The Masters Tournament

 
 

The Masters: 101 Reasons to Love Golf's Greatest Tournament by Ron Green Sr. Hardcover from Stewart, Tabori & Chang According to award-winning sportswriter Ron Green, Sr., "Augusta National is Eden with flagsticks . . . a place where anyone who loves golf should be allowed, by some heavenly intervention, to go at least once." Or more often. Green himself has covered the Masters tournament at Augusta National since the 1950s. He figures he's spent a year of his life at the course. And he's never run short of reasons to love the place--or the celebrated competition it hosts each April. Here are 101 of those reasons, selected by the man who probably knows the tourney--its history, personalities, and most thrilling moments--better than anybody. From the down-home (the peach cobbler served at Augusta National's clubhouse) to the sublime (Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson's breathtaking playoff for the 1942 championship), Green has chosen the players, the shots, the challenges, and the traditions that make the Masters so memorable. Illustrated with a mix of historical photos and full-color contemporary images of Augusta National--and of the stars who play the course today--The Masters makes a rewarding gift for lovers of golf and, especially, fans of the tournament. This must-have golf book will be published in time for the 2008 Masters.

The Making of the Masters: Clifford Roberts, Augusta National, and Golf's Most Prestigious Tournament by David Owen Paperback from Simon & Schuster Media Published: 2003- ISBN: 0684867516 The Masters. For any golf fan, the words evoke the immortal greats of the game and their quest for the most prized trophy of all -- the green jacket of Augusta National Golf Club. But behind the legendary links and timeless traditions is one of the most overlooked and misunderstood figures in the history of the Masters and Augusta National: Clifford Roberts, the club's chairman from its founding in 1931 until shortly before his death in 1977. Roberts' meticulous attention to detail, his firm authoritarian hand, and his refusal to settle -- even for perfection -- helped build the Masters into the tournament it is today, and Augusta National into every golfer's idea of heaven on earth. David Owen was granted unprecedented access to the archives and records of Augusta National Golf Club. He has produced an honest and affectionate chronicle of the Masters, from its conception to its modern greatness, and a fascinating portrayal of Clifford Roberts -- whose perseverance and pride forged the Augusta National we know today. Analyzing the legend and lore of golf's most celebrated tournament has become something of a cottage industry of late, but Owen, who displayed his personal golfing affections, frustrations, and obsessions so marvelously in My Usual Game, now goes where his competition hasn't gained access: to the source--via access to Augusta National's archives, records, and membership. The result is a sympathetic, yet still critical and complex portrait of the club and its founder, Clifford Roberts, to whom golf history has not been particularly kind. Indeed, for better--and for worse--Roberts and Augusta remain linked throughout what is essentially a volume that weaves biography with social history played against a sporting canvas. Naturally, finance, ego, Bobby Jones, television, and President Eisenhower figure into the tale, but Eisenhower's not the only leader of the free world to use the club's exclusivity to his benefit; Owen uncovers the delicious bit that Ronald Reagan and George Schultz helped finalize the invasion of Grenada there. Of course, there is also some great golf. Augusta National would be just another golf club with a fancy pedigree and history of exclusion were it not for the remarkable tournament that it hosts every year. Owen, a graceful writer, tees up plenty of detail and anecdote in a hole-by-hole tour of the track, lined with perspective. Owen explains,  If the Masters seems older than it is, that's largely because the tournament, alone among the majors, is conducted year after year on the same course. Every important shot is played against a backdrop that consists of every other important shot, all the way back to 1934. Every key drive, approach, chip, and putt is footnoted and cross-referenced across decades of championship play. Every swing--good or bad--has a context. The context that Owen provides makes The Making of the Masters as indispensable as a hot putter. --Jeff Silverman

The Masters: A Hole-by-Hole History of America's Golf Classic, Second Edition by David Sowell Hardcover from Potomac Books Inc. Revered as the most prestigious tournament in golf, the Masters commands international attention, even among nongolfers. The first edition of The Masters: A Hole-by-Hole History of America's Golf Classic took the unique approach of tackling Augusta National hole by hole. Each hole had its own chapter, with colorful stories on the greatest shots, biggest disasters, and amazing events that took place on each. David Sowell returns to Augusta now with the second edition of The Masters, adding more history and updating each hole with additional stories of greatness and tales of woe. He addresses Tiger's continued dominance as well as how Phil Mickelson finally got over his majors hump in a major way. Sowell also discusses the changes that have been made to the course in an effort to make it more difficult and shows how those changes have affected play. The legends of the Masters are in full force in this unique and lively look at America's golf classic. From Bobby Jones and Gene Sarazen to Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus to Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, all the greatest Masters moments of the greatest golfers are here in one book. The Masters: A Hole-by-Hole History of America's Golf Classic, Second Edition provides a rich historical view of the course where success breeds legends and where failure can haunt even the most brilliant golfer's career.

