Rating: 
Summary: The Masters: The real story
Review: Author Curt Sampson captures the birth and life of one of the most famous sporting events in the world, The Masters golf tournament. Played annually in Augusta, Georgia, this prestigious golf tournament has become the new face of golf. Mr. Sampson shows us how this once unknown place, turned into a sanctuary for some of the greatest golfers of all time. He gets deep into how it was started by a group of New York business men, only 68 years after the Civil War. He shows us how although, one of the most famed golf course in the world has always been dampered by the reputation for being a racist society. He explains how that when Tiger Woods won the Masters in 1997, Augusta and the Masters had come full swing from what it once was. This book goes well into detail about things the common person would have never known or been able to find out. Although, occasionally drags on about the birth of this event. this book has solid content and gives information that you would have never known otherwise. I recommend this book to any golf enthusist.
Rating:
Summary: The Masters: The real story
Review: Author Curt Sampson captures the birth and life of one of the most famous sporting events in the world, The Masters golf tournament. Played annually in Augusta, Georgia, this prestigious golf tournament has become the new face of golf. Mr. Sampson shows us how this once unknown place, turned into a sanctuary for some of the greatest golfers of all time. He gets deep into how it was started by a group of New York business men, only 68 years after the Civil War. He shows us how although, one of the most famed golf course in the world has always been dampered by the reputation for being a racist society. He explains how that when Tiger Woods won the Masters in 1997, Augusta and the Masters had come full swing from what it once was. This book goes well into detail about things the common person would have never known or been able to find out. Although, occasionally drags on about the birth of this event. this book has solid content and gives information that you would have never known otherwise. I recommend this book to any golf enthusist.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting look at Masters and the town of Augusta.
Review: Curt Sampson has done it again with his new book, " The Masters." It is a very thorough look at the tournament, the men involved and the town which hosts the event.It is a great history of golf and of the struggles of a southern town. The author is not judgmental, he just gives you the facts. I would recommend this book not only to golf/Masters fans but also to those who enjoy southern history or reading about the history of a town.
Rating: 
Summary: Easily the best book ever on The Masters
Review: Curt Sampson is the best golf writer around, and this book is an excellent followup to that best of all golf biographies, Hogan. Some reviewers have criticized him for casting a cold eye on Clifford Roberts, the fanatical creator of the Masters, but I'm glad he's dug out the truth--it's much more fascinating, by the way. And his look at how the club has affected the area and town around it is quite interesting. His writing, though, is what I love--wonderfully crafted sentences by a fine writer. This is an excellent look at America's most prestigious tournament, and the personalities that have made it what it is. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: A look at the other side
Review: For years I have read nothing but positive things about Augusta National and The Masters. Like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Augusta rules with an iron fist. While the author often jumps to some conclusions that may be out of line - it is important to read discriminately - the book is nevertheless a valuable look at the underbelly of The Masters, and it is a refreshing break from the toe-the-line approach that Clifford Roberts et al have made journalists take since the beginning.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible truth of The Masters in finally published!
Review: Having played at Augusta National and attending the tournament for over 25 years, everything Curt Sampson has to say is true. Until now, nobody had the courage to publish the truth, for fear of losing their "privileges". His book is not a revelation of new facts, but is more a history lesson of the elitist group of men who founded the club and the tournament and their relationship with the city of Augusta. The members are still pompous! We forget that what we see now on TV is far from how this event started. Very factual. Well written. Easy reading. A good gift for any golfer who dreams about Augusta National.
Rating: 
Summary: MASTER DISASTER
Review: HAVING READ MR SAMPSON'S EARLIER ACCOUNT OF BEN HOGAN'S LIFE AND TIMES,AND LOVING EVERY PAGE OF IT, YOU CAN IMAGINE MY EXCITEMENT WHEN I GOT HOLD OF HIS LATEST BOOK "THE MASTERS...".THE FIRST FEW CHAPTERS TAKES THE READER ON A BRIEF HISTORY TRIP TO THE "FRUITLANDS NURSERY" AND INTODUCES BOBBY JONES (A THOUGHLY NICE MAN BY ALL ACCOUNTS) AND CLIFF (SON OF SATAN) ROBERTS. THE MIDDLE CHAPTERS EXPAND ON THE EARLY ONES, i.e. "BOBBY GOOD" "CLIFFY BAD".AND EVENTUALLY THE BOOK ENDS WITH BOB AND CLIFF HAVING A FALL OUT, BOB DYING AND EVERY ONE BEING UPSET, WHILST CLIFF SHOOTS HIMSELF AND MANY PEOPLE (MR SAMPSON INCLUDED) PROBABLY BELIEVING IT WAS A WASTE OF A GOOD BULLET. CURT, I ASK YOU, DID CLIFF ROBERTS WRONG YOU IN A FORMER LIFE?
Rating:
Summary: fascinating, entertaining look at golf's greatest tournament
Review: I don't think there's a better golf writer, or for that matter sports writer, in today's book world than Mr. Sampson. He can turn a phrase as well as John Updike, and he's the kind of writer who could write about paint drying and make it fascinating. His profiles of the men involved in making the Masters what it is today--weirdo Cliff Roberts, tragic golf great Bobby Jones, and even Dwight Eisenhower--are great. There's a good balance of behind-the-scenes power broking and great golf throughout the years. But what makes this book even better, what raises it to a higher level, is its examination of the relationship of the town of Augusta to the elitist Augusta National Club. It's fascinating to read about what the townspeople think of the club, and how some of them--like singer James Brown, and boxer Beau Jack--have interacted and been affected by the racist Club. There's a tremendous amount of texture in Sampson's descriptions, enough to justify the comparisons to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.Sampson also, by the way, wrote another classic golf book entitled The Eternal Summer: Palmer, Nicklaus, and Hogan in 1960, Golf's Golden Year. It's out of print but one of the most enjoyable golf books I've ever read. Someone should also reprint Sampson's insightful book on pro basketball, Full Court Pressure (a lousy title for the best book on the NBA since The Breaks of the Game). It came and went a few years ago and deserves to be more widely read.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book - fascinating!
Review: I enjoyed this book very much. I have been to a practice round at Augusta National, in 1997. I wish I had read this book before I had the chance to attend. I would have been looking for many of the things described. The book is fascinating in that it brings to light many of the people who made the tradition of Augusta National what it is today. Read it!
Rating:
Summary: Good book, great author, golf enthusiasts will enjoy
Review: I have been to the tournament and knew a little of the history behind it. Sampsons book was very interesting and will be of interest to anyone following the game. He must have done a lot of research to find some of the people today, years after their Masters experience. I am going to attend the tournament again with a different outlook.
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