Tour the Famous Landmarks at Augusta National

Magnolia Lane, the Butler Cabin and More of Augusta's Top Attractions

Golfers at Masters Golf Tournament
Corbis via Getty Images / Getty Images

The bridges, the cabins, the creeks and other physical points of interest around Augusta National Golf Club: There are many that are quite well known among golfers; some of them are stars of a sort in their own right. What are those Augusta National landmarks? What are their origins, what makes them special? In this gallery, we take a look at some of the famous points of interest around Augusta National.

Start with the Drive Up Magnolia Lane

Magnolia Lane's 60 magnolia trees and the clubhouse are seen at Augusta National Golf Club
Under the canopy on Magnolia Lane, heading to the Augusta National clubhouse. Scott Halleran/Getty Images

To enter Augusta National Golf Club, travel down Washington Road in Augusta, Ga., to the club's gated entrance (take note of the "members only" sign), then — if you get past the guarded gate — turn onto Magnolia Lane, the entryway to Augusta National. Magnolia Lane ends in a roundabout in front of the clubhouse (with Founders Circle inside the roundabout).

The short road (driveway, really) is famous for its canopy of magnolia trees that date back to the 1850s. According to the Augusta Chronicle newspaper, there are 61 magnolia trees on each side of Magnolia Lane, and the road is 330 yards long. Those trees' branches meet overhead, creating a tunnel effect that is particularly striking when the trees are in bloom.

Magnolia Lane was unpaved for the first decade and a half of the club's existence, but was paved in 1947.

Founders Circle at Augusta National

Founders Circle Augusta National Golf Club
Founders Circle is at the end of Magnolia land, at the base of the flagpole in front of the Augusta National Golf Club clubhouse. Harry How / Getty Images

Founders Circle is in-between Magnolia Lane and the Augusta National Golf Club clubhouse, with the flagpole standing near the back of the circle. Magnolia Lane ends in a roundabout at the clubhouse that allows vehicles to turn around. The grassy area within that roundabout is Founders Circle.

Founders Circle is a favorite photo spot, even for players at The Masters. Photos there get the clubhouse in the background, and a flowerbed in the shape of the Masters logo.

Founders Circle is so-named because it includes two honorific plaques, one for each of the club's founders, Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones. The plaques are at the base of the flagpole.

Crow's Nest at Augusta National

Crow's Nest Augusta National Golf Club Clubhouse
The Crow's Nest atop the Augusta National Golf Club clubhouse is available for the lodging use by amateurs in The Masters field. Harry How / Getty Images

The Crow's Nest is a room that tops the Augusta National Golf Club clubhouse. The term "crow's nest," in an architectural sense, refers to the part of a building that "caps" the structure, so to speak. The term derives from ship's "crow's nests," topmost lookout points secured on a ship's mast.

The Augusta National Crow's Nest is 1,200 square feet on its interior. During The Masters, amateurs in the field are welcome to lodge in the Crow's Nest. There is space for five people to stay there during The Masters.

In the photo above, the square cupula, with windows on all sides, marks the Crow's Nest.

Rae's Creek

Rae's Creek running in front of the 12th green at Augusta National Golf Club
Rae's Creek flows in front of the No. 12 green at Augusta National Golf Club. Scott Halleran/Getty Images for Golfweek

It's tough to say what is the better-known landmark: Rae's Creek, or the two footbridges (Hogan Bridge and Nelson Bridge) that cross it.

Rae's Creek is most famous as the water fronting the par-3 12th green at Augusta National Golf Club. As Rae's Creek cuts across a corner of the Augusta National property, it flows behind the 11th green, in front of the 12th green and in front of the 13th tee. A tributary (but not Rae's Creek itself) snakes up the side of the 13th fairway and crosses in front of the 13th green.

