The Augusta National Golf Club, founded in 1933 and home to the prestigious Masters Tournament, is an American icon shrouded in intrigue. Co-designed by legends Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie, Augusta boasts gorgeous fairways and perfectly manicured greens, set against a breathtaking backdrop of azaleas and pines. Behind the wondrous scenes and memorable tournament play resides a secretive and exclusive clan, marked with scandal and invested with the social power to make or break a man's rise to glory.
Journalist and novelist Steve Eubanks has used all of his investigative and storytelling talents to get to the heart of Augusta's turbulent history, including its 44-year rule under the iron fist of Cliff Roberts and his suicide on the club's grounds; the Masters' impetuous yet long-standing relationship with CBS; allegations of racism; and the club's countless, rigid rules.
With 45 inspiring photographs, Eubanks's balanced account also captures the historic moments that evoke deep affection for Augusta, from Dwight Eisenhower teeing off in the days before the Masters was televised to Jack Nicklaus's emotional victory at age 46, 23 years after he won his first green jacket. With a new chapter on Tiger Woods's 1997 triumph and published just in time for the 1998 Masters, Augusta is essential reading for anyone who wants the complete story of American golf's most hallowed ground.
Steve Eubanks is a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Golf Digest, and Golf Magazine, as well as at FoxSports.com. He has authored or coauthored thirty books, including collaborations with such sports greats as Arnold Palmer, Lou Holtz, and Ty Murray. He lives in Peachtree City, Georgia.
Grover Gardner has recorded more than 650 audiobooks since beginning his career in 1981. He's been named one of the "Best Voices of the Century" as well as a "Golden Voice" by AudioFile magazine. Gardner has garnered over 20 AudioFile Earphones Awards and is the recipient of an Audio Publishers Association Audie Award, as well as a three-time finalist. In 2005, Publishers Weekly deemed him "Audiobook Narrator of the Year." Gardner has also narrated hundreds of audiobooks under the names Tom Parker and Alexander Adams. Among his many titles are Marcus Sakey's At the City's Edge, as well as Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and John Irving's The Cider House Rules. Gardner studied Theater and Art History at Rollins College and received a Master's degree in Acting from George Washington University. He lives in Oregon with his significant other and daughter.