Amidst the towering, Georgia pines at Augusta National Golf Club stands one, lone palm tree.
If you plan on tuning in to the Masters this week and into the weekend, keep your eyes peeled for a tree that doesn’t look like all of the others. Granted, there’s all kinds of natural beauty to take in at Augusta National, and often times, there’s a reason and story behind everything that’s planted on the hallowed grounds.
The 18-hole golf course that’s tucked away in Augusta, Georgia is often considered “Heaven on Earth” by golfers and golf fans alike. The grass is as green as it gets. The azaleas are in full bloom. The Georgia pine trees frame just about every hole, and if they could talk, they’d have endless stories of the tournament’s biggest moments to tell.
But there’s one tree on the grounds at Augusta that doesn’t get much credit, and that’s the palm tree that’s tucked off to the side on the fourth hole – which is named “Flowering Crab Apple.”
It is the only palm tree on the entire property.
So what’s the story behind the tropical tree standing just off to the side of the fourth hole at the Masters? Well, it actually goes all the way back to when Augusta National Golf Club wasn’t a golf course at all. Prior to Augusta National opening in 1932, the 365-acre site was home to a plant nursery that was named Fruitland Nurseries.
That’s what actually helps to explain the exquisite landscaping that acts as the backdrop for the gorgeous golf course. Much of the trees and shrubbery on the property has been there for almost 100 years, and since the course was built, over 80,000 plants and 350 different varieties have been added.
I guess you could say that’s Augusta tipping its cap to the initial purpose for the Georgia land.
And as I hinted at earlier, every hole at Augusta National is named after a plant that’s present along the hole itself. Number two is named “Pink Dogwood,” number five is named “Magnolia,” and number thirteen is named “Azalea.” Number four is now called “Flowering Crab Apple,” but it used to have a simpler, one word name: “Palm.”
That’s because when the course was first built, a plethora of palm trees were planted along the right hand side of Par-3 fourth hole. Over the years, and thanks to a number of rough, Georgia winters, those palm trees were slowly lost. And since it doesn’t make sense to have a hole named after a plant that’s no longer there, the club shifted it “Flowering Crab Apple.”
However, one palm tree has persisted. And that palm tree slowly became forgotten as it was covered up by a bamboo forest that grew up around it. It was only when the fifth hole was lengthened in 2018 that Augusta National cut back the bamboo, and added a patron walking path on the right side of the fourth hole. That helped to bring more attention to the property’s lone palm tree, and made it much more easier to spot.
Now, the unique tree and its history acts as just another page in the beloved book that is The Masters.
