Break out the sunglasses and buy some extra sunblock. The 89th Masters Tournament will have brighter look to it, just not during Monday’s expected rainy day.
Some of the famous tall pine trees are gone, taking shade with them, and shining a new light on Augusta National Golf Club.
Patrons were hoping to get a look at the 2025 version of the course for the first time in Monday’s practice round, but that was put on hold. At 6 p.m. Sunday, the club announced patron gates would not open at the 8 a.m. scheduled time because of “expected inclement weather and safety concerns,” on Monday morning.
So many trees were lost and not replaced from September’s Hurricane Helene that it has created picturesque vistas around Augusta National Golf Club. Distant holes that were previously blocked by trees can now be seen.
After playing the course Sunday, Nick Faldo marveled that he could glimpse the fifth green up the hill all the way from behind the 18th green.
“We could never see that up there,” said Faldo, a three-time Masters champion who retired from the tournament after the 2006 event. “I think that’s probably quite nice. It might even add even more color with the patrons out there.”
“It looked a lot thinner,” former champion Adam Scott said after a Sunday practice round. “I remember when we came back in 2014 after the ice storm it looked thinner. Maybe a little more so now. Little more so on the front nine.”
“The nice thing there is so much out there," said former Masters champion Larry Mize, who last played in the Masters in 2023. “It’s going to be the talk this year but the place is still glorious.”
