and Cypress Point in California, it is a legendary course competing for the 'Top 3' among the 100 best golf courses in the United States, selected biennially by Golf Digest. It is even more famous for hosting the Masters every April. This year, due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the event has been postponed to November, marking the "Autumn of Augusta."

▲ "The notorious snobby club" = The 'Golf Saint' Bobby Jones (USA) purchased 450,000 pyeong of Indian farmland near Augusta in 1930 and developed the course with designer Alister MacKenzie. It operates under a strict member-centered system, earning the notorious nickname "snobby club." In fact, without being accompanied by a member, one cannot even pass through the main gate. The 300 members remain shrouded in secrecy, but among the known figures are Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz?true heavyweights.

The first Black member was admitted in 1990, and the first women, including former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and businesswoman Dala Moore, joined in 2012. There is still no women's teeing ground. There are only two zones: tournament tees and member tees. Anyone, regardless of gender or age, must choose one of the two. For Koreans, at least a chaebol conglomerate head or CEO level is required to create an opportunity to play through business connections.

Augusta National Golf Club has earned the notorious nickname "snobby club" due to its strict member-centric management.

▲ "How non-members can play" = Volunteering at the Masters is the only way to play. After the tournament, volunteers are given the opportunity to tour the course. Although entry is difficult, one can enjoy what is called "presidential golf." Usually, members residing in the Augusta area use the course, with only about 10 to 20 teams on weekends. The cost is surprisingly affordable. Green fees are $200 to $300, caddie fees $100, and including food and beverages, $500 (about 610,000 KRW) is sufficient.

Next is the gallery strategy. The fixed patronage of 40,000 was already closed in 1972. There are no tickets at all, so one must obtain scalped tickets. Every year, so-called "ticket hawkers" holding signs saying "Tickets Wanted" line up at the Washington Road entrance to the golf course. Naturally, prices are exorbitant. If you manage to secure a ticket to watch the practice rounds (Monday to Wednesday), you can sweep the pro shop for souvenirs. They sell out quickly.

'View Point' of the 16th hole at Augusta National Golf Club.

▲ "The best viewing points" = Over 150,000 people flock to the practice rounds. It is an effective way to "tour Augusta National." From the teeing ground of the 1st hole (Par 4), if you cross the fairway to the right and then turn left once, you will see the 9th hole (Par 4). The green of the 18th hole (Par 4), where the champion is crowned, is visible at a glance. The decisive stretch is holes 11 to 13, known as the "Amen Corner." The 12th hole (Par 3) is the hole where "the spirit of the Indians lives."

The teeing ground of the 13th hole (Par 5) behind the 12th hole green is the quietest spot. Azaleas are in full bloom up to the green, earning praise as "the most beautiful Par 5 hole in the world." The 16th hole (Par 3) is also a picturesque scene filled with water hazards and glowing spruce sand bunkers. It is regrettable that this cannot be seen at the "November Masters." Golf enthusiasts worldwide are looking forward to another Augusta National dyed in autumn foliage.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.