Posted March 26, 2013, 10:49 am

Masters badges have evolved through the years

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The Masters badge has evolved quite a bit through the years. From paper to plastic to holograms, the badges have become quite collectible.

The 2013 badge, though, is a first. It depicts artwork of a golfer playing on the 11th green with the Hogan Bridge, Rae’s Creek and the 12th green in the background.

The artwork comes from an art deco-style poster that was sold in recent years at the Masters.

Through 1990, no person or place had been depicted on the badges. For most of the 1990s, the hologram badge featured various landmarks.

In 2001 the badge featured a vintage photograph of club and tournament co-founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts.

The following year, a photo of Jones was used to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth.

From 2003 to 2012, various scenes of Augusta National and Masters landmarks have been used.

As a purist, I still prefer the plastic badges that were prevalent from the mid-1960s through 1990. They would come in different colors, and you can see longtime patrons showing them off on their hats to this day.

But the 2013 badge is a vast improvement, in my opinion, over the last decade of badges. Let’s hope Augusta National continues this tradition.

View a slideshow of tournament badges.