A Tale of Two Clubs

In the late 1800s, the country's two oldest golf clubs began the golfing movement in the U.S. and ultimately the most prestigious tournament in the world—the Masters.

by John Boyette and Chris Gay

Bobby Jones chose Augusta as the site for his dream course. Augusta National Golf Club would go on to attract some of the wealthiest and most powerful men and, in turn, the Masters Tournament was launched. It would be fair to assume that Jones and the Masters put Augusta on the map as a golf destination, but it wouldn't be entirely accurate. Golf in the Augusta-Aiken area dates back nearly four decades before construction began on the former nursery located off Washington Road. A strong case can be made that without the support and assistance of members from Augusta Country Club and Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, Jones's dream might never have been realized.

Aiken's Palmetto Golf Club. It's no exaggeration to say that history permeates every corner of Palmetto Golf Club. There's the club's original charter from the U.S. Golf Association—dated Jan. 22, 1896—that is on display in the pro shop. Then there's the Stanford White-designed clubhouse, with its stately white columns, that was built in 1902. But ask any Palmetto member what makes the club special and the answer is almost always the same: the course. The layout doesn't feature holes with dazzling water features or artificial enticements. Rather, it is an understated beauty that has played host to top players from every era: Harry Vardon, Bobby Jones, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan and Ben Crenshaw.

In the Beginning

Tucked away not far from busy Whiskey Road, between Aiken's horse district and Hitchcock Woods, Palmetto doesn't wow visitors with a grand entrance. A simple wooden sign—there is no guard shack or gate—welcomes golfers.

Palmetto's origins date back to Aiken's original Winter Colony, a group of wealthy Northerners who discovered the town and its favorable climate after the Civil War. They brought their love of horses and before long Aiken was a hotbed of polo. But golf, which had been played in the British Isles for decades, was starting to make inroads in America. The sport soon caught on with the Winter Colony.

William C. Whitney and Thomas Hitchcock, two of the leading Winter Colonists, began Palmetto in 1892 with a four-hole layout. It soon expanded to an 18-hole layout and, by the turn of the century, golf had found a permanent place in Aiken.

In 1901, Whitney and Hitchcock deeded the land to a trust for $1. Today the Whitney Trust controls Palmetto and various polo fields in Aiken, including historic Whitney Field.

Vardon's Visit

In 1900, famed British golf professional Harry Vardon made a tour of golf courses in the United States. Vardon—the Tiger Woods of his day, according to Palmetto pro Tom Moore—would go on to win six British Opens in his illustrious career.

One of his stops was at Palmetto. But the reception from the Aiken club was less than cordial. "They wouldn't let him in the clubhouse, he being a golf professional, which was maybe one step above caddie at that time,"says Moore, who notes that he has not been denied access to the clubhouse in his 26 years at Palmetto.

What wasn't Vardon's only problem. "He wore knickers when he played golf and he was a chain smoker. They had to have a special board meeting to see if, first, they would let him in the clubhouse and, second, to see if they would let him wear knickers and, third, to see if they would let him smoke on the golf course,"Moore says.

"At the special meeting, as for going in the clubhouse, they wouldn't let him in. As for wearing knickers, only gentlemen wear knickers and he, being a golf professional, obviously wasn't a gentleman and, as for smoking on the golf course, they would let him smoke on the golf course."

Jones and Augusta National

Bobby Jones, the career amateur who co-founded Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, presumably didn't run into the same problems that Vardon did when he visited Palmetto. Moore doesn't know how many times Jones played the Aiken layout, only that he did and that he called Palmetto's par-3 7th hole the best medal play par-3 he ever played.

A strong case can be made that Augusta National might not exist if not for the help of some Palmetto members who were among the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world. "People don't realize that 12 of the original founding members of Augusta National Golf Club were members at Palmetto,"Moore says. "Jones, in his book, said he wanted to build a course in Atlanta. (Augusta National co-founder) Cliff Roberts was a stock broker and a lot of his rich clients were Palmetto members, and they weren't going to Atlanta to play."

Thus, Jones built his dream course in Augusta. Scottish course architect Alister Mackenzie is responsible for that masterpiece and for an important part in Palmetto's history. While in the area to work on Augusta National, Mackenzie was hired to convert Palmetto's sand greens to grass and to lengthen the course. The modern routing of Palmetto can be attributed to Mackenzie, as can the diabolical fifth green.

