There's only one star every year in the Masters Tournament, and it's never the winner.

It's not even a person. It's Augusta National Golf Club.

The layout Bobby Jones called his "dream course" when ground was broken in early 1931 has been the star attraction since the Masters started in 1934.

The course was even part of the tournament's name for its first five years -- the Augusta National Invitation Tournament.

Augusta National has taken on the trappings of a famous entertainer or sports figure who is recognized by his first name. The course is often referred to simply as "Augusta."

No wonder it is currently No. 1 on Golf Digest' s list of America's 100 Greatest.

The brilliance of the course's design, along with its beauty and condition, often overshadows the players, who are left to play second fiddle.

"People come to see the course just as much as they come to see the players," Stewart Cink said.

All you have to do is ask some patrons -- especially those at the Masters for the first time -- why they are there.

"It's the course; the players are a bonus," said Gerald Savard, of Quebec, a first-time visitor who attended Monday's practice round with his brother, Rene.

"I wanted to see the golf course because I'd watched the Masters on TV for many years," Rene Savard said. "We started on the back nine because we wanted to see Amen Corner. It's a dream come true to be able to walk this golf course."

Rene Savard was amazed at the condition of the course, saying Augusta National's fairways were better than the greens at courses in Canada.

A standard tournament conversation piece is the changes to the course each year, which are constantly debated. Some years, that was about all anybody wanted to talk about, as in 2002, when 285 yards were added. Ditto for 1999, when light rough -- tournament officials call it a second cut -- was added.

Even in years when the course has remained relatively untouched, it was still the main topic of discussion. "We've had eras of great players, but the star has always been the golf course," two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw said.

If the past is an indicator, about a quarter of the questions to Augusta National and Masters Chairman Billy Payne at his annual state of the tournament news conference today will reference the golf course.

The course was designed by Jones and Scottish architect Alister Mackenzie to "use the natural advantages of the property," according to the 2009 Masters media guide. The property was previously a nursery. Jones was an admirer of the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, and used touches of that links course in the design of holes at Augusta National, particularly No. 5.

The variety of the holes is one reason for the high esteem in which the course is held.

"One of the greatest features of the Augusta National is that each hole bears no resemblance whatever to any other on the course," club co-founder Clifford Roberts wrote in his book, The Story of the Augusta National Golf Club .

"Since its inception, at least to my mind, it was always meant to be different," Crenshaw said. "Jones and Mackenzie were after something different in the beginning.

"Yes, there have been little minor adjustments," Crenshaw said. "Clifford Roberts wanted that. It's always been a constant change."

"The course gets better and better; I wish that could have been true of my golf game," said 73-year-old Gary Player, a three-time winner who is playing his final Masters. "Players have played extremely well here, and the course has stood the test."

That might be why players don't mind being the "B story" each year at the Masters.

"It's a special place. The course deserves the respect," Carl Pettersson said.

"Everybody who comes to the Masters has such a respect for the golf course," Cink said. "That's what sets it apart from all the tournaments."

Justin Rose calls Augusta National "a magical little place. I don't think anybody ever gets tired of playing it. I think that's why Jack (Nicklaus) and Arnold (Palmer) go as long as they can. It's just a place you want to play golf."

Reach David Westin at (706) 823-3224 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.