Augusta #10: What role does the bunker play?

[TEPaul]

"You gain an increased level of appreciation for shots that you saw on TV, because in person you realize how much more difficult they are."

Pat:

Interesting you say that. Of course, I couldn't tell because although I've been watching the Masters for decades I've never personally laid eyes on ANGC. But about ten and more years ago I used to butt heads every year in our club championship with a young guy whose Dad belonged to ANGC and he'd been down playing it not that long before we butted heads again in our club championship and I was asking him what it was like being there in person and playing it vs just looking at it on TV in the Masters.

He said the same thing you did about being at first surprised by how hilly it is in person compared to TV and he also said it's a lot more open in person than it looks on TV.

But unlike what you just said there he said it's not hard at all, in his opinion---at least not like some apparently expect. He played it about four times that time he went down there just before we butted heads again in our club championship and he said he was right around par for all four rounds.

What he did say though, is the way it's normally set-up compared to the way it's set up for the Masters is like night and day.

I guess that was proof-positive of the power and extent of my "Ideal Maintenance Meld" idea even years before I came up with the name of that concept!  

[Patrick_Mucci]

TEPaul,

One would have to know if he played the Members tees or the Masters tees, as there is a difference.  One would also have to know the time of year that he played.  The closer one can come to Masters week, the better.

I never said that the course was hard.
I said that # 10 was hard, as is # 11.

After my first time playing the golf course, I indicated that some holes I thought would be easy, based on TV viewing, were harder then I thought and that some holes that I thought would be hard, were easier.

But, the golf course was far from Master's week conditioning.

# 9, # 10 and # 11 were three hard holes in a row for me, with extremely demanding approach shots, mostly from awkward lies.  Walking away from that stretch, even par, should result on picking up a shot or two on the field.

I think the new TV policy of showing the entire 18 holes provides a terrific opportunity to see an interesting set of holes.

I think # 5 has become more difficult.
# 3 is a really neat, short par 4 that can cause trouble, and
# 6 with the WIND up can be treacherous.

But, what I'd really like to see.

The "Masters" competition ball.