All the changes made to the Augusta National Golf Course ahead of the 2024 Masters
Augusta National Golf Club is known for the pristine condition of its course but also for its constant evolution. The institution never ceases to adjust the course to new demands and it is said that the modifications begin immediately after each edition of the Masters ends.
For the 2024 edition, Augusta National made only one change to the course. According to Golf Digest, the tee box on the second hole was moved back and to the left, adding 10 yards to its length.
This modification, like all changes at Augusta National, is aimed to make the Masters better every year. Statistics show that the second hole was the easiest during the last three seasons, with an average score of 4.562.
With this modification, the second hole remains par 5 but now with 585 yards of extension, 10 more than in the last edition.
This is the second extension of Augusta National during the past two seasons. Before the 2023 Masters, 40 yards were added to the 13th hole as a result of a land purchase from a neighboring facility.
These increases in length have to do with players now having more and more reach with their long shots. It is one of the causes behind the so-called golf rollback rule established by the United States Golf Association and the R&A.
A look at the major changes to the Augusta National course over the years
The Augusta National Golf Club was inaugurated in 1933 and the first edition of the Masters was played the following year. Changes to the course started at the end of that inaugural edition.
By the second edition the course had changed the nines, that is, what was initially the back nine was now the front nine. In other words, what was once the 10th hole became the 1st hole from that moment on (until today).
Subsequently, numerous extensions and rearrangements of tee boxes have been made, in some cases to allow access to larger crowds, and in others, to add difficulty to the course.
In the 70’s, the traditional sand in the 44 bunkers of the course was replaced by “Spruce Pine Sand” (granulated quartz). This material is produced in the town of the same name in North Carolina.
In the 1990’s the SubAir System was designed and installed, a support system for irrigation and ventilation of the greens that is strategically placed under the surface. This system has contributed significantly towards consolidating and elevating the already enormous fame of the greens of this venue.
The 2024 edition of the Masters tournament will be played between April 11-14 and will mark the beginning of what is known as the “Majors Season.”
