Augusta National's natural beauty shines bright

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Azaleas, a famed part of Augusta National's natural beauty, bring a splash of color near the scoreboard. Augusta National's natural beauty is one of its
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Warm weather caused azaleas to bloom early, and there were worries that they wouldn't last.
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Augusta National, built on land once used by a nursery, gives each hole the name of a flower.
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Flowers bloom between the second and eighth fairways. No. 2 is called Pink Dogwood, and No. 8 is Yellow Jasmine.

Spring came early in Richmond County, but that didn’t take the bloom off the foliage at Augusta National Golf Club.

White-flowered dogwoods lined parts of the No. 11 fairway. An array of blooming azaleas put a colorful glow behind No. 13.

“It’s magical,” said Mitzy Smith, of Atlanta. “Even if you don’t like golf, this is a place everyone can appreciate. I mean, just look around. I’ve been here three times and this is the
prettiest I’ve ever seen Amen Corner.”

There had been concern that the flowers had bloomed too early from unseasonably warm temperatures and would not be around for the Masters Tournament. For the first time in Augusta history, the temperature hit 80 degrees on Christmas Day. Temperatures remained above average throughout March with multiple days in the mid-80s.

“It’s a good thing they held off,” Smith said of the flowers. “The Masters wouldn’t feel right without blooming azaleas.”

Other patrons felt similarly.

“I’ll start looking around and completely forget there’s a golf tournament,” said Tony Thompson, of Trenton, N.J. “I’ve seen the course on television, but it’s completely different in person.”

Thompson sat in the stands behind the No. 12 tee box.

“I’ve never seen a view quite like it,” Thompson said. “Every time I look up I see something different.”

Slideshow: Augusta in Bloom