The 10th fairway at the Augusta National Golf Club will once again see players this Sunday for the 2023 Masters tournament. Courtesy photo

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Greenery can hold first place at the famed Masters Golf Tournament. There have been times when the azaleas, dogwoods, camellias, redbuds and various flowering fruit trees had to share their colorful stage with golf giants like Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, Gary Player and Phil Mickelson. But the players firing away at the pins, placed in none-too-subtle areas of the undulating greens, have yet to overshadow the emergence of spring, which the groomed course shows the sporting world.

Scottie Scheffler won last year’s event. He is returning, along with more than a dozen players from the highly controversial LIV tour.

Tradition is par for the course at Augusta National Golf Club.

Eisenhower Cabin, Butler Cabin, the winner’s green jacket, Rae’s Creek, CBS televising again as it has in every year since 1956, Magnolia Way, pimento cheese sandwiches, Amen Corner, continual changes to the course as management endeavors to keep pace with the low scores and herculean length of today’s players and the fabled memory of the club’s and course’s cofounder and co-designer Bobby Jones.

This is the first “major” of the golf season. There can be no grand slam without pocketing this classic event.

The caretakers of the reputation of the Masters want no leaf out of place, no smear to the place’s character, individuality or personality and no questioning any of their methods or years-long traditions.

You are invited to come watch for four days — to stare open-mouthed at the natural beauty and be openly free with your praise and compliments.

Through the decades since the inaugural Masters tournament was won in 1934 by Horton Smith, the original course layout has been modified by the addition of sand traps, the length of some holes, changing the locations of tee boxes and pouring more soil to greens, to perk the already-mean undulations.

“Don’t destroy this course with low numbers,” could be the current motto. Woods winning by 12 strokes. Dustin Johnson firing a record low 268. Players using short irons to reach the par-5 13th hole in two shots. None of that nonsense will go unnoticed or last long at Augusta.

For years, there was no rough at Augusta. But then the scores dropped and dropped . . . so now there is rough on some holes, but please don’t notice while you watch tee shots fall into the drink in Rae’s Creek on No. 12 or the water on No. 13 or No. 15.

Many stories will be written about the LIV golfers being allowed to play in this Professional Golfer’s Association tournament. If that’s the only controversy then Augusta National will move through the week in their green sports jackets with a casual and refined air.

The picturesque scenery will prevail. History will be served. Another champion will be crowned on the 18th green on Sunday. And Magnolia Way will close its gates, while the professional golfers head off in two directions to their next destinations.

Bring on the azaleas, flowering peach, cherry, crab and pear trees and the jasmine to our just-appearing spring season!