US Masters - Power, money, wheeling and dealing at Augusta National Golf Club

Augusta National Golf Club, the most exclusive golf club in the world, and its immaculately manicured US Masters are borne of great sport, but also burdened by gentility and racism:

Members are hand-picked and limited. While golf hero Bob Jones used to advertise this "haven for wealthy ... gentlemen, offering the special luxury of being able to retreat and enjoy the game with like-minded people" with warm words, sending a payment slip by post without comment is normal these days. But it is above all power and influence that are being charged for. The Augusta National Golf Club is a stronghold of arch-conservative ideas, its clique morally and ideologically well aligned, excellently networked and discreet.

Initially, however, despite the wealthy clientele, the club is notoriously clammy and almost broke twice. With threats, bad promises and legal dodges, including a fictitious bankruptcy in 1935, co-founder Clifford Roberts put the creditors off and got rid of a mountain of debt amounting to 120,000 dollars.

Here you can find the leaderboard of the US Masters 2026.

Racism and suicide of the Masters founder

His arrogance characterizes Augusta National. "As long as I live, our members will be white and our caddies black," was the director's dictum. It would outlive him: in 1977, Roberts shot himself on the course, 83 years old and suffering from cancer; it was not until 1990 that an African-American member was appointed.

Since 1983, Masters players have been allowed to bring their own caddies - regardless of their ethnicity. To ensure that the "foreign" bag carriers are still identified as a special species, Augusta National gives them white overalls. They look like crime scene cleaners in them.

The grounds with the Magnolia Lane access road are "sovereign territory", the public only has access during the Masters, with strict rules. Tournament tickets are rare anyway, tickets are even inherited. But the famous pimento cheese sandwich has cost 1.50 dollars for years. Nobody interferes with the club: neither sporting dignitaries, nor television, sponsors or even players - all of whom are guests.

women at Augusta National Golf Club for the first time in 2012

Augusta National invites you in. And out again if necessary. in 2002, feminists took the men's association to task and called for a Masters boycott. This puts the three major sponsors IBM, AT&T and Exxon - Coca Cola is practically part of the family - in dire straits, but not the grandees in green. Without further ado, they release their partners from all their obligations and run the TV ratings hit over the next two years on the generally advertising-free site without sponsors.

in 2012, female members are actually appointed, including former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. There are now six women. A women's tournament has even been held since 2019: The world's best amateur players are finally allowed onto the golf course of the world's most famous golf club for the final of the Augusta National Women's Amateur.

(Text: Michael Basche)