Augusta: Home of the Masters Tournament by Steve Eubanks Paperback from Broadway Media Published: 1998- ISBN: 0767902157 Founded in 1933, the Augusta National Golf Club is the perfect course. Co-designed by legends Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie, Augusta boasts gorgeous fairways and perfectly manicured greens, set against a breathtaking backdrop of azaleas and pines. Every April, the invitation-only Masters Tournament is watched by millions of avid viewers around the globe. But the exclusive club, with a membership comprising some of the world's most powerful and influential men, is also notorious for a legacy of secrets and controversy. Journalist and novelist Steve Eubanks used all of his investigative and storytelling talents to get to the heart of Augusta's turbulent history, including its 44-year rule under the iron fist of Cliff Roberts and his suicide on the club's grounds; the Masters' impetuous yet long-standing relationship with CBS; allegations of racism; and the club's countless, rigid rules (members can even be expelled for wearing their green Augusta blazers outside the club). With 45 inspiring photographs, Eubanks's balanced account also captures the historic moments that evoke deep affection for Augusta, from Dwight Eisenhower teeing off in the days before the Masters was televised to Jack Nicklaus's emotional victory at age 46, 23 years after he won his first green jacket. With a new chapter on Tiger Woods's 1997 triumph and published just in time for the 1998 Masters, Augusta is essential reading for anyone who wants the complete story of American golf's most hallowed ground. When Augusta was first published in 1997, Steve Eubanks was summarily fired from his job as a club professional in Alabama. Given golf's tight fraternity, it's no surprise. With skillful and thorough reportage, he was the first to throw open, with detail, the dark corners of Augusta National's musty, humorless, arrogant closets. Augusta, updated to include Tiger Woods's masterful defeat of the course in 1997, chronicles the story of a private enclave of power, privilege, and prejudice that still seems to operate under the tight fist of co-founder Clifford Roberts more than 20 years after his suicide. Even so, the great tournament held on its grounds--the Masters--remains a true jewel in the international sporting crown. Eubanks is not afraid to juggle the apparent contradiction of cause and effect; in fact, it is his willingness to do just that that keeps Augusta several strokes under par.

Augusta: Home of the Masters Tournament
by Steve Eubanks, Frank Deford
When Augusta was first published in 1997, Steve Eubanks was summarily fired from his job as a club professional in Alabama. Given golf's tight fraternity, it's no surprise. With skillful and thorough reportage, he was the first to throw open, with detail, the dark corners of Augusta National's musty, humorless, arrogant closets. Augusta, updated to include Tiger Woods's masterful defeat of the course in 1997, chronicles the story of a private enclave of power, privilege, and prejudice that still seems to operate under the tight fist of co-founder Clifford Roberts more than 20 years after his suicide. Even so, the great tournament held on its grounds--the Masters--remains a true jewel in the international sporting crown. Eubanks is not afraid to juggle the apparent contradiction of cause and effect; in fact, it is his willingness to do just that that keeps Augusta several strokes under par. Amazon.com
Paperback: 304 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.73 x 8.52 x 5.64
Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub (Trd Pap); ISBN: 0767902157; Reprint edition (April )

Augusta National & the Masters: A Photographer's Scrapbook
by Frank Christian, Cal Brown (Contributor)
(Hardcover)
 

A Golf Story: Bobby Jones, Augusta National, and the Masters Tournament by Charles Price Paperback from Triumph Books (IL) ISBN: 1572439688 This fascinating and informative volume intertwines the stories of three of the greatest subjects in golf - Bobby Jones, the Augusta National, and The Masters Tournament - into one compelling narrative. "A Golf Story" draws on unprecedented research from the archives at Augusta National, as well as first-hand accounts from players and fans, to present readers with the first authorised biography of the world famous club and tournament. The thread that joins these stories together is the great Bobby Jones, with whom the author shared a close friendship, and whose involvement and achievements in the game are, simply, legendary.

