Which tees would you play at Augusta?

[Matthew Mollica]

Let's pretend you get a game at Augusta in the next fortnight. Would you play the course from the Masters tees or the Members tees? Why?

Matthew

[Dan Moore]

The ones that would enable me to at least think about going at 13 and 15 in two, otherwise are you really playing the course the way it is intended.  I think if you got those right the rest of the course set up would follow.  

[David Ober]

Let's pretend you get a game at Augusta in the next fortnight. Would you play the course from the Masters tees or the Members tees? Why?

Matthew

The Masters tees. Because without tournament pressure and rock hard greens, I could almost certainly keep it in the 70's from there and would actually have a reasonable chance of breaking par.

I've played exactly two 7400+ yard courses and have broken par once in three tries.

The conditions would matter more than anything. I have heard that the course is set up rather tamely for the members most of the year and that the green usually run at 10 to 11.

[Jim Nugent]

Masters tees.  No question.  

[Tom Ferrell]

I played the "old" Augusta in 2001.  Played the Masters tees then and would again.  The problem is that (unless this has changed, too), there are only two sets of tees - the Masters tees and the Members tees.  And ne'er the twain shall meet.  The Members tees roll up to about 6100 yards, and the character of the course is TREMENDOUSLY different.  Of course, if that's where the member wants to play from, that where you play.  The course really is - as this morning's play showed - all about the greens.

[cary lichtenstein]

I would play tees about 6650 yds if that were possible.

[Patrick_Mucci]

I would play tees about 6650 yds if that were possible.

It's not possible to play one set of tees to that length

As Tom Ferrell said, there are but two sets of tees.
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Tom Ferrell,

You didn't find the lies on the fairways challenging ?

The approaches to the par 3's challenging ?

The tee shots on # 7, # 9, # 11, # 13, # 18 challenging.

The approaches and recoveries to most greens challenging ?

Are you sure that there's not more to ANGC then the greens ?
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[Doug Siebert]

I'd play the Masters tees.  The length wouldn't be the problem for me, the holes that really require working the ball left off the tee in a controlled manner and the green complexes would be.  Playing it at 6100 yards would take a lot of the challenge out of driving the ball and probably take the driver out of my hands on a bunch of holes.  If I'm going to fantasize about playing ANGC I might as well fantasize that I'm playing the same course the pros do.

I expect that if I had a good caddie who could fill me about where I want to be and where I want to make sure to avoid on my tee shots and more importantly approaches I'd probably shoot about 8 or 10 strokes better.  If I'm just guessing out there and going by memory from watching it on TV I have a feeling I'd be three putting every other hole!  Unless ANGC has some REALLY good Strokesaver booklets for sale in the clubhouse

[Jason Topp]

A friend of mine played it from both a few years ago when it was wet.  He shot 76 from the short tees and then went to the back tees and shot 76 again - playing as well as he can.  He then thought he played just as well the next round from the back tees and shot 85.

[tonyt]

Without question, I would play from the members' tee. The chutes from the Masters tees would not add enjoyment to my game, and I'm not long enough to hit clubs into greens from the members' tee that would remove anything from the experience.

Plus, given that the members' tee will be closer to the previous green and it is already a tough walking course, that also tips my thinking.

[Andrew Summerell]

I would play it from the members tees. I have less interest in the tournament than most golfers (I said less interest, not no interest), so playing from the Master's tees wouldn't interest me.

The members tees would offer a reasonable challenge to my game & probably far greater enjoyment.

[Mike_Young]

I think you would need permission to play the Masters tees.  The few times I have been fortunate to play we were not allowed to go back.  And when caught were recommended we go to the tee markers for that day.

[redanman]

Wouldn't it depend on conditions?  Wet, who'd want to play almost 7500 yards except JES II, but I'd surely go back.  6100 yds especially if firm/fast would require a whole lot less.  Golfers being the masochists that they are in general usually opt for hard/long vs. easy/short.  

I have to wonder with all the Fronk-en-steenian changes fopr the Masters® tees, why no update for the members tees?  Maybe Mr Mucci can opine as he seems to get there the most of the regulars here.

Certainly, all but the shorter hitters would want to play the Masters® Tees, but I surely didn't like the length of the new chutes on TV, so I'd probably not care for them in person, they just are so artificial.  Can't say that I'd particularily endorse the "Extra Row of Trees"  on #1 and 15 and 17 either.

[Mike_Cirba]

And the correct answer is....ding ding ding..

Whichever set of tees my host would like to play.  

[tonyt]

I don't buy short = easy.

Pick every course you know that is 6200 yards. I'll bet between 95-99% of them won't have nuances and green complexes that are brilliantly crafted to defend a 6200 yard course in the 21st Century.

