It's one of the only places in the U.S. where there are long lines for payphones.
@AshleyKMayo
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There's a huge fence around the course to keep out animals. There has been one deer sighting in the last 65 years and visitors often talk of never seeing a single squirrel.
Birds are also mysteriously rarely seen at Augusta National. Bird sounds are heard during the television broadcasts, but there is a rumor that those sounds are artificial.
Andrew Redington/Allsport
"Also, there are no birds, squirrels, insects or any other living creature indigenous to planet earth at the Masters. Nowhere on the property. Well, okay, there must be some somewhere. But the Post’s Dave Sheinin and I made a multi-day quest for a single bird sighting. So far, none. Those bird calls that you sometimes hear on the Masters broadcast? The source remains undiscovered." — Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post.
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The lakes are also reportedly artificially enhanced to look immaculate on TV. Golf Digest tested the water on one hole in 1996 and found food dye.
A former caddie was willing to tell Burke that the best spots are the creek in front of the 12th hole ("full of bream"; seen above) and the pond at the 16th hole ("brimming with bass").
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Only 4 minutes of commercials per hour are allowed during the broadcast.
TV commentators are not allowed to refer to fans as "fans" or "spectators." They are to be called "patrons." In fact, weekly passes to the Masters are called "patron badges."
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The rough is also to be referred to as the "second cut."
A close-up picture of the fairways at Augusta.
@DaveTindallgolf
Augusta is its own universe with a tenuous connection to the outside world (see: all the ridiculous anecdotes in this slideshow).
But WWII affected Augusta just like it did the rest of the country. During the war, Augusta didn't have the manpower to maintain the course, so they set 200 cattle loose on the grounds in hopes that they would "trim" the grass by eating it.
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There is an odd myth that the grounds crew at Augusta packs the azalea plants with ice if spring comes early. The idea is that this will keep the plants from flowering too soon before the tournament.
There is a house located in the middle of the Augusta National parking lot because the owners refuse to sell it. The family has reportedly turned down "millions."
You can't apply to become a member at Augusta and nobody outside of Augusta knows how many members there are.
REUTERS/Mike Segar
It's nearly impossible to become a member at Augusta.
You have to be be nominated by a current Augusta member, and new initiations generally aren't accepted unless someone quits or dies. The total membership hovers around 300.
Augusta is closed in the summer to keep the course in pristine shape.
Harry How/Getty Images
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Even the press conference podium is immaculate.
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Golfers must return their green jacket to Augusta National one year after winning the Masters. After that, their jacket can only be worn when they are at Augusta National.
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Also, if a player wins more than one Masters, he does not receive a second green jacket unless his size changes considerably.
There is no set field size for the Masters. Therefore, past winners who get a lifetime invitation to competing in the Masters are not taking spots from younger, more deserving players.
Players are given brand new Mercedes for use during the week.
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Golf cart drivers who are hired to drive the players around Augusta National also pick up the golfers at the airport in the Mercedes they will be using. The cars also have a number in the back window so that employees can always identify the players by which car they are in.
Tickets are dirt cheap; only $375 for a patron badge that grants you access to the entire week. But getting one is a lot like Green Bay Packers season tickets. There is a waiting list and it has been closed since 2000. A limited number of single-day tickets are sold via lottery each year. Those are $115 for the tournament rounds and $75 for practice rounds.
The course is insane about who it lets into the tournament and it's illegal to sell tickets within 2,700 feet of the gates.
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You can also go to jail for trying to take sand home as a souvenir.
Charlie Riedel/AP
In 2012, Clayton Baker made headlines when he made a quick run to a bunker to get some sand to take home. He was quickly arrested and thrown in jail. The charges were ultimately dropped, but he says the incident cost him $20,000 and led to depression because of how he was treated.
Basically, a company that mines feldspar (rocks) for aluminum has a process that produces waste in the form of really bright, pure quartz — that's what Augusta uses.
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You can only ask for autographs in one part of the course.
Harry How/Getty Images
Fans always line the ropes at big tournaments in hopes of getting a signature. But this is tougher to do at Augusta.
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