1935

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May 27                  Jay Monroe writes to Maxwell about an “experimental bent patch at Augusta” that Maxwell was working on.  [May 27, 1935 letter from Jay Monroe]  Editorial Note:  Monroe was a founding member at Augusta National, one of the club’s primary financial backers, its treasurer and confidante of Clifford Roberts.  Accordingly, it appears that Maxwell’s involvement at Augusta National began a full two years earlier than generally recognized.  Maxwell had ample experience installing bent grass greens in climates previously considered too harsh for bent, so it makes sense that Augusta National might turn to him to experiment with bent grass on the course.  

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September             “Experimental bent patch” for Augusta National is expected to be ready in September, 1935.  [May 27, 1935 letter from Jay Monroe]  Editorial Note:  Monroe was a founding member at Augusta National, one of the club’s primary financial backers, its treasurer and confidante of Clifford Roberts.  Accordingly, it appears that Maxwell’s involvement at Augusta National began a full two years earlier than generally recognized.  Maxwell had ample experience installing bent grass greens in climates previously considered too harsh for bent, so it makes sense that Augusta National might turn to him to experiment with bent grass on the course. 

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1937

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Summer                 Maxwell remodels the 17th green at Augusta National and adds three bunkers at the front.  Clifford Roberts was not pleased, writing to Maxwell “I do not think you should have banked up the left-hand back side of the green.  This is supposed to be a run-up hole.  You have changed the character of the hole by inviting players to pitch it to the green.”  [“The Complete Changes to Augusta National”, by Ron Whitten, Golf Digest, March 16, 2017, https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-complete-changes-to-augusta-national]

 

Unknown              Maxwell eliminates the long front tongue on the 18th green at Augusta National after the 1937 Masters.  [“The Complete Changes to Augusta National”, by Ron Whitten, Golf Digest, March 16, 2017, https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-complete-changes-to-augusta-national]  Editorial Note:  Whitten also notes that the old 16th green was expanded to the left and the two hillside bunkers pulled closer to the green after the 1937 Masters.  While Maxwell is not credited with this work, it seems highly likely that he was responsible since he was making other changes to the course during that exact time.

 

Unknown              Maxwell fills in the bunker on the left side of the 1st hole at Augusta National.  [“The Midwest Associate”, by Christopher Clouser (2006), Pg. 93]

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Late Fall                Maxwell begins work at Augusta National on 5th, 7th, 10th and 17th greens and to remove the artificial “sand dunes” MacKenzie created to imitate Scottish links. [Augusta Chronicle, January 22, 1938]

 

Unknown              Maxwell removes the front tongue of the 3rd green at Augusta National and reshapes the bunkers.  [“The Complete Changes to Augusta National”, by Ron Whitten, Golf Digest, March 16, 2017, https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-complete-changes-to-augusta-national]

 

Unknown              Maxwell reshapes the 5th green at Augusta National to create ocean-wave contours.  The change was noted as "a definite improvement" by Clifford Roberts, most likely referring to drainage concerns, not playability.  [“The Complete Changes to Augusta National”, by Ron Whitten, Golf Digest, March 16, 2017, https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-complete-changes-to-augusta-national]

 

Unknown              Maxwell rebuilds the 6th green at Augusta National, “a reconstruction that removed the mound, left much of the Redan-like left-side contour intact, and added a prominent right-side shelf.”  [“The Evolution of the Golf Course at Augusta National: What Would The Good Doctor Say?”, by Daniel Wexler (2012), http://www.golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/wexler-daniel-augusta/]

 

Unknown              Maxwell reshapes portions of Augusta National’s 7th green at Clifford Roberts’ request.  [“The Complete Changes to Augusta National”, by Ron Whitten, Golf Digest, March 16, 2017, https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-complete-changes-to-augusta-national

 

Unknown              Maxwell builds a new bunkered 10th green at Augusta National up the hill beyond and to the left of MacKenzie’s original green.  [“The Evolution of the Golf Course at Augusta National: What Would The Good Doctor Say?”, by Daniel Wexler (2012), http://www.golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/wexler-daniel-augusta/]

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1938

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Unknown              Maxwell rebuilds the 4th green at Augusta National, “diminishing its pitch and turning it more towards the 90-degree, L-shaped configuration of the present.”  [“The Evolution of the Golf Course at Augusta National: What Would The Good Doctor Say?”, by Daniel Wexler (2012), http://www.golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/wexler-daniel-augusta/]  The changes included widening the left tongue pushing the bunkers closer to the collar.  [“The Complete Changes to Augusta National”, by Ron Whitten, Golf Digest, March 16, 2017, https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-complete-changes-to-augusta-national]