According to the Augusta Chronicle newspaper, Rae's Creek is named after John Rae, who died in 1789 and whose home was built on the creek. Rae, from Ireland, built a grist mill on the banks of the creek in 1765. The official Web site of The Masters notes that "Rae's house ... was the farthest fortress up the Savannah River from Fort Augusta. Residents used his house as a safe haven during Indian attacks when the Fort was out of reach."

Many a golfer has wished there was a safe haven from Rae's Creek after his ball rolled down the bank of the No. 12 green and into the creek's waters.

Hogan Bridge

Hogan Bridge Augusta National Golf Club
The Ben Hogan Bridge leads players to the 12th green at Augusta National Golf Club. Harry How / Getty Images

The Hogan Bridge is a footbridge across Rae's Creek that takes golfers to the 12th green. The stone bridge is topped with artificial turf.

Hogan Bridge is named in honor of Ben Hogan, who won the 1953 Masters with a then-record score of 274.

The Hogan Bridge was dedicated on April 2, 1958 (the same day the Nelson Bridge was dedicated). A plague was placed in the ground at the entrance to the bridge (as players walk from the 12th tee to the bridge). That plaque reads:

This bridge dedicated April 2, 1958, to commemorate Ben Hogan's record score for four rounds of 274 in 1953. Made up of rounds of 70, 69, 66 and 69. This score will always stand as one of the very finest accomplishments in competitive golf and may even stand for all time as the record for The Masters tournament.

Of course, Hogan's record did not stand for all-time: Jack Nicklaus first bettered it at the 1965 Masters. But the Hogan Bridge itself will stand for all-time — or at least for as long as there is an Augusta National.

Nelson Bridge

Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and caddies cross the Nelson Bridge during the 2015 Masters
Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and caddies cross the Nelson Bridge at Augusta National. Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The Nelson Bridge is a stone bridge that crosses Rae's Creek at Augusta National Golf Club, just upstream from the Hogan Bridge. The Nelson Bridge takes golfers back across Rae's Creek as they leave the 13th tee and head up the 13th hole.

The Nelson Bridge was dedicated on April 2, 1958 (same day as the Hogan Bridge was dedicated). A plaque in the ground (as golfers enter the bridge from the 13th tee) commemorates Byron Nelson's come-from-behind win at the 1937 Masters, where he made up six strokes on Holes 12 and 13.

The plaque reads:

This bridge was dedicated April 2, 1958, to commemorate Byron Nelson's spectacular play on these two holes (12-13) when he scored 2-3 to pick up six strokes on Ralph Guldahl and win the 1937 Masters Tournament. In recognition also to Guldahl, who came back with an eagle 3 on 13 to gain winning position in 1939.

Nice touch to give a shoutout to Guldahl, too.

Sarazen Bridge

Sarazen Bridge at Augusta National Golf Club
Phil Mickelson walks across the Gene Sarazen Bridge during the 2010 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. Jamie Squire / Getty Images

The Sarazen Bridge crosses the edge of the pond that fronts the 15th green at Augusta National Golf Club. Like the Hogan Bridge and Nelson Bridge, the Sarazen Bridge is constructed of stone. Unlike the other two, it is not an arch but a flat walkway.

The Sarazen Bridge was constructed and dedicated in honor of Gene Sarazen's famous "Shot 'Heard Round the World," the double-eagle he recorded on the 15th hole en route to victory at the 1935 Masters.

The bridge was dedicated on April 6, 1955 — one day shy of the 20th anniversary of Sarazen's double-eagle hole-out. A plaque is affixed to the stone rail of the bridge, and that plaque reads:

Erected to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the famous " double eagle" scored by Gene Sarazen on this hole, April 7, 1935, which gained him a tie for first place with Craig Wood and in the play-off the playoff won the second Masters Tournament

As noted — and contrary to many golfers' understanding — Sarazen did not win the 1935 Masters by holing out for double-eagle on the 15th. Rather, that hole-out made up Sarazen's three-stroke final-round deficit to Craig Wood in one swing. Sarazen and Wood finished 72 holes tied, then Sarazen won a 36-hole playoff by five strokes.

