The Masters, home to the first major tournament of the year, will take place on an Augusta National Golf Club course for players to nearly be perfect with every shot and putt.
In 1934, the first Masters Tournament occurred at Augusta National Golf Club, built by former championship golfer Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, an investment banker who made his way to Wall Street as a Partner with Reynolds & Company.
Helping Jones and Roberts design the course was Allister MacKenzie, a golf course architect who also constructed the West Course at Royal Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Through the years, Royal Melbourne has been the site for some historic tournaments and events, including three Presidents Cups in 1998, 2011, and 2019.
Even though the Augusta National course went through some changes this year, Jones and Allister were still in the thoughts of the current Masters committee.
“We are intent on making sure that we maintain the design philosophy that Mr. Jones and Alister MacKenzie devised,” Augusta National and Masters Tournament Chairman Fred Ridley said in 2018.
“And with the shot values that they thought were important, we have done what we felt was appropriate through the years to maintain that philosophy and those design parameters.”
The most notable course change comes at the par-5 13th with a new tee box to lengthen the hole. This will challenge golfers to decide if they can hit the green in two or play safe and lay up with a good tee shot into the fairway.
With the new course change in mind, we rank each hole at Augusta National based on its level of difficulty.
18. Hole No. 15, Par 5 550 yards (Firethorn)
- Historical Average: 4.77 (Rank: 17)
All 18 holes at the Masters are difficult, but the easiest hole is the par-5 15th. Averaging under par in the history of the Masters, the 15th hole gives players the opportunity to go for the green in two and is similar to the 13th hole, with the green and fairway separated by water.
This hole can be the place for players to risk it all, especially on Masters Sunday, to possibly increase the lead, as Hideki Matsuyama did just that during the final round in 2021. Â
17. Hole No. 3, Par 4 350 yards (Flowering Peach)
- Historical Average: 4.08 (Rank: 14)
Among the par 4s, this is the easiest hole as it is a classic, short par 4. Although players today can probably drive, chip, and putt for birdie, it’s easier said than done, as this hole has seen the least amount of change compared to any other hole on the course.
16. Hole No. 6, Par 3 180 yards (Juniper)
- Historical Average: 3.14 (Rank: 13)
The sixth hole is actually the easiest par 3 on the course. However, the challenge on this hole is the elevated tee box and the undulations to the green that make the hole that much more difficult to execute the shot off the tee.
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15. Hole No. 9, Par 4 460 yards (Carolina Cherry)
- Historical Average: 4.14 (Rank: 12)
The thing about the ninth is more on the approach shot than off the tee. With the green sloping from the back to the front, it is possible for players to not be able to control the spin, resulting in the ball falling off the green.
Trees on both sides of the fairway, in addition to the two greenside bunkers make the slight, dogleg left hole more of a challenge.
14. Hole No. 16, Par 3 170 yards (Redbud)
- Historical Average: 3.14 (Rank: 11)
The famous 16th hole requires a tee shot over water and three bunkers surrounding the hole. Originally, MacKenzie’s 16th hole was similar to the 12th but was found to be too simple, leading to the pond being added in 1947.
This green, which was key in Tiger Woods’ 2005 Masters Championship victory, is going to primarily break downhill towards the water except when the pin location is in the back right with an uphill putt early in the week.
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13. Hole No. 7, Par 4 450 (Pampas)
- Historical Average: 4.16 (Rank: 10)
The difficulty of the hole starts off the tee as players attempt to have the best lie possible for the approach shot. In addition, a tight fairway with the trees coming into play makes the hole even tougher for competitors.
12. Hole No. 2, Par 5 575 yards (Pink Dogwood)
- Historical Average: 4.76 (Rank: 16)
The first par 5 at the Masters is a dogleg left hole for players to reach the green in two. It’s one of the easier holes on the course as even in its toughest year, which was in 1957, the average score was slightly under par at 4.996.
The second hole is a good opportunity to grab a birdie early in a round or an eagle with a good tee shot. Â
11. Hole No. 17, Par 4 440 yards (Nandina)
- Historical Average: 4.16 (Rank: 9)
The biggest factor to the 17th hole is where the pin locations are in each of the four rounds, as slope tends to roll in all directions. The back right pin location is the most demanding on the course, as putts can go past the hole and past the green.