Augusta national is different. For some of you who choose the Masters tee, put away what should be inside your pants and take on this superb challenge like a real man.

[Glenn Spencer]

Would you take batting practice at Fenway from second base?
Would you serve to John McEnroe at Centre Court at Wimbledon from ten feet in from the baseline?
Would you have the Rose Bowl field shortened and the goalposts widened?
Would you want the goals at MSG widened so you could score?

The Masters Tees

Judging by the bill my grandfather has from his trip, I would turn down an invitation to play from 6100 yards, I would be miserable the whole time.

[Tom Ferrell]

Pat Mucci,

Absolutely - in fact, when I came back from AGNC after playing there, the thing I reported on most was that the course is much more challenging from tee to green than the TV coverage would lead you to believe.

In addition to the tee shots you mentioned, #5 is no picnic either.

My comment that it's "all about the greens" was an apparently clumsy way of saying that even from the much shorter Members tees you would have plenty of challenge, although the character of the test off the tee would change dramatically.

I assure you that each and every aspect of my game was challenged there, and that I savored those challenges.  And whoever says they are "sure they could break 80" because they've done it on 7,400-yard courses before, think again.

[Tom Huckaby]

Isn't this moot?

I thought they didn't LET guests play the Masters' tees.

In any case of course Cirba is correct - one plays the tees his host tells him to play.

But... well heck, does anyone ever go there and just play once?

If I had a choice, I'd like to play once from members' tees, once from Masters' tees - the former to be sociable and to play a course on which I might have a chance; the latter to try and emulate my heroes, and likely get fully-abused in the process.

TH

[Tim Pitner]

As a 8/9 handicap with above average but not tremendous length, neither set of tees would suit me very well.  Something in the 6500-7000 yard range would be much better.  I guess I'd just to have to "suffer" through it.

[tlavin]

I'd play whatever tees they'd let me, but I'd strongly lobby for the forward tees.  They probably call them the members tees.  I doubt that they call them the "ladies tees" as Tiger did when talking about playing the fourth hole up a little bit one day.  Last time I checked, Augusta was still male-only.  Not that there's anything wrong with that!

[Dale_McCallon]

Since some on the site have basically written Augusta off and call it no different than any other tour stop, I'm suprised we would even admit to wanting to play there.

[tlavin]

Since some on the site have basically written Augusta off and call it no different than any other tour stop, I'm suprised we would even admit to wanting to play there.

D.Mc:

To tell you the truth, I'd probably like to play just about any tour stop, but Augusta is obviously something a lot more special.  It ain't no Warwick Hills.  I am sure that knowledgeable people might properly carp about the architectural significance of the changes, but I'm not in that category.  I think I can appreciate good architecture, but I'm not smart enough to think that I could ever turn my nose up at any course that Mackenzie built, no matter what has been done to the original design.  

[Andrew Summerell]

So, all you guys who would feel 'hard done by' if you didn't play Augusta National from the Masters tees, would you also feel the same way is you didn't play TOC from the new Open Championship tees.

[tonyt]

Glenn Spencer, your post is just silly.

We are not asking you play Augusta from 50 yards after the fairway commences. We are asking you to play it from the tees. Which is their designated starting point. To dismiss the members' tees as some cop out is laughable. They are the tees from which you are more closely playing a Mackenzie/Jones collaborated course. Check out the multitude of threads about playing Nth Berwick or a host of other fine historical courses that just happen to be well under 6500 yards, in some cases shorter than Augusta. They are a wonderful experience for all who go there.


Tim Pitner,

If you get it out there and are off 8-9, the members' tees are ideal for you, and will present you with MORE than enough that you can handle. Despite eqiuipment changes, are you going to wipe the floor with the mediocre players whom have played the course at a length closer to these tees than the back ones, that have names like Sarazen, Nelson, Snead & Hogan?

What is it with you Americans and your ridiculous fascination with length that ignores clever green complexes with the ability to repel and exact a toll from those playing from 6200 yards? We get on this website and many knock some forms of frequent and perhaps misguided modernisation and we all talk about strategy, clever greens and nuances that fool the unthinking golfer instead of raw length. Then when it comes to the crunch, so many of you head back into the herd and follow the mantra of the unwashed masses.

I doubt I'd need my second hand of fingers to count the number of guys on this site who could rip this place a new butt from the members' tees.

[Tom Huckaby]

Tony:

Before you broad-brush all of us Americans too much, note:

If I'm a member there or a frequent guest, I happily play the 6200 tees every round.

If I'm a one-time guest, I still do what my host says... but if it's possible, I'd like a crack at the Masters' tees.

And if I played such, I'd fully expect to get my ass kicked up and down and sideways.  But I'd still want to do it, just to try and emulate my heroes.

I'm betting my take here is representative of most Americans, at least those on this site.