The Masters: Golf, Money, and Power in Augusta, Georgia

by Curt Sampson

The Masters golf tournament weaves a hypnotic spell. It is the toughest ticket in sports, with black-market tickets selling for $10,000 and more. Success at Augusta National breeds legends, while failure can overshadow even the most brilliant of careers. But as Curt Sampson, author of the bestselling Hogan, reveals in The Masters , a cold heart beats behind the warm antebellum façade of this famous Augusta course. And that heart belongs to the man who killed himself on the grounds two decades ago. Club and tournament founder Clifford Roberts, a New York stockbroker, still seems to run the place from his grave. An elusive and reclusive figure, Roberts pulled the strings that made the Masters the greatest golf tournament in the world. His story—including his relationship with presidents, power brokers, and every golf champion from Bobby Jones to Arnold Palmer to Jack Nicklaus—has never been told. Until now.
        
The Masters is an amazing slice of history, taking us inside the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Augusta's most famous member. It is a look at how the new South coexists with the old the relationships between blacks and whites, between Southerners and Northerners, between rich and poor—with such characters as James Brown, the Godfather of Soul; the great boxer Beau Jack; and Frank Stranahan, the playboy golfer and the only white pro ever banned from the tournament. The Masters is a spellbinding portrait of a tournament unlike any other.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook

265 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Curt Sampson, golf professional turned golf writer, came to golf the old-fashioned way—as a caddie. He looped for his father for a few years on summer Saturday’s, then turned pro, in a manner of speaking, at age 12, as one of the scores of disheveled boys and men in the caddie pen at Lake Forest Country Club in Hudson, Ohio. His golf game developed from sneaking on LFCC at twilight, an occasionally nerve-wracking exercise because the greens keeper intimated a readiness to call the cops on trespassers. Sampson—never caught—progressed as a player and as an employee, scoring a job as starter/cart maintenance boy at age 16 at Boston Hills CC, a public course, also in Hudson. His high water mark as a young golfer was a win in the Mid- American Junior in 1970. Sampson attended Kent State University on a golf scholarship and managed a municipal course for two years following graduation, worked a couple more as an assistant pro at clubs in South Carolina and Tennessee, then bummed around as a touring pro in Canada, New Zealand, and Florida.

In November 1988, Sampson began to write full-time, mostly about the game of his father, golf. Texas Golf Legends, his first book, was collaboration with Santa Fe-based artist Paul Milosevich. Researching TGL gained Sampson introductions with people he has written about many times since: Hogan, Nelson, Crenshaw, Trevino, and a few dozen others. His next book–The Eternal Summer, a recreation of golf’s summer of 1960, when Hogan, Palmer, and Nicklaus battled–is still selling 15 years after its debut, a rarity in the publishing world. Sampson’s biography of the enigmatic William Ben Hogan struck a chord. Both Hogan and his next book, The Masters, appeared on the New York Times bestseller lists. Subsequent books and scores of magazine articles cemented Sampson’s reputation as readable and sometimes controversial writer with an eye for humor and the telling detail.

Reviews

[Stephen Fogle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every golf fan dreams of making their hajj to experience golfs Mecca. Unfortunately, you might have better odds to win the lottery than you do to play a round at "The National." Luckily, us mere mortals can watch on TV or try to scalp weekly badges for upwards of $10,000. If you want the next best thing, read Curt Sampson's book, The Masters: Golf, Money, and Power in Augusta, Georgia. This book is packed full of interesting and entertaining anecdotes about Augusta and the tournament while also shedding light on its unsavory past. I love playing and watching golf and found that I learned a tremendous amount from this book which will make my experience at the 2018 Masters even better.

If you want to enter a ticket lottery to win tickets at face value, click the link below and pray.

https://tickets.masters.com/app/welcome

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the "content" of this book, but the writing style and segmentation of the history was very choppy. If you are intrigued by the Masters or Augusta National it is worth the read.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but not fascinating. Would give 3.5 stars. Cliff Roberts was a maniac.

[Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good history of the club. Doesn’t glorify the founders, which is an honest account

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a mystique surrounding much of the famous golf course, tournament and country club and I was looking for background. It’s an ‘invitation only’ membership. It contends to operate via ‘customs’ rather than ‘rules’. During the tournament, the audience on the course are ‘patrons’, not just ‘customers’. It even has ‘cabins’’ (hotel rooms?) for members and guests (which are actually mansions – one has 8 bedrooms, 8 baths, 2 saunas and 2 living rooms). Etc., etc..