As a result, the approach is so key on this hole in order to set up a successful putting situation. Â
10. Hole No. 13, Par 5 545 (Azalea)
- Historical Average: 4.77 (Rank: 18)
The 13th hole has been one of the easiest holes in Masters history, but with the new tee box extending the hole by 35 yards, it really challenges players to go for the green in two or lay up and play for birdie. Â
When Woods won his fifth green jacket in 2019, the 13th hole was the second, lowest scoring hole, taking off nearly half a stroke in Masters tournament history.
9. Hole No. 14, Par 4 440 (Chinese Fir)
- Historical Average: 4.17 (Rank: 8)
This is the only hole on the entire course that does not have a bunker. Once again, the green challenges players with the ball breaking from left to right. Among the ten par 4s on the course, the 14th hole is in the middle based on difficulty compared to other par 4s.
8. Hole No. 8, Par 5 570 (Yellow Jasmine)
- Historical Average: 4.82 (Rank: 15)
The second par 5 on the front nine has a fairway bunker on the right side for players to avoid. In addition, the long, narrow green will mostly need an uphill putt as no bunkers surround the hole.
In 2010, Tiger Woods became the third player to record four eagles, the most in Masters history. Woods recorded eagles on the 8th and the 15th during the first round and on the par-4 7th and 15th holes of the final round.
Woods is tied with Dustin Johnson, who also recorded four eagles in 2009, including one at the eighth and the 13th in the second round, while going back-to-back on the 13th and 14th holes in the final round.
7. Hole No. 18, Par 4 465 yards (Holly)
- Historical Average: 4.23 (Rank: 7)
The final hole at Augusta National is an uphill, dogleg right that has two greenside bunkers on either side of the green.
The tee shot is the most important to have success. A shot into the fairway leads to a mid-iron into the green compared to a shot into the trees left or right, leading to players barely finding a way to save par.
The 18th hole has seen a lot of history, including in 2022 when champion Scottie Scheffler four-putting before finishing his green jacket performance on the 72nd hole and both Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy making their bunker shots, despite being out of contention to send the gallery into a frenzy.
6. Hole No. 1, Par 4 445 yards (Tea Olive)
- Historical Average: 4.24 (Rank: 6)
The length of the holes on the par 4s begin to increase among the rankings. At 445 yards, on top of the adrenaline and pressure being the first hole, that is why it is inside the top 10. In addition, this dogleg right hole has trees right and may refrain players from a simple two-putt for par.
5. Hole No. 5, Par 4, 495 yards (Magnolia)
- Historical Average: 4.26 (Rank: 5)
The fifth hole requires a tee shot that has to avoid two fairway bunkers on the left side of a dogleg left hole. The drive needs about 315 yards of carry as the bunker behind the green will also take into effect for players that go long.
4. Hole No. 12, Par 3 155 (Golden Bell)
- Historical Average: 3.27 (Rank: 4)
One of the most famous holes on the entire course and in the world, the 12th is at the heart of Amen Corner as it is the shortest par 3. However, players have to avoid Rae’s Creek, and just keeping it dry is a feat within itself with the wind and other possible weather conditions in play.
There are three bunkers as players make their way to the hole through Ben Hogan Bridge. On this hole, getting par is the goal; birdie is a bonus.
3. Hole No. 4, Par 3 240 yards (Flowering Crab Apple)
- Historical Average: 3.28 (Rank: 3)
Like the 12th, the fourth hole requires much thought as to where players will land their tee shot onto the green as they fight the wind in this longer par 3. Although there is no water on the fourth hole, there is a bunker short, which will challenge the player to get up and down to save par. Â
2. Hole No. 11, Par 4 520 yards (White Dogwood)
- Historical Average: 4.30 (Rank: 2)
The 11th hole at the Masters, which is where Amen Corner begins, is where players have to be really careful on their approach shot because there is water left of the hole. Depending on spin, a ball has the opportunity to roll off the green and roll into the hazard.
Taking advantage of the mound on the right front side of the green is the miss for players trying to focus on par and avoiding extra strokes on the longest hole among the par 4s.
1. Hole No. 10, Par 4 495 yards (Camellia)
- Historical Average: 4.30 (Rank: 1)
Kicking off the back nine is the most difficult stretch of the course with back-to-back long par 4s. The only positive (if you can call it a positive) is the hole is downhill, giving players the opportunity to take advantage of the slope, especially if the fairway is dry.
This is another hole where par is your friend and bogey is your enemy.