ABSTRACT
This chapter examines and reflects on the emergence of Augusta National syndrome, an "illness" said to "afflict" golfers who have viewed television broadcasts of the Masters golf tournament, held annually in the splendour of Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. It illuminates a broader story about the interconnections between sport, the environment, media, and modernization. Augusta National Golf Club was built in the early 1930s on a plot of land called Fruitlands – an antebellum plantation that, in mid-nineteenth century, was turned into Fruitland Nurseries. In 1934, the inaugural Augusta National Invitational was held. In 1939, this event was given a new name: the Masters. In 1956, another milestone: Masters was first broadcast on television. These post-war developments in Masters history can again be contextualized with the aim of assessing their significance. In post-war years, golf and the Masters became part of the mediasport complex, though Augusta National retained more control than usual in its relationship with the media.
