‘The 17th Has No Right To Be In That Closing Stretch’ – My 1-18 Ranking Of The Holes At Augusta National (From Best To Worst)

Every golf fan loves The Masters and Augusta National, but, as with any layout, some holes are better than others. In life, there’s so such thing as perfection and that applies to arguably the finest golf course ever constructed.

When Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts co-founded Augusta National in 1932, even they couldn’t have expected a former nursery to become the world’s most sought-after course. Alister MacKenzie was the man employed to turn a vision into beautiful reality.

Most golf fans are intimately aware of all the holes at Augusta and have differing views on the strongest and weakest, although you’d expect there to be a good deal of overlap.

I haven’t played the golf course – unlike my colleague Dan Parker – but I was fortunate enough to cover The Masters in 2017, when Sergio Garcia reigned supreme. So, this list is based on my experiences then and decades of watching the drama unfold on television.

Those lucky enough to have played the course may feel certain holes are better to play than watch, but I’m unfortunately not in that select club. Away we go, from best to worst…

My favourite nine holes

12

How can there be any other answer here? It’s a magnificent short hole that constantly bamboozles the finest players in the world. Anything from a two to a seven is possible here and that’s why it’s such a compelling watch.

13

It’s hard to pick between the two back-nine par 5s, but the 13th just takes it for me, especially now it’s been lengthened. The tee shot is fun and there’s potential for eagles, triples and everything in between. Plus, when the flowers are in bloom, the backdrop is breathtaking.

15

My favourite shots to watch at The Masters are long-iron or fairway wood approaches into the 15th green. Will they make the carry? Will they be splayed out to the right, leaving a tricky up-and-down? Will they carry too much heat and threaten the water behind the green? Plus, it’s a beautiful golf hole.

11

I love seeing players appear at the top of the hill on the 11th hole, ready for arguably the most difficult shot on the golf course. If you bail out right, you’re left with a potentially disastrous chip shot over the bunker or back towards water; if you get too aggressive, the pond is very much in play. I also like watching players who have gone right off the tee punch a low one towards the putting surface.

9

I think the 9th is an underrated hole. There’s potential tree trouble left and right and the three-tier putting surface means approach shots are not easy, even if you’ve bombed one 330 yards down the middle. The front pin is treacherous and watching balls trickle off the green is sadistically pleasing.

2

The back-right Sunday pin is one of my favourites and there are so many different ways to play the hole. Some play short of the bunker on the right, while others pull the big stick to set up a mid-iron into the clover-shaped green. I’ll never forget watching Louis Oosthuizen’s albatross here in 2012.

7

I realise this is probably higher than most would have it, but I love the jeopardy on the tee shot. If you find the fairway, it’s a definite birdie chance, but if you miss left or right, a bogey then becomes more likely than a par. There are so many pin positions and you’re in so much trouble if you miss the green long.

16

I have some issues with the 16th – the fact the water isn’t really in play and the final-round pin position – but you can’t deny it’s a gorgeous golf hole that throws up plenty of drama. If only they put the Sunday pin on the back-right shelf…

10

Most of my colleagues feel this hole should be higher up the list, but I find the tee shot boring – it’s such a wide fairway and the vast majority of players hit it without too much trouble. Also, the bunker in the middle of the fairway serves no purpose – I’ve never seen anyone in it. But it’s long, sweeping and picturesque and the green complex is fun.

Quiz: can you name every multiple Masters winner?

The next nine (still very good!)

6

I really like the 6th hole, especially when the pin is on the back-right shelf – as it should always be for the final round. When I was on the ground at Augusta in 2017, I found myself spending plenty of time here, which says a lot.

3

The 3rd is the only par 4 at Augusta that measures less than 400 yards and players either choose to lay back or take the driver and push it up there, which is exciting to watch. The final-round pin position is arguably the best on the course, too – so much can go wrong if you take the pin on.

5

The 5th is a bit divisive, but I enjoy watching players negotiate holes where par is a good score. The bunkers down the left side must be avoided at all costs and that brings jeopardy. Even after a perfect drive, it’s still a mid- or long-iron to one of the more interesting greens on the course.

8

The 8th hole is a good par 5, but it’s the worst three-shotter on the course. Perhaps it’s because the second shots – which are hit blind up the hill to a green tucked slightly round the corner – aren’t thrilling to watch. The green complex isn’t one of the more exciting ones on the course, either.

18

I’m really not a huge fan of the 18th, but a lot of that is probably influenced by the final-round pin position (which should be at the back for me). It’s a fun driving hole, though, and much like the 7th, if you hit the fairway, it’s a good birdie chance; if you miss, bogey is more likely.

1

The 1st is a decent opening hole, but nothing more. It’s incredible how steeply uphill the drive plays, something you just don’t see on TV. There’s some jeopardy in the tee shot, with players sometimes finding trees on the right or the adjacent 9th fairway on the left, but from the ideal spot, it’s a short iron or wedge to a fairly nondescript green.

4

I don’t actually mind the 4th hole, but, like the 8th, it just happens to be the least impressive par 3 on the property. I’m not a huge fan of long short holes in general, but I do like the front-left and back-right pin positions.

14

The 14th is the only hole on the golf course without a bunker, and that’s perhaps the only thing noteworthy about it. The green is interesting, with a number of slopes and sections, but it’s a fairly bland hole that doesn’t live long in the memory.

17

I asked all my colleagues to list their favourite and least favorite holes at Augusta and virtually everyone put forward the 17th in the latter category. Quite simply, it’s not befitting of its position on the golf course and it doesn’t have any right to be in the closing stretch. Even though golf course aficionados will tell you it’s very different to the 14th, it really isn’t.