We asked players, coaches and commentators which shots at Augusta National would be the toughest for amateur golfers.
Courtesy of Augusta National
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Augusta National demands every shot in the bag.
You must drive the ball well to avoid the pesky limbs of the towering pines. Approach shots require precision to access tightly tucked pins. If you miss the green, you must have imagination to reach the cup, and proper touch to pull it off. And once you’re on the putting surface, it takes a confident and smooth stroke to get the ball in the hole.
The course is a stern test for the best players in the world every year when the Masters comes to town, but for the average player, it can be even more difficult. And while Augusta National might be the toughest tee time to get in all of golf, the club does welcome many amateur players through its doors every year.
With that in mind, we asked some of the people who know the course best — players, coaches, commentators — what the most terrifying shots ams would face on the course. Here’s what they had to say.
Tee shot on No. 1
“I would say the first tee shot would be pretty tough with the nerves for most of them. Even though it seems pretty wide open, the magnitude of playing such an amazing place would be difficult for a lot of people.” —Jonathan Yarwood, GOLF Top 100 Teacher
Putts on No. 5
“No. 5 has the toughest green out here. I’ve been lucky enough to play here, and I’ve played with Tour pros and with amateurs, and definitely for everyone I think the fifth green is the hardest. You’re hitting into the green with such a long club nowadays, and the chances of hitting it close there are really low. And then there’s a false front that you usually end up in. Even around the hole, you never get a medium, shallow-breaking five- or six-footer. You’re always playing it outside the hole. So you’ve got this incredibly difficult lag putt first, and then you’ve got this uncomfortable four- to six-footer to tidy up. No. 5 is by far the toughest green to putt on.” —Stephen Sweeney, Tour putting coach
Chip on No. 6
“The hardest shots definitely come around the greens. When that pin is front-right on 6. The up-and-down from there is really tough.” —Smiley Kaufman, Golf Channel on-course reporter
Approach shot on No. 11
“I’d say the hardest shot on the course now is the second shot on 11. It drops off to the right of the green much worse than it used to. You’ve got the water left. It’s longer, so you’ve got a longer club in there, so I think the second shot at 11 is the hardest shot out there.” —Larry Mize, 1987 Masters champion
Tee shot on No. 12
“There’s a lot of hard tee shots, but I would just say No. 12. To hit that green, I don’t think you can really respect how narrow it is. It’s pretty wide. I would guess it’s 25, 30 yards wide, which is pretty wide with an iron, but you’ve got to get the distance right. When you have a 9-iron — today it was an 8-iron, about 160 yards into the wind, you’ve got to get it just right. There’s no miss. Hitting it long is not good, and hitting it short obviously is not good. I could see amateurs struggling a lot just trying to hit it on grass, and let alone escaping the hole with less than a 6. It’s got all of us — if you play this place enough, it’s a hole that you probably won’t avoid making a big number on at some point.” —Tony Finau, five-time PGA Tour winner
Wedge shot on No. 15
“The third shot at 15 is so tough. Downhill lie, ball above your feet to a really shallow green over water. I think the average amateur would get so nervous with the water that they would come over the top of it, hit it long and then they’re in even more trouble. It’s gotta be one of the hardest shots out here. There are a lot of hard shots out here. I think the whole golf course, people don’t appreciate how small the landing areas on the greens are. You have to be so precise. You’re a foot here or there from being really good or really screwed.” —Colt Knost, co-host of GOLF’s Subpar and CBS Sports on-course reporter
