How would you play Augusta?

[Jack Watson]

I was just thinking,  imagine you are invited to play Augusta with some pros of your choice.   The stipulation is you play from the tips.  How would you play on each hole?  We can go hole by hole...

 

 

http://www.masters.com/en_US/course/

 

[Jack Watson]

Hole one Tea Olive for me is a long par four.  I'd hit driver but even if I am in the fairway I might play it as a three shooter hoping for bogey.

 

[Hategolf]

hole 1:  Driver to hopefully 240 yrds..then 5 wood to 200+ and make probably 3 putts..I'd be happy with a bogie in the first hole..

[Buckeyebowman]

Poorly!

[David in FL]

It's a golf course.  I play it the same way I play every other golf course.  

[Jack Watson]

17 minutes ago, David in FL said:

It's a golf course.  I play it the same way I play every other golf course.  

Hole one is 445 uphill dogleg right with a prominent bunker on the dogleg.  Trees left.  What club would you anticipate for approach with a good (for you) drive?

[Rip62]

Slowly so I could enjoy playing there as long as possible.

[David in FL]

9 minutes ago, Jack Watson said:

Hole one is 445 uphill dogleg right with a prominent bunker on the dogleg.  Trees left.  What club would you anticipate for approach with a good (for you) drive?

Whichever one gets me there.  Knowing the hole, likely 3-wood.  No different than any other 445 yard, strongly uphill hole.

Just because it's a famous course, doesn't change my game, nor how I play any given hole.

[Jack Watson]

5 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Whichever one gets me there.  Knowing the hole, likely 3-wood.  No different than any other 445 yard, strongly uphill hole.

Just because it's a famous course, doesn't change my game, nor how I play any given hole.

Yeah,  I wouldn't change my game either based on the courses 'fame'.  I am simply thinking that hole for me is a big hole and I might have a better chance for myself not risking the long approach.  The greens we will assume for the thread are playing fast no weird weather like a bunch of rain is in the mix.  Thanks for responding.

[bkuehn1952]

Recognize that there are going to be a lot of holes where bogey will be a great score.  Put driver in play, stay out of trouble on the 2nd shot and hopefully be in a position to get on the green where I might 2 putt.  Listen to my caddy closely.  Set a goal of sub-90 but recognize under 100 might be as good as it gets.

[saevel25]

Here is the projected tee shots and 2nd shots for my game. 

Hole 1: Driver, 4-iron / 5 iron
Hole 2: Driver, Hybrid, Pitch
Hole 3: Hybrid, Pitching Wedge
Hole 4: Hybrid / 4 Iron
Hole 5: 3-Wood, 6-iron / 5 iron
Hole 6: 7 iron / 8 iron
Hole 7: Driver, 8 iron / 9 iron
Hole 8: 3 wood, Hybrid, Pitch
Hole 9: Driver, Wedge

Hole 10: Driver, 6 iron
Hole 11: Driver, 6 iron / 5 iron
Hole 12: Pitching Wedge / 9 iron
Hole 13: Driver, 6 iron / 5 iron
Hole 14: Driver, 8 iron / 7 iron
Hole 15: Driver, 4 iron / 5 iron
Hole 16: 8 iron / 7 iron
Hole 17: Driver, 8 iron / 7 iron
Hole 18: Driver, 8 iron / 7 iron

 

[InTheTrees]

I agree with @bkuehn1952's strategy. I'd probably hit something like 6i or 4h for my second shot and hope that gave me a reasonable wedge approach. I'd put a lot of weight on hitting the correct part of the greens at Augusta, not just hitting the greens. That means not trying to hit greens with a 3 wood, but laying up for a reasonable wedge or pitch.

[Jack Watson]

14 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Here is the projected tee shots and 2nd shots for my game. 

Hole 1: Driver, 4-iron / 5 iron
Hole 2: Driver, Hybrid, Pitch
Hole 3: Hybrid, Pitching Wedge
Hole 4: Hybrid / 4 Iron
Hole 5: 3-Wood, 6-iron / 5 iron
Hole 6: 7 iron / 8 iron
Hole 7: Driver, 8 iron / 9 iron
Hole 8: 3 wood, Hybrid, Pitch
Hole 9: Driver, Wedge

Hole 10: Driver, 6 iron
Hole 11: Driver, 6 iron / 5 iron
Hole 12: Pitching Wedge / 9 iron
Hole 13: Driver, 6 iron / 5 iron
Hole 14: Driver, 8 iron / 7 iron
Hole 15: Driver, 4 iron / 5 iron
Hole 16: 8 iron / 7 iron
Hole 17: Driver, 8 iron / 7 iron
Hole 18: Driver, 8 iron / 7 iron

 

You're a little ahead,  but on a cursory view hole 1 is 445 dogleg right just like 18 but in my link 18 is 20 yards further at 465.

7 or 8 in?!

[freshmanUTA]

Considering how hilly the course is on camera, and camera doesn't even do it justice. I'd play every hole as conservative as possible. Slower swings to make sure my shots go straight, and I'd aim for dead center of the greens and hope that my putting can save my score. #1, #11 and #16 would be the biggest challenge for me. If I don't get a long drive on the par 4's my second shots will kill me. And my biggest miss is left, so on the par 3 16th... Yeah, I'll take my 6.

Edited May 16, 2017 by freshmanUTA

[saevel25]

5 minutes ago, Jack Watson said:

You're a little ahead,  but on a cursory view hole 1 is 445 dogleg right just like 18 but in my link 18 is 20 yards further at 465.

7 or 8 in?!

Hole 1 is 445, Hole 18 is 465. Honestly, this was just a quick look at the course with yardages. I would hit driver as much as possible. I want as many opportunities to hit shorter clubs into those greens. If I hit one offline, then I will try to get near the green and get an up and down. 

 

[David in FL]

24 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Hole 1 is 445, Hole 18 is 465. Honestly, this was just a quick look at the course with yardages. I would hit driver as much as possible. I want as many opportunities to hit shorter clubs into those greens. If I hit one offline, then I will try to get near the green and get an up and down. 

 

And is that different than how you'd generally play any course?

I didn't think so...

 

[Shorty]

I am reminded of a post several years ago where a guy had a Google Earth picture of a dogleg par 5 he'd never played before and asked if he should try to go over the trees when he played it the following week. :-0

Back to Augusta....

I would hit a driver on all the par fours to a comfortable iron distance. Then I would aim for the centre of each green - being conservative. That would guarantee me no worse than par, but probably better for 10 holes. Middle of the green on the par 3s - say one one putt.

Layup on the par 5s Zac Johnson style but probably go for 13 and 15 in 2. Comfortably in the 60s. but no possibility of a score worse than par as long as there are no 3 putts - but even two three putts would be balanced by birdies (but probably eagle on 13 or 15).

LOL - just checked, and people are pretty much saying the same thing. Never mind that there are many who think they'd break 80 but wouldn't get close to breaking 110.

This is along the lines of the "What's so hard about 17 at Sawgrass? (or 12 at Augusta)" threads

Odd to think that people who miss greens would try to get up and down. Weird strategy. From the tips on a course like this, there would be very few holes where bogey would not feel like a very good score, even with a DIY 8 handicap.

 

Edited May 16, 2017 by Shorty

[Aguirre]

Really? I'd hit driver on every hole (outside of the Par 3's) and figure it out from there.