Augusta National Golf Course is a microcosm of America.

[MarathonMike]

Nearly 80 years ago, the great Bobby Jones and a few friends and associates had a vision to create a truly great golf course. They laid out the plans so that the course was playable for the average golfer but also was designed to be challenging for the best players. When they initially completed the course Bobby Jones tried to get the US Open to be played there but the US Open committee turned him down. So he started his own tournament and called it the Augusta Invitational. A few years later around 1940 it was renamed The Masters. Over the years both the course and the tournament grew in popularity. Now Augusta National as a course and a club is a golf mecca that stands as a testament to what can be created if the vision is maintained by the generations following the founders. People pay thousands of dollars just to walk the grounds during The Masters.

Augusta is very exclusive and operates as a "For Profit" private club.
Is this wrong? Could Augusta National be made more accessible? Should they allow the public to play? How about turn it into a municipal golf course? How about let people play for free? Would that be a good thing or a bad thing?

To me, Augusta National is a great example of what can be created and accomplished if people are left to their own initiative and imagination. It also takes hard work, a lot of money and commitment to the original founders vision to keep Augusta what it has become, the greatest club in the world. In that sense Augusta is America in miniature.

 

[Dekster]

Nearly 80 years ago, the great Bobby Jones and a few friends and associates had a vision to create a truly great golf course. They laid out the plans so that the course was playable for the average golfer but also was designed to be challenging for the best players. When they initially completed the course Bobby Jones tried to get the US Open to be played there but the US Open committee turned him down. So he started his own tournament and called it the Augusta Invitational. A few years later around 1940 it was renamed The Masters. Over the years both the course and the tournament grew in popularity. Now Augusta National as a course and a club is a golf mecca that stands as a testament to what can be created if the vision is maintained by the generations following the founders. People pay thousands of dollars just to walk the grounds during The Masters.

Augusta is very exclusive and operates as a "For Profit" private club.
Is this wrong? Could Augusta National be made more accessible? Should they allow the public to play? How about turn it into a municipal golf course? How about let people play for free? Would that be a good thing or a bad thing?

To me, Augusta National is a great example of what can be created and accomplished if people are left to their own initiative and imagination. It also takes hard work, a lot of money and commitment to the original founders vision to keep Augusta what it has become, the greatest club in the world. In that sense Augusta is America in miniature.

Augusta National is only open to its members about 3 months out of the year because they close a month before prepping and it takes months afterwards to repair the massive amount of damage caused by having that many people on the course. Fun fact, head greenskeepers from all over the country volunteer to prep the course for the tournament just to be part of the Masters experience.