Lot # 3: 1933 As-Built Architectural Map of Augusta National Golf Club

Category: Miscellaneous

Starting Bid: $500.00

Bids: 30 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Summer 2020",
which ran from 7/8/2020 12:00 PM to
7/25/2020 8:00 PM



When it comes to early Augusta National / Masters artifacts and memorabilia, this item is just about as early as it gets. It beats the inaugural 1934 Masters programs with their five-figure prices hands down. As the auctioneer sees it, the 1933 as-built maps are the oldest major artifacts from the Augusta National Golf Club outside of actual drawings, blueprints, maps, permits or anything else used to guide and/or monitor the actual construction of the course.

The course at Augusta National officially opened for play in January of 1933.  Also, early in 1933, this lithograph as-built map of the Augusta National Golf Club was produced by the Olmstead Brothers firm of Brookline, Massachusetts.  It is a color reproduction of the November 1932 black and white as-built map (shows the topography and layout of the holes as built) of Augusta National produced by Olmsted, and was made for the city of Augusta, Georgia, at the request of Jones and Alastair MacKenzie.  It is not known how many of these maps were made, but “not many” is a safe bet. The auctioneer knows of two others. One is shown on a website dedicated to Alastair MacKenzie, the principal architect of the August National course, and the other accompanies a wonderful article that recounts how the Augusta National Golf Club has changed when compared to what Olmstead's 1933 map called for. Click Here

In his book The Making of The Masters, David Owen relates how Olmstead Brothers was “the most distinguished landscaping architectural firm in the country” and was hired by the club to “plan the subdivision, and also give advice on building the clubhouse and landscaping the entire property. . . . The firm’s involvement was extensive and continued intermittently for about 10 years.  In advertisements that ran in the programs for the first two tournaments, Olmstead Bros. was described as one of the ‘three eminent designers’ of Augusta National (the other two being MacKenzie and Jones)—wording that Roberts and Jones had approved (67)."

Olmstead Brothers was operated by Fredrick Law Olmstead's two sons John Olmstead and Fredrick Jr. Fredrick Law Olmstead and the Olmstead firm designed such historic landmarks as Central Park, The US Capitol Grounds, White House Grounds, West Point Military Academy, Stanford University, Yosemite national Park.  You can read more about Fredrick Law Olmstead and his work at Click Here. The Fredrick Law Olmstead National Historic Site which includes an archive and museum is located in Brookline, Mass.

This 17 3/4" high by 18 1/4" wide map is printed on an off-white parchment-like paper. "9275-32 Walker Lith. & Pub Co. Boston," is printed in fine print in the bottom right corner. "JH Scott—Del" is printed in fine print in the bottom left corner. "Augusta Natl Golf Course" is hand written in ink on the back of the upper left-hand corner of the map, along with the initials "OB" inside a square (Olmsted Brothers?) and both "C" and "D" inside their own circle. Additional images have been added to show these items.

This map has never been framed. Instead it appears to have been rolled up for its entire life—no tears, no holes, and only one tiny mark right above "Notes" on the upper RH side.  It does unroll nicely, however, with no wrinkling.  It would frame and display beautifully in the most elegant of homes or professional of settings.

You can see an image of the 1933 Augusta National as-built map on the Allister MacKenzie website, click on alistermackenzie.org/maps-plans.  Just scroll down the page.  The 1932 black and white as-built map is there also.

The four sand-tee molds used to hold the map in place for the camera are not included in this lot. The are offered as separate lots elsewhere in this auction. 

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