#Feldspar April 10
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In 2016 I wrote a daily post about North Carolina. 2016 was a leap year so I wrote 366 posts on something I learned new about the Tar Heel State. One of those post was connected to a golf tournament that was suppose to be played this week
Today is suppose to be round two of The Masters at Augusta National Golf Course. It got postponed on March 13, 2020. It is now rescheduled for November 12-15
Back in 2016 I learned that all the sand in the forty-four bunkers at Augusta National are sparkling white because of a mineral called FELDSPAR. It is by far the most abundant group of minerals in the earth’s crust, forming about 60% of terrestrial rocks.
FELDSPAR is mined in Spruce Pine, NC. Great article by Bryan Mims in Our State Magazine on Spruce Pine Mining District
FELDSPAR is an important ingredient in the manufacturing of glass. It is used in the manufacturing of ceramics, FELDSPAR is the second most important ingredient after clay. FELDPSAR also contains aluminum.
The white sand in the bunkers at Augusta is actually a by-product of mining FELDSPAR and separating the aluminum from the quartz. The waste product gives The Masters sand bunkers a unique and beautiful appearance.
Just before the 1975 tournament, the common beige sand in the bunkers at Augusta was replaced with the now-signature white sand. It is shipped in to Augusta from Spruce Pine, North Carolina.
Augusta National calls it Spruce Pine sand named for the mining district in Western North Carolina in which it’s found. It’s actually quartz, and it’s so pure that it prevents golf balls from burrowing into devious lies and has played a major role in computer technology.
Looking forward to watching The Masters in November and seeing those magnificent white bunkers.
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