So we hear many commentators, players and participants on this site lament the fact that there are no roars at Augusta and that there is a lot less "ebb and flow", just a "lot of ebb".
A glance at the scores would indicate they've simply brought the course back to historical norms and "shot values".
I wasn't around Augusta prior to to 1973, but in the 70's and 80's VERY few ever got near # 8 in two shots.(Bruce Devlin's 2 notwithstanding) By the late 90's early 2000's IRONS were regularly used there for the second shot.And the most consecutive run of sub 280 scores was in the 90's.
Aside from #7, where the demands and character of the hole have changed dramatically, I would say distancewise they've gotten it right. I heard several players lamenting having to hit long irons into par 4's.
I don't think Jack Nicklaus (one of the greatest long iron players in history and the greatest driver) was ever shocked when he had to hit a long iron into a par 4 (it just meant his contempoaries were hitting a wood
)
It's great to see a course restored to shot lengths and demands of years past without resorting to water, tall grass, and OB like so many modern courses.
The players are asked to play demanding shots and to miss it it properly yet are allowed to rear back and crush it without all the nonsense we see on so many modern venues.
Granted I could do without the round fake pine beds (what's up with that) around the
isolated pines, and I loved the old majestic look of the wide open spaces now littered with silly pines, and I'd prefer to see all fairway so the ball bounds into trees but those are small details not really affecting the player who is playing well, and not really entering the decision process.
These are simply aesthetics to me and will/are probably fade as fads dictate.
I just think people and player's memories of constant roars and eagles date mostly to the late 90's when the course was virtuallly the same length as it was in 1934 and equipment had rendered a course once considered quite long, very short.
Kudos to them for not jumping on the US Open tactic of six inch rough and eliminating reachable par fives and simply reducing par. The USGA seems more concerned with PROTECTING par then preserving original shot demands.
What's next? shortening driveable par 4's to par 3's.
The other thing with AGNC is they have realistically recognised that there's a more massive difference these days between pros and amateurs due to ability and equipment, and the tees reflect that.
Additionally, much of the members play occurs in fall (on newly overseeded), winter, and early spring conditions, where the course is soft and the air can be quite cold.
A 45-50 year old 5 handicapper playering the 1000 yard shorter member tees in January is probably playing similar length shots as a professional in the Masters from the back tees.
I for one thoughoughly love seeing the "risk" back in risk reward, but can't stand seeing the steady diet of water everywhere in the driving zone on a typical TPC/tour course.
Augusta is still a very wide course, and is not overly taxing for members-until they reach the greens.