The author also provides some of the lore – almost year by year (and practically hole by hole!) of its great moments of golf. It talks about the city of Augusta (BTW, it’s the home of singer, James Brown) and its history as a winter destination for the New York crowd. There’s mentions of ‘important’ members e.g. the CEO of Coca-Cola, Dwight D Eisenhower, and reference to an unnamed member who always had $60k in wallet (and S10k bill handy). There’s the course architect Alastair McKenzie and, of course, stories of the legendary Bobby Jones.

The book is well written and I enjoyed it, BUT … there are a lot of books about Augusta. I was looking for more info on what it’s like to be a member. Also more anecdotes. More fun stuff. Sampson tries to expose what he believes is the club’s ‘true’ nature, explaining that of one of the two founders (along with Bobby Jones), Cliff Roberts, RULED every aspect of the club. The author purports that the National (the members preferred name) isn’t as ‘pure’ as it’s PR would want you to believe. It’s about money and power. And also, his examples of racism modeled on the old segregated South.

The bottom line ... Those who have attended the Masters tournament, or are golf nuts in general, will enjoy this book. Non-golfers will think those people are nuts.

[Bryan Mullalley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been a fan of the Masters since I was 15 and watched the famous 1975 finish. That being said, this book confirms regarding Augusta National - "...they are who we always knew they were...". This book gives inside information that is not surprising, but still very interesting. The saddest part of the book, touched on briefly several times throughout, is the history of the caddies and the general master/servant setup of the club. The other part that was very interesting is the influence of the club and members regarding politics in the 50's and 60's. You can make your own opinion regarding thoughts about Clifford Roberts, but overall, this book does not paint a pretty picture. That being said, the mid-20th century was a different time. Even though I liked this book, I'm giving 3 stars because the book does not flow very well. There are times the book skips around you're not even sure what overall topic is being discussed/written about.

[Doug Folks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book about Augusta National and the Masters, and how Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones built this golf mecca. Sampson covers everything about Augusta National -- power and money (as the title says) at the rich white boy club, race relations, how things work in the South, horticulture, James Brown and a little golf. I'd like to read more about the golf and how various tournaments played out (especially Tiger's first win in '97), but not necessarily at the expense of excluding other topics and themes. Sampson's writing is brilliant, even when he's writing about something you may not be interested in.

[Martin Braunton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that trails through the decades after the conception of Augusta National in 1933. It is quite interesting reading how Cliff Roberts and Bobby Jones put it all together. I must admit, I thought this book would be about the beginnings of the tournament and the golf club itself, but no, we then trawl through the following decades up to the 1990s.
I can't help feeling that the book loses some of its focus at this point although the stories of Roberts and Jones remain centrestage. Roberts himself, seems an unlikeable figure and his domineering ways, set the tone for the membership of the exclusive golf club.
It is odd that so little attention is given to Horton Smith's win in the initial Masters tournament in 1934. Some winners are given due regard - Arnold Palmer in particular - but others are not even mentioned.
The concept and the relationship between the main protagonists are interesting enough.

[a.t.m. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on the Masters golf tournament.

The author has written a compelling book about one of golf’s great golf courses and how it came to be what it is today. What strikes me is the irony of history past and the present status of people of color, when the subject of systematic racism is brought up. The author had no way of knowing that events of today so validate, the racism of the past, and all of the great black players that never got their chance. I highly recommend this book. A great read about the background stories.

[Carolyn Leshyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Masters tells the history of The Masters and Augusta National. It centers around founders Bobby Jones and Cliff Roberts and how Roberts seized control of the tournament and the golf club. To this day his style and personality seem to persist in it's leadership. The author talks about the various golfers and their personalities, Ike's presence, the community and the few people who have run the show since Jones and Roberts.

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this for its reputation as the definitive history of The Masters and Augusta National. It didn’t live up. Instead of being in-depth it was high-level and rambling, at times going off in random directions about boxing and high school football. Reading this book was like reading a Wikipedia article and clicking on every link. There are probably books better worth your time.

