Augusta National Myths
We all think we know Augusta National because it’s the only course to host a Major every year. But there are a number of falsehoods and misunderstandings about the place
Myth: You need to be a great putter
Ian Woosnam, Bernhard Langer and Fred Couples have all won there in the last 15 years and none of them would be regarded as the best at wielding a short (or in Bernhard’s case, long) stick.
What you need to be is a great iron player who puts his ball into the right part of the green, so that putting does not become an obstacle course. NB: Ian Woosnam uses a long putter now but didn’t when he won the green jacket.
Myth: The front nine is boring
On any other course in the world the first nine holes of Augusta National would be rightly hailed as a great test of golf. Until recently we never got to see the outward half of the layout on television but that doesn’t make it mundane.
Myth: You have to score on the par fives
The par threes, in fact, are much more challenging. Many birdies are made on the par fives; a lot of dropped shots come at the threes. The 4th, 6th, 12th and 16th cumulatively represent a good test, especially the 4th and 6th.
Myth: To play Augusta well you need to be able to hit a high fade
The tee shots on the 3rd (marginal) and 18th are the only ones where this shape really works for right-handers – from every other tee the ball needs to be hit straight or, more preferably, with a draw.
Myth: Growing the ‘rough’ reins in the longer hitters
All it does is stop their ball running into the trees. Admittedly, for top pros playing off a bed of pine needles isn’t too difficult – as Woosie demonstrated by successfully going for the green from the right of the 13th en route to victory. But Tom Watson was in the woods to the right of 18 and was blocked out, his bogey five handing the title to the Welshman.
Myth: Augusta in April offers perfect tournament golf weather Rainstorms, lightning, hail and thunder are common. In fact, four calm, sunny days are the exception rather than the rule.
Myth: The course is a visual delight because it’s built on the grounds of an old nursery
All the flowers we see on TV are planted specially for the Masters – if the weather’s good they’re packed in ice to inhibit growth; if it’s poor, heat lamps are used to accelerate growth. Oh, and the muddy brown water of Rae’s Creek is dyed blue for the week and the plastic cups ‘patrons’ drink from are green on the inside and outside, so they don’t show on TV when tossed aside.
Myth: Wild or off-line drives will not be punished
Try telling that to anyone who misses the fairway at 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17 or 18. In comparison to other Majors, the fairways are generous but the penalty for missing them can be severe.
Myth: The fairways at Augusta are wider than just about anywhere else
Yes, they appear generous but actually they’re not. As Gordon Sherry discovered when he played his only Masters (in ’96 as amateur champion), to set up the right approach to the green, only a half, or in some cases a third of the available landing area is any good to you.
Myth: The course’s only defense is the greens
See above. Rae’s Creek and ponds are situated in such a way as to cause maximum problems at 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16. Trees are a troublesome feature on many holes, especially 14 and 18; and the comparatively few bunkers that exist are – with the exception of the huge cross-bunker 60 yards short of the green on 10 – extremely well sited.
Myth: Augusta is an easy course for handicap golfers who want to play bogey golf
Augusta is one of the most strategic, demanding courses in the world and handicap players would struggle at least as much there as on any decent layout.
Myth: The 12th is among the toughest par threes in the world
Pros are hitting anything between 6-8 iron, depending on the wind and if they can’t hit a reasonably sized target with one of those, they’re in the wrong job. Truth is, we remember the disasters but the great majority of the field stroll through the hole.
Myth: Amen Corner is one of the toughest three-hole stretches anywhere in the world
11 is a 445-yard par four that most of the field will hit something like an 8-iron into. There’s a pond short left but plenty of bail out to the right.
12 – see above.
13 – one of the most frequently birdied holes on the course and virtually the whole field can get up with an iron.
Myth: Distance off the tee is not a great factor
No, not if you can hit it 300 yards.
Martin Vousden is a freelance golf writer, a former editor of Today’s Golfer and launch editor of Golf Buyer and Swing magazines. His book: With Friends Like These; A selective history of the Ryder Cup, was published in 2006 by Time Warner. He edits the website http://www.rarebirdie.com