The condition of the course at Augusta is like no other course in the world. It is quite stunning that there is no doubt!  Some of the biggest innovations in golf course maintenance in the last 30 years have been developed either at the course or somewhere else for use on the course.

A-1 Bentgrass was developed at Penn state, but it was first used on the greens at Augusta National. It was first tested on the Par 3 course in 1980 before being planted on the Championship course. It has a dark green fine leaf that is very tolerant to hot and cold temperatures, and is excellent for colour in the winter and spring. Before it was developed, courses in the South depended on Bermuda grass, which tolerated heat well but went dormant in the winter and had a grainy texture that affected the roll of the ball on putts.

Underneath the grass are two developments that enable the greens to remain relatively constant despite changes in weather condition. The first is a water circulation system first used in 1981 on the 12^th green. Warm or cool water can be pumped under the green to heat it in the winter or cool it during the spring and summer. Also an air circulation machine is used to draw water out of the greens or push air through them, depending on the weather conditions.