[guillaume philippe choquet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book !Take you behind the curtains of this institution Augusta as become, from the American civil war to the creation of the course and finally what it as become today a tournament everyone recognises even none golfers.

[Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good interesting history of the masters. It is 20 years old and a lot of the material has been updated and expanded. It leaves you with wanting more information. Hits the highlights and shows how secretive the whole Augusta National and Masters has been over the years.

[Kerry Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love The Masters tournament this book takes you through the history of Augusta National from its inception. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Tom Anstett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovers of golf - especially the Masters - should read this one. The entire history of the tournament-beginning, architecture, main people, the large figures/players-are all in this book.

[Algis Nakutis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight into the founders of The Masters , the Major of the four majors.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever fan of golf history and The Masters should read this book. It's very revealing.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty amazing history

[Blair Kessler · Rating 1 out of 5]

Avid golfer and wanted to love it but very poorly written and hard to read book. Do not recommend

[Kacy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 - Too much focus on detailing the life stories of people who really didn't have a significant impact on the tournament or club

[CJ Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's have a week

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended by Tom Williams Good but not great.

[Colin Blewitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing ground breaking but fun pre masters read to learn more about augusta

[Shaad Zaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Jeff Edgens · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Masters is two things at once – a disquisition on the social inequality of controlling white “masters” of the Augusta National and the City of Augusta itself. Then there is The Masters championship which separates the invited golf masters from the uninvited almost champions for the exclusive tournament. Sampson begins with how Augusta National sprung up from a former plant nursery to become an exclusive golf mecca for the well-heeled from all over the country. And how two men –one a northern taciturn financier and founder of a stock brokerage firm, Cliff Roberts; and, the other man a genteel Southerner and the greatest amateur golfer in the history of the sport, Bobby Jones, shared a common vision to build Augusta National. Clearly Roberts is the one to control Augusta National as the years go by and Jones is afflicted with a severe nervous disease rendering him nearly an invalid. Roberts’ takes a firm guiding hand to all affairs of Augusta National while shaping it into the discrete, confidential but revered tournament it is today.

Sampson weaves a tale of those insiders vs outsiders and illustrates the dichotomy of Northeners vs Southerners, Augusta National caddies vs Personal caddies; Augusta vs non-Augustans and ending with Roberts’ suicide on the course he nurtured and built. The Masters is a great story on Augusta places and characters (the famous fighter Beau Jack, James Brown; the Bon Aire Hotel, etc.). Highly recommend for the golf enthusiast and anyone interested in southern and Augusta history.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting read but is a bit outdated and the writing style can be distracting. Seems like the author assumes the reader already knows a lot about golf. I read this book because I lived in Augusta, Georgia but am not a native but rather moved there in connection with the military.

Candid portrait of Cliff Roberts who was the genius and devil behind the club and tournament. I love the Masters and have attened a numbe of times. This book tarnishes the polish a bit but there are still plenty of things to admire. This book is now somewhat out of date. The author was also a bit hampered by the refusal of some parties to be interviewed so an element of balance is missing a bit.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating history of the Augusta National Golf Club, and to a lesser extent the area around it. Tons of things I didn't know that I wish I read before going last week! Oh well.
A quick read, this one ends sooner than you'd like it to. There needs to be an updated edition with the past 15 or 20 years covered.
I will warn any reader though that the course will lose a tiny bit of its luster by the time you finish reading this, so beware!

[Nicole Conlan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this because I'm a golfer, but if I weren't, I don't think I would have liked it nearly as much. The writing is lovely in some places and REALLY made me roll my eyes in others. Curt Sampson definitely tries to romanticize the past in a way that feels a little ham-fisted. The book is a little dated - it was first published in the 90s, and it shows. But if you like golf, it's an interesting look behind the scenes and I don't regret reading it.

[Richard Lister · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've ever wondered about the blue bloods who are and have been a part of the Augusta National Golf Club, this is your book. Curt Sampson beautifully lays out the vision that Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts held for the course they would create on an abandoned Augusta, Georgia nursery. The club's evolution along with its tournament is something anyone who has been glued to the Saturday and Sunday rounds of the Masters would want to discover. This book is the place to do just that.

[Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I compare this to "Ball Four", in that it was salacious when first published, but more "yawn" as time elapsed from publication. I guess i just expected something i hadn't heard before. I had the same feeling after finishing "Ball Four"