The Making of the Masters

Every year, amid the dogwoods and azaleas of Augusta, Georgia, a tradition unlike any other marks the arrival of spring. Played out across the rolling hills beyond the majestic canopy of Magnolia Lane, the Masters is the first major golf tournament of the year, and its winner joins the company of the greats of the game: Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods.

David Owen tells the story of how this unlikely winter haven became one of the most famed locations on the sporting map. He describes the struggle to survive the Depression, the World War II years when cattle grazed on the fairways, and the glory years when Arnold Palmer and the new force of television made a simple green jacket the most coveted prize in golf. And he sheds new light on the club's cofounder, Clifford Roberts, whose irascible perfectionism set the highest possible standards for the tournament and club that remain to this day.

For the millions of fans who dream of April in Augusta, The Making of the Masters is the best and most intimate look at golf's ultimate rite of spring.