Legend has it that Mackenzie always incorporated one treacherous green into his courses and that is the fifth at Palmetto. The multi-tiered green is challenging for even the best of putters.

Devereux Milburn

Jones and Mackenzie weren't the only connections Palmetto had to Augusta National and the Masters.
From 1945-1953, Palmetto was the site for the Devereux Milburn Memorial Trophy Pro-Amateur tournament. Named for Milburn, a former club president and one of the country's top polo players, the tournament attracted some of the biggest names in pro golf.

The list of winners includes Masters champions Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Henry Picard and Herman Keiser.

The tournament was popular because it offered a large purse, thought to be as much as $10,000. (In contrast, the Masters winner received $2,500 to $4,000 during the same time period.)

Byron Nelson and his amateur partner, Eugene Grace, won the first Devereux Milburn in 1945. The victory came during Nelson's best year on tour, which featured a record 18 victories and 11 consecutive wins. "They could make more money here in a one-day event than they could in the Masters or a tour event,"Moore says. "Byron Nelson won almost a third of his money that he won the whole year here."

Grace, Nelson's partner, was chairman of Bethlehem Steel and one of the wealthiest men in the world. According to Moore, Grace secured the victory by making a natural birdie on the par-3 16th hole for a net eagle. Although it was customary for members to split the Calcutta proceeds with the pro, Grace signed the whole check over to a grateful Nelson.

When the Masters resumed in 1946 after a three-year hiatus because of World War II, the stop at Palmetto proved to be a popular draw as well.

Although the pro-am format was discontinued after 1953, the tournament is now played using a two-man amateur format and is always held the weekend prior to the Masters. It remains Palmetto's most popular event.

Bobby Knowles

No discussion of Palmetto Golf Club is complete without mentioning Robert W. Knowles Jr. Better known as Bobby, Knowles was one of golf's top amateurs and the first player with local ties to compete in the Masters Tournament.

Knowles played in the 1951 and 1952 Masters. Although he never challenged for a green jacket—his best finish was a tie for 42nd—Knowles went on to make an important contribution as he helped introduce the "over and under'' scoring system.

At the Masters, red numbers on the scoreboard next to a player's name indicated the golfer was under par, while green numbers meant the player was over par. "I can't say I invented it—Cliff Roberts had the most to do with it—but I did have some involvement with it,'' Knowles told The Augusta Chronicle in a 2002 interview.

Knowles, the great-grandson of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, won dozens of club championships and amateur titles in a playing career that began before World War II. He became a regular at Palmetto and helped keep the club together in the years following World War II, according to Moore. His legacy is on display in Palmetto's pro shop with numerous artifacts, including a telegram from Bobby Jones.

The Course

For a course that is 116 years old, Palmetto has seen relatively few changes to its routing. The course started out as a four-hole layout on what is now the 16th, 17th and 18th holes. Within a few years, it had become a full 18-hole layout.

Today golfers can still play essentially the same course that Vardon, Jones, Hogan and Nelson enjoyed more than 50 years before.

The layout's reputation is built on a handful of tough par-4 holes and a set of par-3s that are equally demanding. "Every major architectural firm in the country since I've been here has sent someone out here to see the golf course," Moore says. "It's real classic design with a lot of good long holes and good short holes."

No less an authority than Hogan offered high praise for Palmetto. He said the third, fourth and fifth holes were the three toughest par-4s he had ever played in succession, and he said Nos. 5, 7 and 13 were three of his all-time favorites.

For all its storied past, though, Palmetto hit a rough patch in the late 1970s and early 1980s. "As the members got older, schools changed where they couldn't bring their kids down here and the golf course went to where it wasn't in very good shape," Moore says. "It was always a great layout. Over the years it really got to where it was embarrassing."

That began to change in 1984 when Palmetto installed a modern irrigation system. An infusion of new, younger members helped reverse the decline, including a series of changes in the last decade that culminated with a renovation of the pro shop and installation of new greens and fairways last summer. Now, the course can play to a length of about 6,700 yards from the championship tees.

The total cost of the projects exceeded $1 million, but it was well worth it, according to Moore. "Now we've got a great golf course in great condition," he says. "We can compare with anyone in the country now."

Augusta Country Club: Stroll down the ninth fairway of Augusta Country Club and take a peek. Over there, beyond the trees. Beyond the fence. Look closely and you'll see the history, the beauty. Look closely and you'll see the famed Augusta National Golf Club, the country club's younger neighbor.

