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Augusta National - A Retro Photo Tour

Started by GoHogs1091, March 19, 2018, 08:17:59 pm

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GoHogs1091

The annual pilgrimage to Augusta, Georgia of pro golfers in search of a green blazer is approaching.  Here is a retro photo tour of the Alister MacKenzie (upgrades by Perry Maxwell) design.  Some of these pictures I have seen before, but there are several I have not seen before.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?topic=61416.0

Keep in mind that the hole numbering in the individual hole sketches (with descriptions) in the above link are different than the current hole numbering because the Club decided years ago to flip the 9's.

I am a proponent that the 9's should be flipped back.  The course (and the tournament) would be better if the opening hole again was the current Hole 10.  Current Hole 9 is a better hole than current Hole 18 (current Hole 18 is a real snoozefest during the tournament), and current Hole 9 would be a better closing hole.  Also, it would be exciting for the tournament if the current Par 5 8th Hole was the Hole 17.  Having a Par 5 on the next-to-last hole would create a good scoring opportunity and it would create excitement.

Current Hole 11, Hole 12, and Hole 13 get all of the publicity, but the holes that really form the perceived quality of the course are current Hole 3, Hole 9, Hole 10, and Hole 15.  Those lesser publicized 4 holes are really the backbone of the course.

Something really needs to be done about the green on current Hole 16.  Also, regarding another green, Bernhard Langer is not a fan of the green on current Hole 14.  Supposedly, Langer brought that up one time during a Champions Dinner, and supposedly Billy Payne abruptly adjourned the dinner.

Here is video from a drone that someone sent in.  The Club may not be too happy that someone sent in a drone.  As can be seen after the drone gets past the Magnolia driveway and the clubhouse, the Club tinkers with the course during the offseason.



I have become rather melancholy regarding the tournament.  It has gotten to the point that the main things I like to watch during the tournament is the action on the green on the current Hole 3, the action on the green on the current Hole 7, the action on the green on the current Hole 9, and the action on the green on the current Hole 10.  A lot of times, whoever wins did reasonably well over the entire tournament on the green on those 4 holes.

Jackrabbit Hog

Quote from: JIMMY BOARFFETT on June 29, 2018, 03:47:07 pm
I'm sure it's nothing that a $500 retainer can't fix.  Contact JackRabbit Hog for payment instructions.

 

EastexHawg

There aren't enough legitimate pin placements on #16 green.  The front right is probably the worst because the target is so small.  If you don't land the ball in a 10x10 foot circle (and that may be generous) it rolls all the way to the bottom of the hill, or if you miss it right you are facing a shot that if slightly misplayed either leaves you with another treacherous downhill shot...or rolls all the way to the bottom of the hill.

When the pin is back left it becomes a hole in one watch party.  I'm surprised there aren't more.

Dillar Dog

That and Langer doesn't like it.  That's the real problem here.

GoHogs1091

Quote from: EastexHawg on March 20, 2018, 09:58:43 am
There aren't enough legitimate pin placements on #16 green.  The front right is probably the worst because the target is so small.  If you don't land the ball in a 10x10 foot circle (and that may be generous) it rolls all the way to the bottom of the hill, or if you miss it right you are facing a shot that if slightly misplayed either leaves you with another treacherous downhill shot...or rolls all the way to the bottom of the hill.

When the pin is back left it becomes a hole in one watch party.  I'm surprised there aren't more.

The green on current Hole 16 is a quirky green.  That green needs to be redesigned.

It is understandable that the Club re-did Hole 16 in 1947.  Until they re-did Hole 16, all of their Par 3s were downhill holes.  Hole 16 became slightly up-hill after the 1947 change.  Before they re-did Hole 16 in 1947, it was viewed as the weakest hole on the entire course. 

Frankly, the pond on Hole 16 is really an unnecessary element.  It may be that the Club wanted water on at least two of their Par 3s.  There is just too much water on their present Back 9.  Hole 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16 have water.  It is kind of a quasi-Doral Blue Course aspect.

It could be argued that Augusta National's current Front 9 is better than their current Back 9. 

Regarding past changes, the following is perhaps one of the most definitive works regarding changes at Augusta National.

http://golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/wexler-daniel-augusta/

Regarding future changes, it looks like there are some Pros who are not happy with a possible lengthening of current Hole 5.  From the following link.

Jordan Spieth believes the proposed changes would force driver into players' hands on what he described as a "3-wood hole" given the pitch of the fairway, and added that firm and fast conditions could potentially push a longer fifth hole to the brink of playability.

"It would make an already very difficult hole even harder," Spieth said. "If the greens are firm and fast, then it's a pretty dicey hole given how severe that green is. But when you can still land a mid-iron on and stop it on the back of that green, then it makes sense. So I think they'd probably do a mix of the tees."

While former champs Mickelson and Spieth welcome the promise of a more difficult Masters test, Graeme McDowell simply shook his head and grinned before explaining that his love of Augusta National remains unrequited after nine career Masters appearances.

"That green, it's just not a 5-iron green. I'm sort of hitting between 5- and 7-iron into there as it is," McDowell said. "It's a tough golf course, and (No.) 5 is one of the toughest holes on the course. Certainly doesn't need any lengthening for my money."


https://www.golfchannel.com/article/golf-central-blog/opinions-split-lengthening-no-5-augusta/?cid=rr_editorial_p4

Quote from: Dillar Dog on March 20, 2018, 12:29:31 pm
That and Langer doesn't like it.  That's the real problem here.

