Countdown: My 16th Favorite Hole At Augusta National

Welcome

Countdown time! We’re just a few weeks away from the Masters so I’m doing a daily countdown of my favorite holes at Augusta National. Not a math guy but according to my calculations, we should wrap this thing up on the Friday of the tourney. Perfect timing.

18 holes. 18 days. Here’s my 16th favorite.

5th hole, 455 yards, par 4 — Magnolia

The 5th is another tough par 4 with two INSANELY deep fairway bunkers that must be avoided at all costs. Players can choose to play more aggressively up the right side, but this brings both the bunkers left and the tree line right into play.

The more common play is to be a bit more conservative, lay it up short, and face a longer, blinder shot into this tricked out green.

Here’s a look at the undulations on and around the green. This is the reason everybody who sees Augusta up close repeats the cliche: TV just doesn’t do its undulations justice.

There’s long been debate over whether or not a fairway bunker existed in the original design, as well as whether or not a pot bunker originally guarded the front of the green (hole is said to have been loosely modeled after the road hole at St. Andrews). There’s no evidence of a pot bunker, but there is of this badass MacKenzie fairway bunker that preceded today’s two deep ones.

In 1937, the green was reshaped and, in the mid-1950s, a bunker was added behind the green. In 2011, the tees were pushed way back, the old bunkers were filled in and the ones you see today were dug further up, requiring about a 315-yard carry.

Here’s a video game flyover of today’s version (RIPIP Tiger Woods EA Sports franchise).

This thing’s my 16th favorite not because I think it’s a bad hole, but because it’s just simply not one of my favorites. There are 15 others on property I like better, but it’s a good hole with options off the tee and true fascination on and around the green.

My 16th favorite hole at Augusta National = the 5th hole.