05-04-2025
What are the names of the holes at Augusta National , and why are they named that way?
What are the names of the holes at Augusta National , and why are they named that way?
If you ever hit the Powerball and decide to build your own golf course, do the world a favor: Don't name your golf holes. Stick with the hole numbers, because they are sufficient. Golf holes don't need names, which tend to lean toward Devil's Demise or Shoreline Crescendo – you likely won't be able to prevent yourself from getting that corny. Who do you think you are, Augusta National?
Of course, every rule needs an exception, and at the home of the Masters this practice makes perfect sense because of its natural sensibility. Each hole has a name, and if you're a real Augustaphile, you know them all. Flowering this, dogwood that. Golden Bell sounds lovely.
Augusta National Golf Club named its holes because each has at least one example of a type of tree or shrub planted alongside it. Once known as Fruitland Nurseries, the land upon which the course sits was owned by the Berckmans family. Louis Alphonse Berckmans returned after the course was built to help rehabilitate the trees and shrubs, and he was given a membership at the new club.
In 1932 as a member of the club's Beautification Committee, working alongside Augusta National founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, Berckmans helped select the 18 varieties of tree or shrub for each hole. Some specimens already were in place, while others needed to be relocated. Worth noting: The club has said more than 80,000 plants of over 350 varieties have been planted around the property.
With the greenery in place, the holes had their names. It works so well at Augusta National as part of a tradition that would be tough to match anywhere else.
The names of the holes at Augusta National Golf Club