Langer is not a fan of the green on Hole 14, but I don't know for sure what his main complaint is regarding that green.  It may be that he feels the green is too severe for the required approach shot.

Regarding Langer bringing up the Hole 14 green at a Champions Dinner and Billy Payne abruptly adjourning the dinner, what I read about it is that it all occurred at the end of the dinner.

onebadrubi

Quote from: Dillar Dog on March 20, 2018, 12:29:31 pm
That and Langer doesn't like it.  That's the real problem here.

Dude forgets the tournament is 4 days too.

Dillar Dog

Quote from: onebadrubi on March 21, 2018, 05:42:14 pm
Dude forgets the tournament is 4 days too.

Doesn't really matter.  He's the show and everyone from top to bottom at Augusta know it.

Iwastherein1969

Speaking of Augusta 2018, this grandest of all tournaments is going to provide Rory with his career Grand Slam. Yes, Rory is donned with the most desired jacket in sports at around 6:45 pm EDT on April, 8th, 2018. Let the celebration begin now. It's in the bag. Oh, and for you Eldrick lovers, he will challenge, but finish a respectable top 10. Only Nicklaus can pull off these types of miracles in his middle age at Augusta National. I cannot wait.
The long Grey line will never fail our country.

GoHogs1091

On another board, posters are posting what changes they feel should be done to the ANGC course. 

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/1615924-angc-course-changes/

Some of those posts have quite extensive changes.  Here is what I feel should be done, which is making changes on only 4 individual holes.

Current Hole 7   Shorten the hole back to around 380 to 390 yards.

Current Hole 11   Remove the trees over on the right side of the fairway; trees that were added in the early 2000s when the Club was trying to "proof" their course for 1 player (Tiger Woods)

Current Hole 16   Remove the pond, and redesign the green (primarily so that there can be more available pin positions).

Current Hole 18   Restore Perry Maxwell's green that he designed in 1938.  The Club defaced/vandalized Maxwell's 18th Hole green in the summer of 1947 just because Ben Hogan 3-putted it during the final round in 1947.

Flip the Front 9 and the Back 9 back to the way they were at the beginning.  The Club flipped them in 1934.   

GolfNut57

Quote from: GoHogs1091 on April 04, 2018, 10:21:41 pm
On another board, posters are posting what changes they feel should be done to the ANGC course. 

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/1615924-angc-course-changes/

Some of those posts have quite extensive changes.  Here is what I feel should be done, which is making changes on only 4 individual holes.

Current Hole 7   Shorten the hole back to around 380 to 390 yards.

Current Hole 11   Remove the trees over on the right side of the fairway; trees that were added in the early 2000s when the Club was trying to "proof" their course for 1 player (Tiger Woods)

Current Hole 16   Remove the pond, and redesign the green (primarily so that there can be more available pin positions).

Current Hole 18   Restore Perry Maxwell's green that he designed in 1938.  The Club defaced/vandalized Maxwell's 18th Hole green in the summer of 1947 just because Ben Hogan 3-putted it during the final round in 1947.

Flip the Front 9 and the Back 9 back to the way they were at the beginning.  The Club flipped them in 1934.

bwahhahahahaha......
"Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening – and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented." Arnold Palmer.

GoHogs1091

Quote from: GolfNut57 on April 04, 2018, 10:59:33 pm
bwahhahahahaha......

It is true.

From a ANGC hole-by-hole history done by the same person who posted the retro photo tour I linked in the OP.

1938 - 425 yards - Like he did on the nearby 9th, Maxwell eliminated the long front tongue on the 18th green after the '37 Masters.  MacKenzie's cross bunker remains a mystery.  About 100 yards short of the green, it was too far off the tee to be a problem on drives but too far from the green to interfere with approaches.  The bunker remained until 1956.

1947 - 425 yards - Standing on an "amphitheater mound" by the 18th at the '46 Masters, Jones watched Hogan 3-putt from 12 feet to lose by one.  He said to Trent Jones "That's not fair.  We've got to change that."  Trent recontoured the green that summer.  Recalling the putt years later, Hogan said, "The greens were so slick you could almost hear them crackle, which I liked."


http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,51383.msg1183418.html#msg1183418

Dillar Dog

I love that he thinks golfnut didn't believe him.

He was laughing at you.  Just you.  Nothing else.

GolfNut57

Quote from: Dillar Dog on April 05, 2018, 07:37:58 am
I love that he thinks golfnut didn't believe him.

He was laughing at you.  Just you.  Nothing else.

Correct. I was laughing at the thought that the guy thinks it was a vandalizing/defacing of the 18th green simply because the PTB at Augusta changed the contours of that putting surface.

Obviously had they changed any other green that wasn't done by his hero Maxwell then that was just fine. But since it was his idol then obviously it was sheer vandalizing of a masterpiece.

To quote Mayor Vaughn in the original Jaws. "Brody? Sick vandalism! I want those little green changing bastids caught and hung up by their Buster Browns!"

Ok, so I tweaked it a little bit.  ;)
"Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening – and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented." Arnold Palmer.