Keep walking, however, and you'll realize the history beneath your feet. Augusta Country Club is where golf began in Augusta. Augusta Country Club spawned Bobby Jones's love affair with the city, which helped lead to the eventual formation of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament. Augusta Country Club played host to many important people and many tournaments throughout the years.

Knowles was a member of the U.S. Walker Cup team and played in several U.S. Amateurs and U.S. Opens. A native of Massachusetts, Knowles won several state amateur championships in both South Carolina and New England. "He was probably one of the top three or four amateurs in the country at one time,'' Moore said after Knowles died in 2003. "He was a great player.''

The Club

According to Eileen Stulb's A Chronicle of Augusta, Georgia's Golf Beginnings and an Informal History of The Augusta Country Club Inc., four men introduced golf to Augusta in the late 19th century. One afternoon in 1895, Dr. William Henry Harison Jr. asked "Miss Jenny"Verdery if he and three friends could stop by her Summerville residence and introduce a new outdoor sport. That day, the men—Harison, Morley Harison, Henry H. Cumming and Louis P. Berckmans—ignited Augusta's love affair with golf.

Augusta Country Club originally began as Bon Air Golf Club. By 1899, Hotel Bon Air created a nine-hole tract for their winter guests and Summerville residents. The course, the first one built in Augusta, consisted of sand greens and resided on the east side of Milledge Road, opposite where Augusta Country Club exists today.
The sport became a hit with the winter tourists who visited from the north during a season that lasted from mid-November to mid-April.

In 1900, the club changed its name to Country Club of Augusta. Twenty-one years later, the courts granted the club the corporate name of Augusta Country Club.

In the Beginning

Dr. Harison suffered a severe case of the flu in 1890 and was forced to retire his practice. He was an avid sports fan, and Harison formed a local polo team and several gun clubs. He is most notably remembered for serving as the club's president from 1900-1920. During this time, Harison and longtime head pro, David Ogilvie, routed the Hill Course. Harison also became an integral part of Augusta by helping the poor with free medical care while also helping the country club become a major force on the city's golf and social scene.

His love of golf passed down to his descendants. His son, Montgomery "Gummy"Harison, won the 1921 Georgia State Men's Amateur Championship and 1937 Southern Men's Amateur Championship. Gummy also struck up a friendship with Bobby Jones, the pair playing many rounds of golf together.

Following Dr. Harison's reign, Fielding Wallace served as Augusta Country Club president from 1921-1935. He would spread his love of golf not only through Augusta but throughout the United States. Wallace, one of the founding members of Augusta National Golf Club, served as United States Golf Association president for two years starting in 1948. Like Harison, Wallace was a close friend of Bobby Jones. Wallace witnessed Jones's second career ace on the par-3 14th hole on the Hill Course in 1932.

Bobby Jones and The Start of the Grand Slam

Robert Tyre Jones Jr. made his impact in Augusta long before he founded Augusta National Golf Club. He played in an exhibition match at Augusta Country Club in 1924, a year after winning the first of four U.S. Open titles. According to The Augusta Chronicle account, Jones played with British Open champ Arthur Havers, French champ Fred Ockender and Southern champ Perry Adair in their first appearance at the Hill Course.

Four years before the first Masters Tournament was held, the Southeastern Open took place March 31 and April 1 in 1930 at Augusta Country Club and Forest Hills Golf Club. The tournament drew golfing greats from near and far, including Harry Cooper, Ed Dudley, Henry Picard, Gene Sarazen and Horton Smith. The event also saw the return of Jones to major competitive golf after he won the 1929 U.S. Open.

Jones kicked off the 1930 Southeastern Open with rounds of 72-72 the first day at Augusta Country Club. The following day, Jones posted rounds of 69-71 at Forest Hills. With his 284 total, Jones bested the field by 13 shots. Smith, the 1934 and 1936 Masters champion, placed second.

As Jones finished his final round, Scottish golfer Bobby Cruickshank told Jones's friend, O.B. Keeler, the following:

"He'll go over to Britain and win the amateur and the open, and then he'll come back to America and win the open and the amateur. That's all he'll do this year."

Indeed, Jones went on to win the year's four major events—British Amateur, British Open, U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open. Holding all four major trophies in the same year, Jones captured the now famous "Grand Slam."

And it all began in Augusta.

With Jones's retirement from golf in 1930, interest in the Southeastern Open waned. A year later, the tournament fizzled out. But Augusta Country Club was not through with major tournament golf.

