Augusta National - What Jones intended it to be?

[slickpitt]

A member of my immediate family owned a golf course that I helped build and start. Let me just tell you that very few golf courses make money off green fees. It is so, so expensive to run a good course, the numbers would blow your minds. It would be nearly impossible for Augusta to be Augusta without outrages membership fees and limited rounds. Not saying that I like being excluded, but I thought I would share some insight on the financial end of why it is what it is today.

Membership fees aren't all that much from what I understand... less than $10k for the 300'ish membes. It makes all it's money on the Masters.

 

[Mr Happy]

Augsta is what he wanted it to be and in my opion it is truly a beautiful place. I am sure there are private coures that cost more. But like pebble beach there will never be another like agusta.

 

[kwas911]

The exculsivity of Augusta National is not what makes it a great course. It could be a $5 muni and still be one of the best in the world. Also, its place among the great is a separate topic from whether it is as it was designed by Jones and McKenzie. There is hardly a course anywhere in the world that is exactly as it was built / designed. If you want to play an unchanged course, go to Portstewart in N. Ireland and play the "old course" It has not changed since it was built in 1894. Modern equipment has turned it into not much more than an executive course...but a great experience to play!!

 

[SiberianDVM]

It could be a $5 muni and still be one of the best in the world.

That's .......... not possible. The $5 muni (actually $25) is down the road about 3 miles. I know, because I have played there when there was no other option. It's not called "The Cabbage Patch" for nothing.

Augusta National is what it is because of it's exclusive and expensive nature. Each one of it's blades of grass gets more $$ spent on it per year than my whole front yard.

The original question hinges on whether Augusta National can still be rightfully called Bob Jones' "Homage to St. Andrews"; in other words, links style golf played on a parkland courrse.