what would you do, if anything, to the AGNC if you were the tournament chairman?

[PThomas]

getting back to architecture ...

many on here have expressed their unhappiness with the recent changes in the past few years to the AGNC...the extra, extra length, the added trees, the rough.....

so presto, chango, you've just been made the tournament chairman....

how would you prepare the course for The Masters?

keep as is?

take out ALL of the recent changes from the last 3-5 years?

what ?

in your deliberations before setting the course up would you worry about the scores in relation to par?

not sure exactly how I would do it, but memories of Tiger hitting PW into 15 for his 2nd at 15 in 1997 - and remember everyone hits the ball much farther than they did then -  sure seem to call for some changes

I don't think the good Doctor envisioned people to be hitting wedges or even short irons into 15 for their seconds

does this mean that the AGNC would be obsolete for the tournament if it didn't make all of the changes....meaning that maybe the winner would be at least 20 under if things haven't been toughened up the way they have been

and not cheating:   you cannot demand that players use a modified ball for the tournament

[Andy Troeger]

Personally, and as TEPaul said on another thread, the last couple of Masters tournaments have had very compelling finishes and the course to me looked as good as ever. I know there has been a lot of ANGC bashing, but I'd say leave it as it was as of last year's majors. Having not seen how the new changes impact play I won't comment on them.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Paul,

I'd utilize horizontal elasticity in the maintainance of the golf course.

[Kyle Harris]

Let's re expose some of the old creek beds, like the one that should be in front of the 2nd green...

I'd like to know what happened to all the creeks on Mackenzie's routing plan in Shackelford's book.

[Garland Bayley]

They're good at planting trees there. I think they should create a few tree gates on some of the holes. How about just before the 16th green. Then all those years of practice rounds skipping it onto the green will pay off.

[Bill Gayne]

I love the look of the free form shape bunker on the tenth hole. Although there were fewer bunkers on the original I would try to recapture some of the look of the original Mackenzie bunkers.

Altering the bunkers wouldn't change the competitive balance of the tournament. The rest of the course I would pretty much leave as is.

[Dan King]

I'd first get rid of the rough and return it to the course it was about a decade or so ago.

Then I would try changing the scorecard to a par-68 for a few years with no other changes and see what happens. My bet is even with a 10-year-old setup you won't get anyone shooting 252.

Dan King

At Augusta I have a big advantage because I can carry all the hills and get an extra 20 or 30 yards roll. If things start to flow, I could be a runaway winner at the Masters.
 --Greg Norman, 1987

[Craig Sweet]

I'd paint large Rebel flags in the landing zones on every fairway.

I would also consider replacing those goofy flag stick flags with bright pink wicker baskets.

[Rick Shefchik]

I'd like to see Dan King's suggestion implemented first -- but if it doesn't work, and they do start shooting 252, then it's time for the same solution that protects the British Isles courses that inspired Mackenzie and Jones -- pot bunkers.

[Dave Bourgeois]

Dan King's suggestion seems very interesting, and would serve to "protect" par as well as keep the toonamint interesting.  

I can't help but wonder what the changes have meant to those that play the member tees.  Does anyone have an idea of how the angles and strategies are for regular play?

[Jason Topp]

I'd keep the added length but get rid of the rough and the new trees.  

I want the par fives to present difficult choices with respect to whether one should go for the green or lay up.  I don't want the 11th to be a 1/2 wedge shot into the green.

I would keep the new bunker locations but create a look that pays homage to Mackenzie.

[Steve_Lemmon]

just don't water the greens or landing areas on nos. 11,13, and 15.  

[Adam_F_Collins]

Leave eveything for now (because the old girl deserves a break) and slow the greens down to 8.

Let the melt-downs begin.

[JESII]

Dan King's suggestion seems very interesting, and would serve to "protect" par as well as keep the toonamint interesting.  

I can't help but wonder what the changes have meant to those that play the member tees.  Does anyone have an idea of how the angles and strategies are for regular play?

Admittedly I've not been there, but common sense would suggest that member play has been made easier by the changes implemented. A short cut of rough to stop balls from getting too far off-line as well as being pretty easy to play from would seem to make the course easier.

I guess the tree plantings must come into play for the members, does the increased challenge presented by the trees outweigh the decreased challeng provided in the buffer zone?

[JSlonis]

I'd send a Master's Invitation to myself!

After that...

I'd take out the first cut, a.k.a. "rough".

I'd cut down all the trees that have narrowed the playing corridors.

I'd leave the newly lengthened tees.  You don't HAVE to play them all the way back every day.

I'd reinstitute the previous policy of...If you win an event on the PGA Tour, you get an invite to the Master's.

[JESII]

For those that know both the course and MacKenzie's portfolio pretty well, is there any way or reason to think about converting the bukers to a form that gathers balls. It seems they are all built in a manner which deflects balls away from them, is that accurate? Does this make them generally easier to play from then today as the lip and face would probably be much lower than at present?

[jeffwarne]

Play it at 6900-7000 yards.

Use a Masters ball-circa 1985-1990 technology and spin rate.

challenge the USGA to wake up and follow suit.

In short be The Masters-lead, rather than following suit-no one else is.

[Lawrence Largent]

I would like to see the date changed till maybe June when they can actually have firm and fast conditions. They keep saying thats the reason for the changes so the course can play firm and fast to allow the players to play the course the way it was originally supposed too. I live in the south and early april is not the month to have firm and fast conditions.

Lawrence

[jeffwarne]

Lawrence,
uhmm,that rye might be a bit fried by June,to say nothing of the bent on the greens which might fare a bit better.
Going without overseeding would mean the course would look like shi$%# all winter for the membership which only comes in the winter.
to say nothing of missing the azaleas and other blooming flowers at the former nursery.
not gonna happen,and it has played firm and fast on many occasions