- Staff
- #1
You might have found yourself walking off the 3rd green feeling good about your game after a couple of birdie opportunities at #2 and #3. Don't let that false sense of security fool you because this next stretch features two of the most demanding holes at Augusta National.
As we are doing throughout this week, we are using the pin sheet from the Sunday round of the 2019 Masters.
Hole #4 Flowering Crabapple
Par 3
Tournament Tees: 240 Yards
Member Tees: 170
As was alluded to at the beginning of this post, #4 Flowering Crabapple brings us to a challenging part of the golf course. This downhill par 3 plays at 240 yards for the Masters Tournament, and still a lengthy 170 yards for the members. Historically, this hole plays as the 3rd most difficult hole. From the tee box, it is hard not to draw your focus to the large deep bunker that stretches along the front right side of the green. Usually, two of the pin locations find their way on that right side, so that bunker gets quite a bit of action. Because this is Augusta and there are virtually zero flat putts on the course, this green has multiple ridges that need to be properly recognized before playing your shot. The narrowest portion of the green is on the front left side, and it also features a slope that acts as a false front. On the back left side, there is also a slope that gently directs balls off the back edge. Now if you were to imagine a line that pretty much dissects the green about 3/4 of the way to the back, there you will find the largest ridge that can help players if the pin sits just beyond the right-side bunker, but can also cause this hole to be very challenging for those who miss long. Now, as if the yardage and green were not tricky enough, make sure you take in to account the wind. With its location tucked away in the corner spot of the property, the wind tends to swirl here as well, catch the wrong wind, and you are in for one dangerous par 3. For this round, with the pin being positioned int he back left-hand corner, the smart play is something that carries the false front, and lands between the two bunkers. This result will provide the player with an uphill putt, which is always key at Augusta National.
Masters Moment: Jeff Sluman is the only player to record a hole in one on hole #4 during tournament play. He accomplished this during the 1992 Masters.
Hole # 5 - Magnolia
Par 4
Tournament Tees: 495
Member Tees: 400
Note that this flyover was pre-lengthening.
Magnolia is a hole that gets somewhat overlooked when people talk about the great holes at Augusta. For the 2019 Masters, this hole gained nearly 50 yards in length, making this uphill dogleg left hole even more difficult. That wasn't all though, by moving the tee back, the two large bunkers that guard the left side of the fairway were also moved closer to the tee box. Players who want to challenge those bunkers need to carry the ball at least 315 yards, otherwise a shot that favors the right side of the fairway will give them the best look at the green.Going down the left side doesn't spell doom, but you are then faced with a blind shot because of how much lower this side of the fairway is. Amateur players probably would not like to face a shot that has those two large bunkers staring them in the face. Precision is just as necessary on the approach shot because this green has one long ridge that starts in the back middle right, goes down the right side, and swings back over across the front. Bailing out to the short right of the green is safe; however, missing left can usher in a big number.
Magnolia is generally one of the toughest scoring par 4's on the property as it comes in as the 5th hardest hole in Masters history. After the modifications that took place last year, it ranked as the most difficult hole on the golf course. Masters Champion Tiger Woods made a bogey on this hole all four rounds of the 2019 Masters. He wasn't alone; no other hole on the course had more bogies during last year's tournament.
Masters Moment: Jack Nicklaus once eagled this hole twice in three days. You might think that was during his prime years, nope, it was 1995.
Hole #6 Juniper
Par 3
Tournament Tee: 180
Members Tee: 165
Hopefully, holes 4 and 5 didn't beat you up too badly because this 6th hole can be a scoring opportunity depending on the flag location. This par 3 once again sets up from an elevated tee box looking down to the green. While the green is relatively generous in size, it is split into sections, which dictate how aggressive one can be. For the final round in 2019, the pin sits on the top right side of the green, which has the smallest landing area. Adam Scott once said that trying to land the ball on the top right of 6 is like trying to land the ball on a hood of car. Players need to be careful when trying to find that plateau for coming up slightly short, or left, and the ball will be funneled away by the massive slope of the green. A shot that looked like it could have been within 15 feet could now be 50 feet away, leaving you a long uphill putt. When the pin is located on the front left of the green, players can use that slope to their advantage. On the occasion that the pin sits in the back left, players would do themselves good not to miss long. Aiming for the middle of the green on that day ensures an uphill putt. Distance isn't the problem here, it is just making sure you don't short side yourself or hit the wrong side of the three major ridges that come in to the play here.
Masters Moment: During his final round in Masters Competition, while Arnold Palmer was playing the 6th hole, Jack Nicklaus, a long time rival and friend, was on the 16th hole which runs adjacent to the 6th. Upon seeing Arnie, Jack shot him a thumbs up to show support for his friend during his 50th Masters Tournament.
