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What: “Masters Memories”

by Cal Brown.

Price: $19.95 (Sleeping Bear Press,

133 pages).

Jack Nicklaus had won an unprecedented fifth Masters in 1975 and was back at Augusta a week before the 1976 tournament to practice. But that didn’t help him get special treatment from Clifford Roberts, the bespectacled martinet who ruled Augusta National at the time.

One day, Nicklaus suggested to one of his staff members that they play a round that afternoon. But Roberts informed a stunned and embarrassed Nicklaus that, as an honorary member, he was not permitted to bring guests.

This is one nugget in a wide-ranging compilation of 33 stories about the Masters. And it’s about as close as any of them get to being critical of the tournament and the Augusta National Golf Club that runs it. The author, a former Golf Digest editor, clearly shows a deep respect for the event.

Some stories are familiar, some obscure. But tucked inside many of them are tidbits of information that aren’t part of general Masters lore, such as Gene Sarazen’s “shot heard round the world,” the double-eagle, four-wood shot on the 15th hole that helped him win in 1935. It was witnessed by only about 25 people, though Sarazen later said, “I’ve met about 20,000 people who claim they saw the shot.”

“The Meanest Little Hole in the World” is a story on the par-three 12th, a heartwarming account for us struggling 15-handicappers who get to relive, among other travails, Tom Weiskopf’s self-immolation in 1980, when he dunked five balls in the water and took a 13 on the 155-yard hole.

There are accounts involving Augusta founder Bobby Jones to Tiger Woods.

And, oh yes, Roberts rounded up a regular member of the club that afternoon to accompany Nicklaus so Nicklaus’ associate could also play. After all, you can’t let just anyone out on the course unsupervised.