Butler Cabin at Augusta National

Butler Cabin Augusta National Golf Club
The Butler Cabin is one of the highest-profile cabins on the grounds of Augusta National Golf Club due to its involvement in the Masters television coverage. David Cannon / Getty Images

The Butler Cabin is probably the best-known of the 10 cabins on the grounds of Augusta National Golf Club. Like the other nine, the Butler Cabin is available to members, and guests of members, as lodging.

Why is the Butler Cabin so well-known? Because every year during the television broadcast of The Masters, American TV network CBS hosts its broadcast from inside the Butler Cabin. And at the conclusion of the tournament, the previous year's champion presents the Green Jacket to the new champion in a brief ceremony inside the Butler Cabin (in the basement, to be exact). (The "official" Green Jacket presentation takes place later back on the course for fans.).

Butler Cabin was built in 1964 and named after Thomas Butler, an Augusta National member of the time. It is located between the clubhouse and the Par-3 Course. The cabin was first used by CBS in 1965.

Eisenhower Cabin at Augusta National

Eisenhower Cabin Augusta National Golf Club
The Eisenhower Cabin is so-named because it housed President and Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower during Ike's frequent stays at Augusta National Golf Club. David Cannon / Getty Images

Another of the 10 cabins on the grounds of Augusta National, the Eisenhower Cabin was built in the early 1950s after Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower's election as United States president. And it was built to specs provided by the Secret Service, since it was built specifically for the President, who was a club member, and Mrs. Eisenhower.

A Time magazine article in 1953 referred to the Eisenhower Cabin as "the Little White House." The article noted that the "cabin" cost $75,000 (in early 1950s dollars) to build. Time wrote that the cabin "perches on a ridge by a pine grove between the clubhouse and the row of smaller cabins used by other members."

Rory McIlroy stayed in the Eisenhower Cabin during a visit to Augusta National in 2010, and told Melanie Hauser of PGATour.com: "... the Eisenhower cabin from outside, it doesn't look that big, but when you get inside, it's three floors. The basement, where there are a couple of bedrooms; you go upstairs and there's a really nice lounge and a kitchen and a couple more bedrooms. Then upstairs, there is a another sitting room and more bedrooms. There are like six or seven bedrooms. It's deceptively big."

Arnold Palmer Plaque

Arnold Palmer Plaque Augusta National Golf Club
The Arnold Palmer Plaque is affixed to a drinking water fountain at Augusta National Golf Club. David Cannon / Getty Images

The Arnold Palmer plaque commemorates Palmer's achievements in The Masters, namely, four victories. The bronze plaque is mounted on the stone wall of a drinking fountain that is behind the No. 16 teeing ground at Augusta National Golf Club.

The plaque was dedicated on April 4, 1995. It reads:

On Sunday, April 6, 1958, Arnold Palmer eagled the 13th hole, forcing the last contenders to try to tie with birdie putts. They missed. At age 28 Arnold had his first Masters victory.
On Sunday, April 10, 1960, Palmer birdied 17 and 18 to win his second Masters title by one stroke.
On Sunday, April 8, 1962, Palmer birdied 16 and 17 to tie Gary Player and Dow Finsterwald for first place. In Monday's playoff he scored 31 on the second nine to win his third Masters title.
In April, 1964 Palmer scored rounds of 69-68-68-70 to win by six strokes and become the first four-time winner of The Masters.
Arnold Palmer had changed the game of golf with these heroic charges and appreciative legions of fans formed around him. They were called "Arnie's Army."

Jack Nicklaus Plaque

Jack Nicklaus Plaque Augusta National Golf Club
The Jack Nicklaus Plaque is affixed to a drinking water fountain at Augusta National Golf Club. David Cannon / Getty Images

The Jack Nicklaus plaque, commemorating Nicklaus' record six victories in The Masters, is mounted on the stone wall of a drinking fountain that sits between Holes 16 and 17 at Augusta National Golf Club.

