Nine hidden secrets of the Masters that members of Augusta National desperately don’t want you to find out
IT IS just perfect, isn’t it?
The luscious green grass, the crystal water, the soft sand, the immaculate straight pine trees and the birds singing.
Augusta National certainly puts on a show for the sporting world every April when the best golfers rock up for the Masters.
But what if you found out that not all is quite as it seems behind the scenes in Georgia?
SunSport delves into some of the secrets of the Masters that have been leaked over the years…
1. Fake birds
Yes you may hear and see plenty of birdies when watching the Masters on TV.
Sorry, though, only the ones the stars mark on the scorecard are real.
The chirping birdsong coming through your speakers? Nope, fake.
Do not be fooled by the flourishing azaleas and stunning horticulture, some who have been to Augusta have reported on the distinct lack of birdlife.
American broadcasters CBS pump bird noises out during their coverage.
2. Dyed water
One look at the glistening Rae’s Creek and, given Augusta’s natural beauty, it would be easy to conclude the water is just another incredible feature of this heavenly golf course.
But you’d be wrong.
One journalist who played a round took a sample of the water from the pond in front of the 15th green.
Tests revealed the water contained food dye, similar to what is used in the blue-coloured icing you can get on a kid’s birthday cake.
3. No food menu
We know the concessions for patrons out on the course are some of the best in sport.
But one pro told golf.com that there is no menu in the clubhouse.
Instead, players just ask for whatever they want and “it appears”.
4. Some players call it ‘Big Brother’
The list of things you cannot do at Augusta is pretty long, but did you know the players are governed by the same rules too?
One, who chose to remain anonymous, fell foul of the strict no phones policy when he posted a video of himself hitting a shot on the par-three 16th.
Augusta took it down.
He said: “It was my first introduction to Big Brother.”
Another was told off by a waiter for using his mobile in the clubhouse while one was reprimanded for sitting down on the driving range.
5. They paint the grass
Yep, Augusta’s stunning colours are not quite as authentic as they want us to believe.
The beautiful azaleas and enormous pines give the course an incredible colour.
But blemishes can – and do – creep into the fairways and greens due to the thousands of footsteps on the grass.
Greenkeeper Andy Stranger has worked at Augusta in the run-up to the Masters.
He told National Club Golfer: “You will get weak spots, bits that are in the shade we will be working on.
“Anything that can be picked up on camera will be painted green.”
6. Cows were once used as lawnmowers
The Masters was postponed between 1943 and 1945 due to World War II.
And in place of the world’s best golfers were turkey and cattle.
The animals were given free reign over America’s most exclusive club in a bid to help the war effort.
And cows munching the grass kept it from growing too long.
7. The bunkers are not filled with sand
The bright white “sand” that fills Augusta’s dangerous hazards is not actually sand.
Instead, the greenkeepers fill the bunkers with a waste product from mining, a substance called quartz.
Professor Drew Coleman said: “That’s why the bunkers are so white.
“Spruce Pine quartz is the best in the world, and the quartz created from the feldspar mining process is so white and pure.”
8. The trees are cut in a certain way
See if you can spot this when you’re watching on TV.
None of the trees have leaves or branches on the outside.
Instead, all have been cut to fall in a specific direction.
One pro said: “The trees are cut so they all lean in toward the fairway. Check it out! There are no branches on the outside of the trees!”
9. A basement used by the Secret Service
One of the famous white cabins at Augusta looks like all the others but is, in fact, much different.
Former US President Dwight Eisenhower was a member of Augusta.
He frequented the club regularly and one of the instantly recognisable cabins was his home while on site.
But his pad had three floors and seven bedrooms – plus a basement that was used by the Secret Service as its Augusta HQ.
Eisenhower was Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II and joined the club in the late 1940s before the first of his two successful presidential campaigns.
After Eisenhower won the 1952 election, the club had to figure out how to handle staff and security for a sitting president’s visits to Augusta, hence the Secret Service setting up camp in his basement.