Architect builds Lego replica of Augusta National clubhouse

Replicating one of golf’s most recognizable landmarks invites a commitment to perfection.

Architect Andy Duckett tapped into his propensity for accuracy and precision to construct a small-scale model of the iconic clubhouse at Au­gusta National Golf Club from 3,000 Lego blocks. In a matter of months, he continuously built, tore down and reconstructed his replica until satisfied with the job.

On Saturday, the Stone Moun­tain, Ga., man delivered the replica to Augusta, where it will be displayed at Trends & Traditions Antique Mall on Washington Road through the Masters Tournament.

“I finally got it to where proportionally, I thought it represented the clubhouse very well,” Duckett said. “What made this thing do-able is that it’s not a complicated building.”

Beginning in mid-November, Duckett searched online for photos of the clubhouse. He imported the photos into an architectural program and drew a view of the clubhouse.
Then, he scattered his Lego collection on his dining
room table and ordered even more blocks to help create his masterpiece. He worked for several hours on the weekends and occasionally in the evenings after work.

“The clubhouse is simple. It’s a square. If you do one side, you’ve done four sides,” he said.

Duckett, a 1979 graduate of Georgia Tech, is an avid collector of Masters memorabilia. What started as a collection of golf balls and bag tags from courses he visited grew into a collection of thousands of items, many of which are displayed at Trends & Traditions.

The idea to build a Lego model of the clubhouse arose after his architecture firm built a Lego replica of a Zaxby’s restaurant for a client.
Lego architecture has exploded as a greater variety and quantity of the tiny building blocks have become available. Ordering specialty blocks online made Duckett’s task easier.

For the clubhouse model, Duck­ett used smooth finishing tiles that conceal the Lego studs on traditional blocks. Other special pieces mimic the wooden railing on the clubhouse’s second story.

He relied on trial and error to build the clubhouse, never settling for anything less than precision. He replaced the model’s two chimneys after finding an aerial photo of the clubhouse and noticing that the smokestacks were not in the center of the roof as he had built them.

He repeatedly toyed with the roof design, making a pattern out of smaller blocks rather than using Lego’s sloped roof piece because it was slightly steeper than he needed.

Last week, Duckett completed the model, which weighs 10 pounds and measures 16½ inches on each side. He plans to make a careful inspection of the clubhouse when he visits Au­gusta National for the tournament’s Monday practice round to
see whether his model needs any minor adjustments.

Duckett documented each step of his process with photos in case anyone requests a second model. He’d consider selling his original or making additional ones.