Best book on the history of Augusta National Golf Club?

[John Connolly]

Many are out there. Which one (ones) stand out?

[BCrosby]

I think the two best books on the history of the course are by David Owens and Stan Byrdy. There is also a wonderful book of old photos of the course circa 1935 by Frank Christian. His father was the ANGC official photographer for many years. Owens book is also pretty good on the history of the club, though he fudges a few things.

There are also some good threads here at GCA from back in the day about the history of the course, if that is your main interest.


Bob

[David_Tepper]

For the "unauthorized" version, read Curt Sampson's The Master's: Golf, Money and Power in Augusta, Georgia.

[BCrosby]

David -


Sampson's book is a fun read, but not as accurate as it might be. For example, I'm not sure he got the Charlie Sifford story right.


Bob

[David_Tepper]

Bob -

You may be right. I have no way of knowing.

DT

[BCrosby]

Come to think of it, Mark Frost's book on Jones is pretty good on ANGC. Some interesting background stuff.


Also Tom Doak's book on MacK has good stuff.


Bob

[John Sabino]

Agree with Bob, first choice would be David Owen's Making of the Masters. The club almost never grants access to their archives, but they granted Owen access, so it has a lot of nuggets and inside information. The only downside is that given that the club commissioned the book, the book describes how Cliff Roberts walks on water. Overall, though, one of my favorite books on golf.

[BCrosby]

John -


Yep. It's been a while but I recall that Owen also said almost nothing about the club's receivership and the haircut its creditors, including MacK, took. But notwithstanding that, a well done book.


Bob

[Dave McCollum]

But, as I recall, Owen did say that the club created a brochure and sent out 10,000 to recruit members. He did so to illustrate the early money troubles. 

[BCrosby]

Dave -


The Atlanta History Center has copies of the solicitation letters Jones and Roberts sent out in 1931 or so. Few responded; even fewer actually signed on as members. That story and the later money problems that hit them as the Great Depression deepened were all pretty well-known before Owen's book. My disappointment is that David didn't say much (if anything) about the haircut the club's creditors were forced to take in 1935 or '36.


I have mentioned it before, but the leading case in GA on the proper negotiation of a negotiable instrument involved a note signed by Bob Jones, as president of ANGC, issued to a pipe supplier. The note was intended to settle the claims of the supplier for one half of the full amount owed.


I don't know how (or if) MacK's claims for his design fees were ever settled. 


Bob       

[V. Kmetz]

Hello,


To be honest, I haven't found a poor/disappointing one yet; and beyond the Owen, Christian Jr. and Byrdy books, two important, earlier works haven't been mentioned yet as I scanned the thread:


A Golf Story: Bobby Jones, Augusta National and The Masters by Charles Price (1986).


...and perhaps the most unique (and becoming harder and more expensive to procure a fair copy), a "demi-autobiography" of the club, ghost written by its mother:


The Story of the Augusta National Golf Club by Clifford Roberts (1976).


Not only does the first-hand cache permeate, but it's warm, decent writing that offers the charming nuggets one reads such books for. Once you read it, you understand that Price, Owens, Christian (the 2nd generation club photographer) and Byrdy all have this book on their desks as they were writing their own.


Beyond books, I believe two wonderful resources (for both pleasure and research) are The Masters Journal(s) which is/are published each year and a defunct magazine spin-off "The Major Series" which used to come for all four majors from Golf Magazine (I think?)

[BCrosby]

V. -


Agree with your picks. Also, Charles Price was a much under-appreciated golf writer.


Bob