Alas, I have never played the course. I only know a handful of people who have. But I've been several times and every April, stay glued to the TV. The back 9, with its risk/reward par 5s and par 3s that can turn an aggresive attempt at 2 into a 4 or worse, is the most exciting theatre in golf. I recently read that Bobby Jones held to the philosophy that every par 5 should be reachable by the very best players. That is evident at Augusta as I believe it is the par 5s that really separate this course from most all other courses. A player can find himself (think Nicklaus in 86) 3 or 4 back from his playing partner and after playing 13-17, make up 5-6 strokes! (Yesterday's winner finished with 4 straight birdies)
Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of walking these hallowed grounds gets a sense of the legendary architecture and is sure to find some holes that earn a soft spot in your heart. So, here is a list of my favorites, hoping to one day report on the favorites to play!
#13 Par 5 I like to imagine myself busting a high draw up against the pines on the right and seeing my ball land softly, then trickle down toward Rae's Creek.
As 5 pars go, this one is only 510 yards. But the approach shot must be high and pure to clear the creek and stop so that the player doesn't face a difficult come-backer from the 2nd cut or bunker. I once read that this hole wasn't really designed as there was already an open field there. God himself designed the 13th at Augusta.
#15 Par 5 - this one is only 530 yards. 15 looks wide open to me so the word of the day here is rip it. A long drive though, only sets you up for one of the scariest shots on the course. With a pond in front and a steep grade that fronts the green, the only safe play is landing the ball high and soft. The green looks like a table-top from the 15th fairway. To make matters worse, the trap on the right makes it almost impossible to make 4 if a player happens to land in it. But that's nothing compared to pulling one left. The green drops off front and back and a shot that misses left can find the pond on 16!
So, why not lay up? The fairway goes straight down to the water and the only truly safe play is up to the right of the fairway. Even then, many a professional have spun the ball and having left a wedge short, find themselves suddenly hitting 5 from the drop area.
#12 Par 3 - Kind of the par 3 version of 13, this short par 3 requires absolute precision. Short = death and long equals a very testy chip shot or bunker shot that the player must get up and started and allow for a very quick downhill green.
#16 Par 3 - Nicklaus in 86, Tiger's chip shot whenever that was. This hole is golf theater at its finest. The water really isn't in play here but the Sunday pin requires an iron shot that spins back toward the water as the pin is low. The best placement to me is upper right. Any player that goes after the flag and finds himself in that bunker on the high side is looking at a sure bogey.
#14 Par 4 - the green alone makes this hole exciting.
#18 Par 4 - a narrow driving hole, this par 4 is perfect because it requires one last, if fairly typical, test for a par.
#8 Par 5 - love it on Sunday when the players must hit a low screaming draw to get it close. Tiger showed how it is done yesterday.
#6 Par 3 - love this green. Standing right next to Phil when he knocked it in from the fringe in 2010.
#10 Par 4 - tough par 4, not many birdies here. Best known for Mize's chip in, I guess. But now may be remembered as the hole where McIlroy hit it into the cabins.
#11 Par 4 - tough hole, particularly with the back left pin location.
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