 

Unknown              Maxwell builds a new bunkered “postage stamp” 7th green at Augusta National on a rise behind the original green.  [“The Evolution of the Golf Course at Augusta National: What Would The Good Doctor Say?”, by Daniel Wexler (2012), http://www.golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/wexler-daniel-augusta/]  Maxwell was directed to “make the new green similar to the par-4 eighth at Pine Valley.”  He added three bunkers in front of the new green.  [“The Complete Changes to Augusta National”, by Ron Whitten, Golf Digest, March 16, 2017, https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-complete-changes-to-augusta-national]

 

Unknown              Clifford Roberts asks Maxwell to totally redesign and debunker the 9th green to eliminate any reward for playing down the 1st fairway.  The boomerang green was removed and five new bunkers were added to the left hillside, creating a distinct advantage for a drive placed on the right side.  Roberts did not the new green's “pancake appearance”, writing Maxwell that it “looks like something you'd expect to see on a public links.”  [“The Complete Changes to Augusta National”, by Ron Whitten, Golf Digest, March 16, 2017, https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-complete-changes-to-augusta-national]

 

Unknown              Maxwell re-shapes the 18th green at Augusta National.  [“The Evolution of the Golf Course at Augusta National: What Would The Good Doctor Say?”, by Daniel Wexler (2012), http://www.golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/wexler-daniel-augusta/]

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Unknown              After the 1938 Masters, Clifford Roberts asks Maxwell to add back a portion of a tongue that had existed on the front right on MacKenzie's original version of the 9th green at Augusta National, thinking it should be visible from the fairway and permit run-up shots.  [“The Complete Changes to Augusta National”, by Ron Whitten, Golf Digest, March 16, 2017, https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-complete-changes-to-augusta-national]

 

Unknown              Clifford Roberts writes to Maxwell after the 1938 Masters that the 10th hole “is now a grand golf hole....I know Bob [Jones] is particularly pleased.”  Jones apparently liked that the green could be reached with an iron on the second shot if players took advantage of slopes off the tee.  [“The Complete Changes to Augusta National”, by Ron Whitten, Golf Digest, March 16, 2017, https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-complete-changes-to-augusta-national]

 

Unknown              Clifford Roberts directs Maxwell to enlarge the right side of the 12th green at Augusta National by digging out dirt from the bank behind the green.  Roberts originally wanted the rocks on the bank exposed so that “a very strong shot will strike the rock and bounce most anywhere.”  However, he later changed his mind, so did not expose the rocks and turned the pits into bunkers.  [“The Complete Changes to Augusta National”, by Ron Whitten, Golf Digest, March 16, 2017, https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-complete-changes-to-augusta-national]

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May 7                    Maxwell says that the job of rebuilding Augusta National Golf Club is “not completed” and that he “seeks to remove certain piles of dirt which were tossed up for the purpose of making the natives imagine they were surrounded by British coastal sand dunes.”  [The Dayton Daily News, May 8, 1938]

 

May 10                  Maxwell “recently revised five greens” at Augusta National.  [Ames Daily Tribune, May 10, 1938]

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1939

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Unknown              Maxwell merges a lower deck to the putting surface of the 14th green at Augusta National and adds two fairway knobs on the right so that golfers playing run up shots had to deal with the potential for bad bounces.  [“The Complete Changes to Augusta National”, by Ron Whitten, Golf Digest, March 16, 2017, https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-complete-changes-to-augusta-national]

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Summer                 Clifford Roberts asks Maxwell to flatten the tongue on the 9th green at Augusta National a bit. [“The Complete Changes to Augusta National”, by Ron Whitten, Golf Digest, March 16, 2017, https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-complete-changes-to-augusta-national]

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1940

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June                        Maxwell is “remodeling” Augusta National to lengthen the 15th hole and make other minor changes.  [Greensboro Record, June 27, 1940]

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1941

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March 30              Maxwell “has just changed” the Augusta National course in collaboration with Bobby Jones, “moving tees and greens on five of the holes.”  [The Daily Oklahoman, March 30, 1941]  Editorial Note:  It is not clear exactly which holes Maxwell modified.  However, the article implies that these were recent changes and not those from 1937-1939.

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1950

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August 20              Maxwell is reported to have over time “eventually remodeled over half” of the Augusta National golf course.  [Shreveport Times, August 20, 1950]

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