Players light up when talking about Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters. It’s a spiritual setting that warms the heart and the singular tournament that stirs the senses. The explosion of colors, the anticipation of a Sunday charge. A 12th hole that basks in beauty while serving as a devilish conquest, a green jacket that triggers dreams and lives on forever.
The gathering every April among the Georgia pines is matchless, from the Augusta National Women’s Amateur to the Drive, Chip and Putt competition.
Ahead of this year’s 85th Masters Tournament, Golfweek surveyed 25 golfers, including 12 winners of the green jacket and 15 major champions in all, asking questions ranging from the food to the golf course to the experience.
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Today’s questions:
What is the one hole that got/gets the best of you?
“The one hole that jumps to mind is 16. I’ve seen everything there. I made a 1 in the final round in 2005 when I was playing in the second-to-last group, but when I had the lead coming down the stretch in 2008, I hit the worst shot of the week and hit it into the water and made double. And the 4th hole, for some reason, I just always find myself in between clubs and I dump it into the front bunker and it’s such a difficult up-and-down from there.” – 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman
“No. 5 is such a tough hole. Going into that green with a long club is so tough. It’s very, very difficult. Just getting it on the green in two for me is difficult.” – 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir
“Thirteen. I think that hole took me out of that tournament a lot. I could never hit that shot off the sidehill lie. I’d work on it and work on it and work on it and I just couldn’t get it down. Thirteen killed me.” – 1993 PGA champion Paul Azinger
“I think No. 4 is the most difficult hole. It’s better now since they took out some trees behind the green and moved the tee on the 5th hole. It’s less visually intimidating, but it’s still the hardest hole for me.” – Marc Leishman
“I truly believe the toughest hole for me now is now No. 5. I hit four great tee shots there last year and I had 4-iron into a green that I’ll say is very tricky. I had 5-iron a couple times, and one time I think I hit 7-iron once. That’s a long way into a par 4 into that type of a green.” – 2012 and 2014 Masters champion Bubba Watson
“No. 5. Although I did really well last year but still, such a tough hole.” – Kevin Na
“No. 17 was playing so long and my ball kept hitting the upslope. But really, there aren’t any bad holes out there.” – Abraham Ancer
“The fifth hole is such a tough hole, especially with the length it is now. I can hit a really good drive and be lucky to have a 5-iron into the green and that green is so difficult. And I feel like I’m hitting into the wind every time I play that hole.” – 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen
“I love all the holes.” – Cameron Champ
“That 5th hole. I’ve had my problems on that hole.” – Cameron Smith
“The 5th hole has always been my nemesis.” – Billy Horschel
“Right now it has to be 12. It bit a few of us in 2019. But, no, it’s a great golf course, so I don’t have anything bad to say about it.” – Tony Finau
“Thirteen has always been a challenge for me, the big swooping drive off the tee, the ball above your feet in the fairway. And 14 gets me too. If you go into the green with more than an 8-iron, it’s a nasty green to be so precise with.” – Matt Kuchar
What is the best advice you’ve received on how to play Augusta National during the Masters?
“Ben Crenshaw gave me the best advice. I got to play practice rounds with him and just watching the way he putted and the process he went through was really impressive. When I started picking his brain he told me that I tried to be so perfect with my putting stroke and it was tying you up. Stop trying to hit the ball on a perfect line. Instead of feeling like there is just one single line, think that there is more of a highway where you can run the ball down and still make it depending on the speed you use. Take a little more break, hit it a little softer, the ball will die toward the hole.” – 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman
“Jack Nicklaus telling me how some of the greens break and how the greens on 10 and 17 break differently that the other greens on the course.” – 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir
“That’s a hard one. Through the years you learn a lot. The first few years, maybe you played with a member, or a local caddie, and you learned from them as they tell you things. Now you’ve had enough time to learn on your own.” – 2000 Masters champion Vijay Singh
“I can’t remember the people that have given me advice. As a younger player, I probably didn’t rely on a lot of advice. But I’ve played there so many times I’ve figured it out myself. But you have to keep the ball below the hole, if at all possible.” – 1985 and 1993 Masters champion Bernhard Langer
“All the locals would tell you to keep the ball below the hole as much as you can. You don’t necessarily have to be on the green. And I made my own decision as far as the blade shot. The belly wedge. I think it’s an awesome shot to have, especially with the sticky fringes. Like on 18, if you’ve gone 5 yards over the green. The guys try to chip it and either it sticks or it goes 15 feet past the hole, or they try and putt it and they don’t hit it hard enough. The belly wedge works very smoothly. I get the ball rolling well and you can control it quite well. I’ve used it on nine, on two. I think it’s an awesome shot to have. I told Rory McIlroy when we played last year my little 5 pence worth of evidence is to look at the belly wedge a lot more around the greens.” – 1988 Masters champion Sandy Lyle
“Play to win. Don’t play too conservatively. (Former club pro) Pete Coe told me that. I played it pretty defensively because there are so many bad spots and he told me to go there and play to win and nearly won in 2013. So thanks, Pete.” – Marc Leishman
“I don’t like to ask many questions, so, that being said, I just watch to try and learn. I’ve watched what Tiger has done, what Jordan Spieth has done, Dustin Johnson. And I know you just have to try and avoid three-putts.” – 2012 and 2014 Masters champion Bubba Watson
“That’s a good question. There is so much to learn there. I’ve had a bunch of different people tell me a lot of things.” – Kevin Na
“I got a lot of advice from a lot of people, but I got a lot of advice from the caddies there the first time I ever played there. Got some great insight from them. They know what they are talking about.” – Abraham Ancer
“I played with Trevor Immelman and he told me to listen to what everyone says and thinks but find a way you like to play the golf course and how your eye sees it. Feel the golf course out, especially off the tees.” – 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen
“I forgot who it was, but they told me that the Masters is a big deal, it’s going to be your first Masters, but that at the end of the day, don’t overthink everything. Don’t play away from flags if you have confidence in your game. Just don’t let the fact it’s the Masters get into your head.” – Matthew Wolff
“Enjoy yourself. A lot of players have told me. It was like a dream playing my first Masters and I enjoyed it.” – Cameron Champ
“My caddie told me no matter what, the wind is the same on 10, 11 and 12. You think that it changes up but with all the angles and stuff it doesn’t change. It sort of plays on your mind. But that’s how we played those holes.” – Cameron Smith
“I’ve never asked for advice. But I’ve learned how crucial iron play is there. To be able to work the ball the way you need to. How you have to hit the ball to the proper parts of the green, because you can hit 16 greens in regulation and have five three-putts.” – Billy Horschel
“Keep the ball below the hole. I got that from an Augusta caddie the first time I ever played there. He kept repeating it and showing me why. Great advice.” – Tony Finau
“My golf coach at Georgia Tech, Bruce Heppler, told me to go in there with no great expectations and just enjoy it and have fun.” – Matt Kuchar