So there are holes 4-5-6. We have two challenging holes and one that is pin dependent. How do you think you would play on these? What is your strategy? And how do you think you are feeling after this stretch?
As we are doing throughout this week, we are using the pin sheet from the Sunday round of the 2019 Masters.
Hole #4 Flowering Crabapple
Par 3
Tournament Tees: 240 Yards
Member Tees: 170
As was alluded to at the beginning of this post, #4 Flowering Crabapple brings us to a challenging part of the golf course. This downhill par 3 plays at 240 yards for the Masters Tournament, and still a lengthy 170 yards for the members. Historically, this hole plays as the 3rd most difficult hole. From the tee box, it is hard not to draw your focus to the large deep bunker that stretches along the front right side of the green. Usually, two of the pin locations find their way on that right side, so that bunker gets quite a bit of action. Because this is Augusta and there are virtually zero flat putts on the course, this green has multiple ridges that need to be properly recognized before playing your shot. The narrowest portion of the green is on the front left side, and it also features a slope that acts as a false front. On the back left side, there is also a slope that gently directs balls off the back edge. Now if you were to imagine a line that pretty much dissects the green about 3/4 of the way to the back, there you will find the largest ridge that can help players if the pin sits just beyond the right-side bunker, but can also cause this hole to be very challenging for those who miss long. Now, as if the yardage and green were not tricky enough, make sure you take in to account the wind. With its location tucked away in the corner spot of the property, the wind tends to swirl here as well, catch the wrong wind, and you are in for one dangerous par 3. For this round, with the pin being positioned int he back left-hand corner, the smart play is something that carries the false front, and lands between the two bunkers. This result will provide the player with an uphill putt, which is always key at Augusta National.
Masters Moment: Jeff Sluman is the only player to record a hole in one on hole #4 during tournament play. He accomplished this during the 1992 Masters.
Hole # 5 - Magnolia
Par 4
Tournament Tees: 495
Member Tees: 400
Note that this flyover was pre-lengthening.
Magnolia is a hole that gets somewhat overlooked when people talk about the great holes at Augusta. For the 2019 Masters, this hole gained nearly 50 yards in length, making this uphill dogleg left hole even more difficult. That wasn't all though, by moving the tee back, the two large bunkers that guard the left side of the fairway were also moved closer to the tee box. Players who want to challenge those bunkers need to carry the ball at least 315 yards, otherwise a shot that favors the right side of the fairway will give them the best look at the green.Going down the left side doesn't spell doom, but you are then faced with a blind shot because of how much lower this side of the fairway is. Amateur players probably would not like to face a shot that has those two large bunkers staring them in the face. Precision is just as necessary on the approach shot because this green has one long ridge that starts in the back middle right, goes down the right side, and swings back over across the front. Bailing out to the short right of the green is safe; however, missing left can usher in a big number.
Magnolia is generally one of the toughest scoring par 4's on the property as it comes in as the 5th hardest hole in Masters history. After the modifications that took place last year, it ranked as the most difficult hole on the golf course. Masters Champion Tiger Woods made a bogey on this hole all four rounds of the 2019 Masters. He wasn't alone; no other hole on the course had more bogies during last year's tournament.
Masters Moment: Jack Nicklaus once eagled this hole twice in three days. You might think that was during his prime years, nope, it was 1995.
Hole #6 Juniper
Par 3
Tournament Tee: 180
Members Tee: 165
Hopefully, holes 4 and 5 didn't beat you up too badly because this 6th hole can be a scoring opportunity depending on the flag location. This par 3 once again sets up from an elevated tee box looking down to the green. While the green is relatively generous in size, it is split into sections, which dictate how aggressive one can be. For the final round in 2019, the pin sits on the top right side of the green, which has the smallest landing area. Adam Scott once said that trying to land the ball on the top right of 6 is like trying to land the ball on a hood of car. Players need to be careful when trying to find that plateau for coming up slightly short, or left, and the ball will be funneled away by the massive slope of the green. A shot that looked like it could have been within 15 feet could now be 50 feet away, leaving you a long uphill putt. When the pin is located on the front left of the green, players can use that slope to their advantage. On the occasion that the pin sits in the back left, players would do themselves good not to miss long. Aiming for the middle of the green on that day ensures an uphill putt. Distance isn't the problem here, it is just making sure you don't short side yourself or hit the wrong side of the three major ridges that come in to the play here.
Masters Moment: During his final round in Masters Competition, while Arnold Palmer was playing the 6th hole, Jack Nicklaus, a long time rival and friend, was on the 16th hole which runs adjacent to the 6th. Upon seeing Arnie, Jack shot him a thumbs up to show support for his friend during his 50th Masters Tournament.
So there are holes 4-5-6. We have two challenging holes and one that is pin dependent. How do you think you would play on these? What is your strategy? And how do you think you are feeling after this stretch?
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