The Women's Titleholders Golf Championship was founded in 1936 by Dorothy J. Manice. The first tournament, held a year later, was won by Patty Berg, who captured seven Titleholders championships. Amateur Babe Didrikson Zaharias won the 1947 event, which offered a $600 purse for the first time.

In 1950, Augusta Country Club became the site of the first Ladies Golf Hall of Fame. The Titleholders event remained a golfing staple until 1966, when increased financial costs caused the tournament to go dormant.
Jones made his final appearance at Augusta Country Club in 1956 when he presented the Titleholders Trophy to Louise Suggs.

Augusta left quite an impression on Jones. After his retirement from golf in 1930, he sought a location to build his perfect golf course. Jones, who had such wonderful experiences at Augusta Country Club, found it in 1931 with the purchase of the 365-acre Fruitland Nurseries.

On July 15, 1931, an article appeared in The Augusta Chronicle with the headline "Bobby Jones to Build His Ideal Golf Course on Berckmans' Place."It comes as no surprise that the land, soon to become one of golf's most revered courses, bordered Augusta Country Club. Rae's Creek runs through both courses.

"Augusta is in my home state,"Jones said in The Augusta Chronicle. "It has a singularly fine winter climate, and my experience in this city, in the Southeastern Open last spring, convinced me that nowhere in this hemisphere was there anything to surpass the golfing conditions, in turf, greens, or climate, offered by this immediate locality."

Jones is one of many famous golfers who have toured the grounds at Augusta Country Club. In 1900, British great Harry Vardon visited Augusta and played an exhibition at the course. Winner of six British Open Championships, Vardon went on to win the U.S. Open later in 1900. The professional with the lowest scoring average on the PGA and European tours is annually awarded the Vardon Trophy.

A stream of notable golfers played Augusta Country Club throughout the years, including the likes of Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan. Augusta Country Club also played host to many men of achievement, including baseball great Ty Cobb, American industrialist and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and two U.S. presidents—William Howard Taft and Warren G. Harding.

Augusta Country Club is known for producing its own top-notch golfers. Eileen Stulb, a two-time women's Georgia state champion, was a two-time runner-up in the Titleholders Championship. Laura Coble won the Georgia State Golf Association Women's Player of the Year trophy 10 consecutive years (1998-2007).

In 1956, Walker Inman Jr. became the first member to play on the PGA Tour and qualify for the Masters Tournament. Jay Cudd Jr. followed Inman's path, joining the PGA Tour and winning the 1983 PGA Charlie Pride Classic.

Augusta Country Club featured three of the nation's finest junior golfers in the 1990s, with John Engler, Charles Howell III and Scott Volpitto. Engler and Howell went on to play on the PGA Tour. Howell, owner of two PGA Tour titles, remains a PGA Tour member with career earnings of more than $15 million. Larry Mize, the 1987 Masters champion, is an honorary member at Augusta Country Club, where he played extensively as a teenager.

In 1900, the club built an 18-hole tract west of Milledge Road and named it the Lake Course, with two lakes adjoining the course. With 10 holes on the east side of Milledge Road, just eight holes of the new course were used until 1902. By 1905, the Lake Course stood on its own, replete with a clubhouse, practice tee and tennis courts. Tall pine trees lined the 5,873-yard layout.

In 1908, the club purchased the Hill Course property. Seven years later, management decided to change the routing and the yardage of several holes on the courses.

In 1927, the club employed famed architect Donald Ross to renovate and replace the sand greens on the Hill Course with grass.
During summer months, the Hill Course closed to allow winter patrons to play it in peak condition. The Lake Course remained open throughout the year. But the end was soon in sight for the Lake Course.

In 1937, the club sold the Lake Course for financial reasons. The Great Depression made it difficult to maintain two courses. And Augusta was no longer the winter magnet for rich Northerners. Instead, they found a new winter home in Florida.

Part of the Lake Course remained as the club made its first hole the new opening hole for the Hill Course. The club, which had swapped property along Rae's Creek with Augusta National Golf Club, lengthened its eighth hole in the 1980s, making it a difficult par-5 with the green fronted by the famous waterway.

The Augusta Country Club remains a viable course on the nation's scene. In a March issue of Golfweek, Augusta's oldest private club was ranked number 95 among classic courses, including the likes of Cypress Point Club, Pine Valley Golf Club, Peeble Beach Links and Augusta National.