Holes at Augusta National

[RC]

What do you think are the hardest, easiest, most unique, or special holes at Augusta National. Many of you have watched the tournament or walked the course, some have played the course, and most all have seen the course on TV. What are your impressions?

Hardest: Number 11. Easiest: Number 15. Those are my guesses and I have not looked up the stroke averages by hole. Anyone know those?

I would say Number 11 is the hardest by a good margin. Number 12 has great drama and can be a disaster. Number 13 is similar but for different reasons... it temps the player to go for the eagle or birdie, and like a snake in the grass -- it can bite you.

Number 15 is maybe the easiest, but can also be a heart-breaker long or slightly short.

Number 16 is one of the strangest greens, very unique. It's like putting in a bathtub unless you are positioned well.

I think Number 3 with the pin on the left front is a uniquely different hole, and the lengthened Number 4 and Number 5 are often overlooked for difficulty. But every hole on the course has a way of playing very hard.

Those are my opinions, what are yours?

[mcfc_nick]

i know you're asking for opinions but its interesting:

http://www.augusta.com/masters/coursetour/

[Fourputt]

14 is very difficult. Augusta is known for leaving impossible putts when you put the ball in the wrong place, and 14 is one of the worst for that feature. #5 is also a very difficult hole. But IMO, 11 and 12 really put you to the test. 13 is a temptress.... fall for her allure and be sucked into Rae's Creek. It's a tough call without looking at the real stats.

I've been playing Augusta in Links 2003 for many years now. Each year the course designer updates the course with the most current real life changes, and I can tell you that there are very few cakewalks on that golf course. Yes, it may be computer golf, but don't judge it until you've tried it. The course is so well designed that I've been able to precisely duplicate Tiger's famous chip in on 16. What you see on TV is what we see on the computer... it's as close to a real simulation as anything I've ever seen.

[RC]

Love the link to the Augusta holes list... great stuff.

Yes, I agree that 14 is a super challenging putting hole, but it is actually worse than that. You are right... it is where you hit your approach shot. How many times have we seen balls go off that green? Plus the fairway slopes hard to the right so you have a sidehill lie hitting into a green that slopes hard right and has a false front on the whole right side.

The problem is all the holes can be dangerous... or if the approach finds the right spot, not too bad.

I think I have argued before that hitting it close on Number 6 when the pin is back right is mostly a matter of getting lucky. Even a near perfect shot can go off the back. When it is front left, it is like hitting into a big basket... unless you miss.

[Dub]

I agree with 14.

I'd like to see the back nine shortened a bit to make for more drama and more room for the "charges" to occur once again. The lengthening over the past 10 years has taken some of the drama out of it for me.

[RC]

Number 10 has not been mentioned... but it is either a normal approach or devilish one depending on the tee shot. If the drive hangs out even a little right, par is unlikely without an excellent and long second. But if a long draw off the tee is in the cards, the roll down the hill is forever, and the second shot is not nearly as challenging. It is a hole that can produce worse than bogey even with two well struck shots... if they land in the wrong places. The Augusta site above shows the hole to be the second hardest on the course. This hole is one of the reasons Augusta used to be known as a draw players' course before the Nicklaus era.

[apex53]

Good points and opinions in the previous posts... I finally got to go to The Masters last year... I couldn't believe how small the 7th green is... That green is not designed to be approached with a middle iron... 1 is unbelievably long, what a tough opening hole... 10, 11, and 12, IMO that's the hardest stretch on the course

[RC]

I think Number 1 may be about 10 yards shorter this year (but could be wrong -- I just read that and did not see it.) It does seem a bit much to require a 300 yard first drive to get into a decent scoring position on the first hole.

The 7th hole played perfectly when they were hitting wedges into it, now it must be terrifying. As you would probably agree, TV (even Hi-Def) cannot show the steepness of the hill nor the difficulty of hitting that shallow green.

At Masters time, I get all excited about golf, the new season, and my favorite tournament. Just can't help it.

[apex53]

I think Number 1 may be about 10 yards shorter this year (but could be wrong -- I just read that and did not see it.) It does seem a bit much to require a 300 yard first drive to get into a decent scoring position on the first hole.

You're right, it is hard to imagine the degree of difficulty of the second shot into 7 unless you've seen it in person... It's been said before but the slope of the greens in amazing... #4 is really a long par 3 now... Seeing the course in person makes you realize the talent the pros have... Here's hoping that the men who run The Masters will setup the course so the excitement of the second nine on Sunday returns this year

[RC]

You mentioned number 4, and how long it can play but when the pin is on the left side and you right of it and a little past, there may be no more difficult putt on the entire course. So somehow you hit a perfect 235 yard shot into the middle of the green and think, wow, that was great... then you see this putt and think, "please don't let me double bogey this hole."

[apex53]

You're exactly right... There are just some places that you can't miss it, even though you hit the green... I watched Charles Howell III and Padraig Harrington during the Tuesday practice round last year at #4... They spent an inordinate amount of time chipping to and putting on that green... Only a couple of days away and it all gets started...

[RC]

On the golf channel they are saying the greens are firming up and, with the wind, getting to speed. Of course they can water more or mow a little less agressively, but if the greens get dangerous, I have a feeling the friendly Number 15 may have some surprises this year. Who knows?

The course is most exciting when the greens tell the tale, and they usually do. I just got my most recent Golf Digest, and their pick for the greatest course in the world is Augusta National. Pine Valley is second, and I don't think they have added the super length that Augusta has. I would love to see this year's field play the course as it was 10 years ago, with the greens firm and super fast... that would be about as thrilling as I can imagine.

[RC]

Oops, I stand corrected... Augusta National was the top rated American course. Other courses in the world were rated separately.