Augusta National Golf Club

Fruitlands

This property was originally owned by D. Redmond and called "Fruitlands." In 1857, he sold it to the Louis Mathieu Berckman family. The land consisted of 365 acres that were once an indigo plantation. Along with his son Julius Alphonse, an agronomist and horticulturist by profession, they formed a business in 1858 to import trees and plants from various countries.With the Berckman's, the site would later become one of the first commercial nurseries in the South--Fruitlands Nursery. One of the most notable features of the property is the entry avenue that Berckman planted with magnolias. Prosper Berckman was the one that popularized a plant called the azalea. (Sport's Illustrated 9 April 2003) The Berckman's also propagated Ligustrum Amurense, commonly known as privet hedge. Upon Prosper's death in 1910, the business stopped operations. Upon Bobby Jones' retirement after the 1930 U.S. Amateur, Jones set out to create a golf course. In 1932, the Augusta National Golf Club was formed on the site. Dr. Alister MacKenzie designed the golf course and is now home to the Masters.

Gift of Mrs. William Bush.

Historic plate number: "2."