At the first Masters in 1934, Augusta National’s first nine consisted of the current holes 10 through 18.
The inaugural tournament was played as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament from March 22–25, 1934. Although today golfers begin with holes 1 through 9 and finish with 10 through 18, the routing was reversed for that first edition. The holes now numbered 10–18 served as the outward nine, while today’s 1–9 formed the inward nine.
This is an easy detail to confuse because Augusta National’s hole numbers and familiar “front nine/back nine” terminology have remained stable for generations. The switch was limited to 1934; the current routing was in place afterward. The course measured 6,700 yards and played to par 72 in the first Masters.
Horton Smith won that tournament with a score of 284, four under par. The event was officially renamed the Masters Tournament only after its first five editions, though “Masters” was used informally from the beginning.