How to tame Augusta National
1 Tea Olive 445 yards Par 4
You want to be on the left side of the fairway if possible, but there’s a bunker you need to avoid. Once over there then you cannot go left of the green, because then you could be looking at bogey or worse. Always happy with a par on this opener.
2 Pink Dogwood 575 yards Par 5
There are two ways to play this and often it depends on the wind. Either bash a driver over the bunker and then go for the green with a long iron or lay up and with your second find your perfect yardage for a wedge from the valley with your third. Birdie is on your mind.
3 Flowering Peach 350 yards Par 4
Another hole which gives you options, which are usually governed where the pin is. It’s only a short par four and if the hole is cut on the right you can hit a drive and perhaps only have 50 yards left. Otherwise, hit a hybrid or long iron and set yourself up for an accurate wedge.
4 Flowering Crab Apple 240 yards Par 3
This is a difficult par three, even when they move up the tees. You really don’t want to be right as then par becomes extremely arduous and there’s a bunker guarding the front of the green. Left is the best place to miss. You don’t see many birdies on this one.
5 Magnolia 455 yards Par 4
This a dogleg and as ever you don’t want to be too cute and try to take off too much of the corner as the bunkers on the left are deep and can be penal. From the right side of the fairway it’s about distance control to a pin which is invariably on the top shelf.
6 Juniper 180 yards Par 3
There are some great short holes on Augusta and this is one of them. The first thing is, don’t be long. But that’s easier said than done when you’re determined to get to a pin that is on the back tier. The players will be relieved to see the pin at the front as it is a proper birdie hole then.
7 Pampas 450 yards Par 4
With the fairway sloping from left to right and all the trees waiting down there, this is a drive you will be looking to draw into the slope. The challenge is only just getting interesting, however, as you have to be precise to the green. It’s surrounded by swales and is tricky.
8 Yellow Jasmine 570 yards Par 5
After the seventh, you have a little bit of respite with this par five. But, depending on your position at the time, you will feel pressure to make a birdie. Avoid the fairway bunker on the right, don’t go left of the green with your approach and make a difficult two-putt.
9 Carolina Cherry 460 yards Par 4
So long as your drive is straight-ish the challenge on this hole is all about the approach to the raised green. There are two bunkers on the left and it tilts sharply, and a ball rolling off the front can continue down 50–60 yards. It is all about finding the correct tier.
10 Camellia 495 yards Par 4
There’s a big bend and a heck of a downslope on the dogleg which you cannot really see on TV. Three-wood with a big draw is probably the play off the tee and that will leave you a long to mid-iron to the green. You don’t want to be in the bunker on the right. A tough, tough hole.
11 White Dogwood 505 yards Par 4
The start of Amen Corner and it is demanding. It is a narrow fairway and as they have lengthened it so much over the years you could still be left with a long-iron in. The water adjacent to the green on the left is one problem, the bunker on the right another.
12 Golden Bell 155 yards Par 3
This shows that holes do not have to be long to be great. Depending on the winds, which are often swirling to make it more difficult, it could be anything from a wedge to a seven-iron. It is all about distance control with water and the bunker at the front and all the trouble with the azaleas behind.
13 Azalea 510 yards Par 5
How brave do you want to be off the tee? If you pull off the risky shot down the left – meaning you have to avoid the trees and the creek – you have a far easier second shot off a flat lie. On the right, the ball will lie above your feet. It’s a great hole because you will see eagles and double-bogeys.
14 Chinese Fir 440 yards Par 4
You must get that ball on to the fairway, ideally on the left so you are hitting down on to the green with a short-iron. Again it depends on the pin position, but you have to be aggressive and go for the flag; aim for the middle of the green you will end down on the right.
15 Firethorn 530 yards Par 5
You have to take advantage of Augusta’s par fives if you are going to score well. And, after the 13th, this offers a tantalising opportunity of a red number. With the pond in front of the green, you have a choice of whether to go for the green. It can be a bit of a heartstopper when the ball is in the air.
16 Redbud 170 yards Par 3
It depends on where the pin position is again. If it is on the right you have to be bold and take it on, as it will roll down to the left. The Sunday pin is the easiest as the ball will feed into the hole if you can perfect the distance control. There have been many important birdies here in the past.
17 Nandina 440 yards Par 4
The Eisenhower Tree is no more but the drive is just as demanding. You ideally want to get it to the top of the hill so you do not have a blind approach to the green. There are two bunkers guarding the front of the putting surface so you need to be precise.
18 Holly 465 yards Par 4
If you are a natural fader of the ball you are laughing as you can just bring it off the bunkers on the left. It is an uphill approach and you need to be accurate as it is all about being on the right plateau. The pin on Sunday is front left and you really do not want to be left of the green.