The Masters stands apart from every other golf tournament in the world – even the bunker sand is distinctive.
Golf’s top players will compete at Augusta National for the honor of wearing the iconic green jacket.
Just a few months ago, the course was hit hard by Hurricane Helene, but it has since been restored to its pristine condition.
Among the standout features of the course are the bunkers.
Unlike the usual yellow sand, these bunkers are filled with striking white sand, adding to the tournament’s elegance and prestige.
But, as is often the case, such beauty comes at a price.
For nearly five decades, Augusta National’s bunkers have been filled with this signature white material.
Clifford Roberts, co-founder of The Masters, introduced it in 1975, and it has remained ever since.
There are 44 bunkers on the course, all filled with what’s known as spruce pine sand.
This material gets its name from a mining area in North Carolina, though it’s technically not sand.
It’s a byproduct of the quartz mining process and is ideally suited for bunkers at The Masters.
Highly refined, it resists golf balls plugging into it – but it comes at a steep cost.
Depending on its purity, the quartz can cost up to $20,000 per tonne, and with 44 bunkers to maintain, the expense is significant.
Despite its stunning appearance and hefty price tag, golf legend Jack Nicklaus wasn’t particularly fond of it.
He said: “The type of sand they had, I think it came from North Carolina, I’m sure the sand changed a little bit but remember Augusta sand is so heavy.
“You almost have to hit a bunker shot twice as hard as you do any place else to get that thing out of it. And you can’t get any spin out of it. They have changed that sand again. The sand at Augusta now is better than when I played. I never liked the sand at Augusta. I thought it was really difficult.
“If you want to spin the ball how you like to be able to. If you can’t spin the ball, that’s okay, just play the shot. But when you get sand that looks like you can do it and nothing happens and the club just sticks and the ball just comes out [and dies]. You say, ‘man I am a better bunker player than that’. I think it’s the most difficult sand we play.”
The 2025 Masters Tournament is set to begin on Thursday, April 10.
The event will be held at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia and will run across four days, concluding on Sunday, April 13.
talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2 will provide live coverage throughout the tournament, with Sky Sports also broadcasting the action in the UK.
To listen to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 online, click HERE for the live stream. You can also tune in via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through a smart speaker, or on 1089 and 1053 AM.
