Why you should watch the Masters, even if you don't like golf ⛳

In my experience with friends and relatives, I have noticed that the game of golf can both unify and separate men and women who are in relationships. Sometimes, both people love the game and share this as a hobby or a passion. Often, men love everything about the game, and women, for the most part, appreciate their partner’s love of the game but do not want any part of it. This includes not wanting to watch professionals play the game on TV.

I would like to make the case for at least one compromise when it comes to golf. This would be watching the coverage of the Masters golf tournament on TV. This is because the course where it is played, Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta Georgia, is legendary in the world of golf. Not only have many of golf’s most historic moments occurred there, but the course itself is a horticultural masterpiece. It is legendary for the beauty of the landscape throughout the grounds.

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Prior to the golf course being built in 1930, the land was a nursery started in the mid-1800s. Initially, mostly fruit trees were grown there, including the famous Georgia peaches. Over time, the nursery also grew ornamental trees. The horticultural origin from the nursery was incorporated into the golf club. The holes on the course were all named after plants. Many are named after plants that are popular and grow well up here in Cincinnati.

Watch the Masters and you will see trees that will be blooming up here in the coming weeks. Hole 2 is called Pink Dogwood, 11 is White Dogwood. Hole 4 is Crabapple and 16 is Redbud. All of these holes are very picturesque with these trees in bloom lining the fairways and surrounding the greens.

Hole 12 is a bit of a trick. It is called Golden Bell, and when I first saw this name, I wasn’t sure what it was. Turns out Golden Bell is another name for Forsythia.

Hole 13 is called Azalea and it truly lives up to its name. From tee to green this hole is home to over 1,600 azaleas. There are many species and cultivars. Some of the most spectacular scenes during the TV coverage are from this hole. They might be spectacular for the great golf shots, but also for the scenery. The blooming azaleas are also abundant on other holes throughout the golf course.

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Except for azaleas, the best-known plants at Augusta are magnolia trees. Hole 5 is named Magnolia. However, the most legendary trees on the property are the magnolias lining the driveway to the entrance. This driveway is called Magnolia Lane. These trees were planted before the land became the golf club in the 1850s. When the club opened, Magnolia Lane was a dirt road.

As you watch the Masters, some years will be more colorful and spectacular than others. This is because the weather controls the blooms. Some people think the caretakers of the course have tricks to make sure the azaleas are in bloom at the same time each year. This is an urban legend. As recently as 2017 the azaleas were not in bloom because of warm weather in February.

As you sit down to watch the final round today, some of you might catch some grief because you should also be celebrating Easter Sunday. If this happens to you, simply say you are watching a showcase of flowering trees and shrubs. Perhaps then your anti-golf relatives may very well watch with you.