Augusta National calendar: What happens when the Masters isn’t being played?

Every April, all eyes in the golf world turn to Augusta, Georgia and the Augusta National Golf Club for the Masters, but what about the rest of the year?

While it’s one of the greatest sports venues in the world, Augusta National is just like any other of the United States’ elite golf clubs. There’s member play, a few tournaments here and there and probably an occasional appearance from a Masters Champion (they’re honorary members).

Like a few other Southern clubs, the course is closed during the warmest months of the year, which is when many of the changes and renovations to the course for the Masters are made.

While tournaments are usually held with the secrecy you’d expect from the green jackets, we’ve rounded up a schedule based on what we know.

Augusta National calendar

Mid-October: Opening Party

The first of Augusta National’s four big members tournaments coincides with the beginning of member play after the summer closure. Like two of the other three events, all events follow a four-player best ball format. The scoring is a little different, however, as the course does not have an official USGA slope and rating. Two points are given for birdies and one point is given for pars with nothing else counting. Your handicap is then figured out by your total points from 18.

November: Governors Party

The second members social gathering is held a month after the first and is played with the same format. All four of these events are only open to members as there is no member-guest at Augusta National. They do draw a good percentage of the 300 members for each event.

Late March: The Jamboree

Perhaps the most popular of the members events is the Jamboree. Jack Nicklaus still played into his 80s. In fact, it’s even rumored more green coats attend the Jamboree than even the Masters. This is the only event played with just two-player, member-member teams. The Masters scoreboards are usually set up for the coming tournament during this member-member and are often used as well.

The two weeks preceding the second Sunday of April: Augusta National Women’s Amateur; Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals; The Masters

If you’re reading this website, we probably don’t have to explain any of these ones.

May: Closing Party

Just as Augusta National opens their season with a four-player best ball tournament, the club ends with one as well. With warmer weather usually comes a little more of a laid-back atmosphere. Former Augusta Chairman Hootie Johnson once said there was a barbeque down by the par-3 course during the Closing Party where members would hit shots to the 1st green as they enjoyed their food and beverages. See, it’s just like your home course!

May to October: Course closed

During the annual summer closure, the club often lets the fairways and rough go dormant, but the iconic greens are kept up. The closure serves two purposes; shutting down during the least popular and hottest time of year to play in the Augusta area and allowing the club to make changes. Augusta National is the most renovated course in the world — take this year’s changes to 13 — and the reason the club can make them so fast is the summer closure.

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.