The Caddie Who Won the Masters by John Coyne Kindle Edition from Peace Corps Writers Media Published: 2011-   Displaying the storytelling skill that has made him a seven-time bestselling author, John Coyne delivers a suspenseful, haunting and tender novel about a middle-aged amateur's seemingly impossible quest to win the prestigious Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, America's pristine cathedral of golf. Golf legend, Masters founder and lifelong amateur Bobby Jones had long hoped that an amateur would one day win the invitational tournament he started in 1934. For Tim Alexander, 49, the surprise winner of the U.S. Mid-Amateur, just receiving an invitation to the Masters is a small miracle. Alexander is a college English professor from Southern Illinois who, at his wife Kerry's urging, reawakened a dormant golf game that had earned him a scholarship to Wake Forest University and, more recently, a ticket to Augusta, Georgia. Not long after, with suitcase in hand and golf clubs on his shoulder, the aging muni-course player finds himself walking down famed Magnolia Lane toward every accomplished golfer's dream--a coveted spot alongside the world's best players in the Masters field. As Alexander learns shortly after his arrival on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National, there's much more at stake than whether he can somehow make the 36-hole cut on the beautiful and challenging layout or how he'll fare against players named McDowell, Mickelson and Woods. Pursued by a mysterious and tormented stranger, helped by a young unknown caddie, Alexander soon discovers that he isn't just playing to make the cut or win the vaunted green jacket. He is playing to save the life of his wife. In perhaps the only novel to be set at Augusta National Golf Club, Coyne masterfully blends his deep knowledge of golf and Masters tradition with his affinity for the supernatural to spin a riveting tale. The third novel in Coyne's popular "caddie" series, The Caddie Who Won The Masters will grip readers until the final putt rolls into the cup and the green jacket slips over the shoulders of the winner. Displaying the storytelling skill that has made him a seven-time bestselling author, John Coyne delivers a suspenseful, haunting and tender novel about a middle-aged amateur's seemingly impossible quest to win the prestigious Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, America's pristine cathedral of golf. Golf legend, Masters founder and lifelong amateur Bobby Jones had long hoped that an amateur would one day win the invitational tournament he started in 1934. For Tim Alexander, 49, the surprise winner of the U.S. Mid-Amateur, just receiving an invitation to the Masters is a small miracle. Alexander is a college English professor from Southern Illinois who, at his wife Kerry's urging, reawakened a dormant golf game that had earned him a scholarship to Wake Forest University and, more recently, a ticket to Augusta, Georgia. Not long after, with suitcase in hand and golf clubs on his shoulder, the aging muni-course player finds himself walking down famed Magnolia Lane toward every accomplished golfer's dream--a coveted spot alongside the world's best players in the Masters field. As Alexander learns shortly after his arrival on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National, there's much more at stake than whether he can somehow make the 36-hole cut on the beautiful and challenging layout or how he'll fare against players named McDowell, Mickelson and Woods. Pursued by a mysterious and tormented stranger, helped by a young unknown caddie, Alexander soon discovers that he isn't just playing to make the cut or win the vaunted green jacket. He is playing to save the life of his wife. In perhaps the only novel to be set at Augusta National Golf Club, Coyne masterfully blends his deep knowledge of golf and Masters tradition with his affinity for the supernatural to spin a riveting tale. The third novel in Coyne's popular "caddie" series, The Caddie Who Won The Masters will grip readers until the final putt rolls into the cup and the green jacket slips over the shoulders of the winner.

Masters of the Millennium: The Next Generation of the Pga Tour: Leonard, Duval, Woods and Mickelson
by Robert Hartman
(Hardcover)

Masters
Paul Deegan
Library Binding; (Special Order)

Majors, The: In Persuit of Golf's Holy Grail
by John Feinstein
from Little Brown & Company

Final Round
by William Bernhardt
from Ballantine Books (Trd)

Masters Memories
by Cal Brown
from Sleeping Bear Press

Masters: A Hole-By-Hole History of America's Golf Classic
by David Sowell
from Brasseys, Inc.

The Making of the Masters : Clifford Roberts, Augusta National, and Golf's Most Prestigious Tournament
by David Owen
from Simon & Schuster

The Greatest Masters: The 1986 Masters and Golf's Elite
by Stephen Goodwin
from HarperCollins
Out of Print - Try Used Books

Shouting at Amen Corner: Dispatches from the Masters-- The World's Greatest Golf Tournament
by Ron Green, Scott Martin
from Sports Publishing Inc.
 

Masters Tournament on DVD

»More Golf Movies

Search This Site