The bronze plaque, dedicated on April 7, 1998, reads:

In 1963, Jack Nicklaus, 23, won his first Masters title and became the tournament's youngest champion at that time.
In 1965, Nicklaus set tournament records for scoring (271) and margin of victory (nine strokes), including a record-tying 64 in the third round. Of this performance Bob Jones said, "Jack is playing an entirely different game - a game with which I'm not familiar."
Nicklaus won a three-way playoff in 1966 and became the first champion to successfully defend his Masters title.
With his victory in 1972, Nicklaus became the second four-time Masters champion.
During Sunday's dramatic final round in 1975, Nicklaus sank a 40-foot birdie putt at No. 16 that secured a one-stroke victory, earning him an unprecedented fifth Green Jacket.
In 1986, at age 46, Nicklaus scored a final-round 65, which included eagle-birdie-birdie at holes 15, 16 and 17, and won his sixth Masters. At that time he was the oldest champion.
Jack Nicklaus elevated his game to meet golf's challenges, including those at The Masters Tournament. The man and Augusta National Golf Club will be forever linked.

Record Fountain at Augusta National

record fountain at augusta national golf club
One of the plaques affixed to the "Record Fountain" at Augusta National Golf Club. © Lisa Launius, Licensed to About.com

The Record Fountain at Augusta National Golf Club is positioned near the No. 17 green. It's a six-sided stone construction with drinking fountains on each side, and on each of the six walls are mounted plaques. The one in the photo notes Masters tournament scoring records through the years (hence the name "Record Fountain"); other plaques list the winners of The Masters and their winning scores.

The Record Fountain was dedicated on the 25th anniversary of The Masters — March 3, 1959.

Ike's Pond

Ike's Pond at Augusta National
Ike's Pond gets the spotlight every year during the Masters Par-3 Contest, which concludes on holes that play around the pond. David Cannon / Getty Images

Ike's Pond is a spring-fed, three-acre pond on the eastern part of the Augusta National Golf Club grounds. The Nos. 8 and 9 holes of the Par-3 Course play around Ike's Pond.

Ike's pond is man-made, and named after the person who suggested its creation: World War II general and United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower enjoyed a good fishing hole, and suggested to Augusta National founder and chairman Clifford Roberts that building a dam to impound the spring would create such a fishing hole.

Roberts liked the idea. The dam was built right where Eisenhower suggested, and Ike's Pond was created.

Honorable Mention: The Eisenhower Tree

Tiger Woods under Eisenhower Tree
While Augusta National's Eisenhower Tree doesn't come into play much anymore for Masters golfer, Tiger Woods got caught beneath its branches in 2011. Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The Eisenhower Tree was a big ol' pine tree that Augusta National Golf Club member and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower really, really hated.

The Eisenhower Tree was left of Augusta's 17th fairway, 210 yards off the tee. Eisenhower hit the tree so often during his many rounds that he tried to convince other members the tree should be cut down.

An ice storm in February 2014 caused such severe damage to the Eisenhower Tree that the club removed the tree. So the Eisenhower Tree is no more.

According to Masters.com, the tournament's official Web site, "At a Club's governors meeting in 1956, Eisenhower proposed cutting the tree down. Clifford Roberts promptly ruled him out of order and adjourned the meeting."

At what specific point the tree came to be known as the Eisenhower Tree is not known, but a good guess is pretty soon after that meeting.

Calling it "the Eisenhower Tree" might have been inspired by the existence of another Eisenhower Tree: On Aug. 28, 1954, a pine tree, known as the Eisenhower Tree, was planted at Gettysburg National Park in Pennsylvania by members of the World Wars Tank Corps Association. Eisenhower commanded Camp Colt, on the Gettysburg battlefield, during World War I, and the tree was planted at the spot where Eisenhower's headquarters was situated. (That Eisenhower Tree was later killed by lightning.)

In its later years at Augusta National, the tree rarely came into play for today's long-hitting players at the Masters Tournament, but it remained a nuisance for ordinary golfers.