2006 Masters-A crack in the code

Gxgolfer · March 2, 2006

By Ron Whitten

Jack and Arnie Speak out....

Click for Full Article>>>Here

By Ron Whitten
Golf Digest
April 2006

The problem with Augusta National is that it's a national treasure, but those involved with it act as though it's a state secret.

Consider all the changes to the course, the lengthening and tightening during the past eight years. Last summer alone, the club changed six holes, with new back tees, new trees and some bigger, deeper bunkers. Some of those holes had been changed just two years before.

But the club won't divulge the thinking behind such constant course tinkering. Not even to past Masters champions.

Some past champions are frustrated about that, but they won't go on the record. Call it the Code of the Green Jacket: Thou shalt not speak ill of Augusta National in public.

In private, more than one has complained that the course has been stripped of its unique personality, its ebb and flow. Players could thrust and parry, expect birdies on some holes and accept pars on others. But now the course makes everybody play defensively, they say, from the first tee onward. A couple of former champions have suggested that the club keeps changing the layout to hasten their departure from the event entirely, and one even grumbles about the new "butt-ugly bunkers, all shaped like bathtubs...More

Augusta National

Hole No. 1
2005 Yardage: 435 yards
2006 Yardage: 455 yards
2005 Field Avg. (Sun.): 4.28
Difficulty Ranking: 3rd hardest
The Masters tee has been moved back 20 yards. A portion of the practice green behind the first tee has been eliminated to accommodate patron circulation between the two areas. Trees have been added to the left side of the fairway. The fairway bunker on the right has a new finger of grass extending from the left (hidden from view in this photo) that will force a player to hit a recovery shot that gets up very quickly. It will now take a drive of more than 300 yards to clear the bunker.

Photo by Augusta National Golf Club

Augusta National Golf Club

Hole No. 4
2005 Yardage: 205 yards
2006 Yardage: 240 yards
2005 Field Avg. (Sun.): 3.16
Difficulty Ranking: 7th hardest
The teeing area has been enlarged, with the Masters tee moved back some 35 yards. From the front portion of the teeing area, it will be 220 yards to pin positions on the right of the green; 204 to the front left edge. But if the wind is against and the tee markers are back, the hole could play like a 260-yard par 3. Said Masters Tournament Chairman Hootie Johnson said, "we want to keep the hole as it was intended to be played, as a long par 3."

Photo by Augusta National Golf Club

Augusta National Golf Club

Hole No. 7
2005 Yardage: 410 yards
2006 Yardage: 450 yards
2005 Field Avg. (Sun.): 4.22
Difficulty Ranking: 17th hardest
The Masters tee has been moved back 40 yards. Trees have been added to the right and left side of the fairway. The green has been redesigned to create a possible right-rear pin position; the right-rear portion has been lowered one foot, so that players will no longer be able to fly it past front-right flag locations and let the slope spin the ball back to the hole. With the wind in their face, some players will be hitting a long iron or rescue wood into this green, which is only 21 yards deep at its deepest point.

Photo by Augusta National Golf Club

Augusta National Golf Club

Hole No. 11
2005 Yardage: 490 yards
2006 Yardage: 505 yards
2005 Field Avg. (Sun.): 4.34
Difficulty Ranking: 2nd hardest
The Masters tee has been moved back and to the right. The fairway has been shifted to the left, encouraging players to aim toward the left and play a fade, though more pine trees have been added to the right side of the fairway. Several clusters of dogwoods are to be planted in the left-hand rough to eliminate the possibility of bailing out to the left and having a relatively easy second shot from the "rough" or pine straw.

Photo by Augusta National Golf Club

Augusta National Golf Club

Hole No. 15
2005 Yardage: 500 yards
2006 Yardage: 530 yards
2005 Field Avg. (Sun.): 4.52
Difficulty Ranking: 18th hardest
The Masters tee has been moved back 30 yards and shifted to the golfer's left. It's now situated on what was the original 11th tee. When the club first opened, golfers walked up the hill from the 10th green (which was to the right of the present fairway bunker on No. 10, shown in the background of this photo) to the 11th tee, and played it as a sharp dogleg right. Several golfers drove the 11th green from there, and after the 10th green was moved to its present spot, the 11th tee was moved to back and left of the 10th.

Photo by Augusta National Golf Club

Augusta National Golf Club

Hole No. 15
2005 Yardage: 500 yards
2006 Yardage: 530 yards
2005 Field Avg. (Sun.): 4.52
Difficulty Ranking: 18th hardest
The players' view from the 15th tee. The play is to draw it off the right-hand tree line, as the fairway flows downhill right to left. But you can't overdraw it, or you'll end up behind the mature pines on the left that block any chance of reaching the green in two. With a solid drive in the middle of the fairway, players will face a long iron from the top of the hill to a firm, shallow green with water in front.

Photo by Augusta National Golf Club

Augusta National Golf Club

No. 17
2005 Yardage: 425 yards
2006 Yardage: 440 yards
2005 Field Avg. (Sun.): 4.22
Difficulty Ranking: 7th hardest
The Masters tee has been moved back 15 yards and to the left. The Eisenhower tree frames the left side of the fairway and is now about 215 yards from the new tee location. Now 65 feet tall, Ike's tree will pose problems for players aiming to fade the ball and who don't hit it sky-high. New pine trees guard the right side and encourage a draw off the tee to the slightly elevated landing area, with players aiming for the left side of the fairway.

Photo by Augusta National Golf Club

Big D McGee · March 2, 2006

Thanks for posting that, the article was very interesting! Been wanting to read that since TGC did a piece on it the other day.

Ron Whitten's article was very well-thought out. It seems Augusta National wants a very select group of golfers to contend. It's a shame, from Whitten's description they want everyone to take the same line of attack, and make final scores OVER par.

Sounds like this year's Masters won't even be exciting!