If you were King for a day...err I mean a year!!

[Kalen Braley]

I'm guessing this has been asked already, but what the heck its Augusta weekend and this board will soon be drowning in oodles of ANGC threads.

So if you were King for a year......at Augusta.....what specific changes would you make?  Its time to anty up and spell out what you would do in detail and why.

Would you restore the original green at 10?
Chop down some trees in specific locations?
Restore that neat looking "eye-candy" bunker on 14?
Revert 16 to the way it was?
Make any changes to 9 green?
Rebuild any of the bunkers?

[George Pazin]

First I'd grant myself and a few others on here lifetime memberships...

Mostly I'd get out the chainsaws and mowers.

[Kalen Braley]

First I'd grant myself and a few others on here lifetime memberships...

Ha ha...thanks George, nice point, but no threadjacks!!  Damnit this is serious business here.    

All kidding aside I do think its a legit question and would love for some folks to chime in on exactly what they thing Augusta needs to do to restore it to its former glory.  And if "spirited debate" ensues, all the better.

[Anthony Gray]

   Plan the Kalen/Garland grudge match.

  Make MOM the starter.

  Fly all the raters in for a week.

  Make Kavanaugh the Tournament chairman.

  Aren't you glad you asked Kalen?



  As for the course...I would leave it as it is.


  Anthony

[Dave_Miller]

I'm guessing this has been asked already, but what the heck its Augusta weekend and this board will soon be drowning in oodles of ANGC threads.

So if you were King for a year......at Augusta.....what specific changes would you make?  Its time to anty up and spell out what you would do in detail and why.

Would you restore the original green at 10?
Chop down some trees in specific locations?
Restore that neat looking "eye-candy" bunker on 14?
Revert 16 to the way it was?
Make any changes to 9 green?
Rebuild any of the bunkers?

Kalen:
First thing Iwould do is make the course Kalen friendly by removing all bunkers so the Sandman would have no issues getting around
On a more serious note I would revert 16 to the way it was and restore that bunker on 14.  Also might try to find a way to make Amen corner return to the excitement of yesteryear.  Although with the skill of today's players that might be wishful thinking.
Best
Dave

[Kalen Braley]

David,

Glad to see you getting the maximum value out of that joke.  Sorry I won't be at KP next week to entertain you further. 

As for Amen Corner...I think I would like a more raw look at what it was originally, than what it is now, but its hard to tell without seeing some more pics of it.

[Kirk Gill]

I agree, Kalen, although I'd extend that notion to the entire course. It is just too perfect looking, and in my mind it suffers for it. It looks........fake. You don't even have to back to the 30's to find pictures of a bit of a rough edge, here and there. Make the bunkers look like Mac's bunkers, and not like they're drawn by Peter Max.

As to effective changes for playability, I'll get back to you once I've played a few rounds there.

[John_Cullum]

I agree, Kalen, although I'd extend that notion to the entire course. It is just too perfect looking, and in my mind it suffers for it. It looks........fake. You don't even have to back to the 30's to find pictures of a bit of a rough edge, here and there. Make the bunkers look like Mac's bunkers, and not like they're drawn by Peter Max.

But that's the great thing about Augusta Nat'l. It looks unreal, but it's really there

[Patrick_Mucci_Jr]

If I were King for a year, I'd try my hardest to introduce a competition ball while at the same time restoring some of the golf course.

[Garland Bayley]

I'd drain that stinkin' swamp on 16, and perhaps a couple of others.

Also, what Mucci says.

[George Pazin]

Love the competition ball idea, wish I had thought of it myself.

I'd change the TV start time to 2:00. particularly on Friday. 4:00 is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too late, too many good stories are just completely missed.

[Kalen Braley]

Now that the Master is concluded, I've given it some thought.  A few specifics I would do

1)  Top priority is to get the chain saw going and do some tree cutting and trimming.  Most notably on 7 and 17.

2)  Restore the flow of water in front of 12 so it returns to something more closely resembling its creek origins.

3)  Ditto for the pond on 15.

4)  Completely redo the 16th pond and replace it with a meandering creek.

5)  Revisit Old Aerials and restore the bunkering to original as best as possible while getting rid of the Fazio "bathtubs".

[George Pazin]

I hate the added length to 18. Even when guys were hitting sand wedges in, the hole was no pushover, yet it still presented a chance for birdie. The punishing finish of 17 and 18 just seems so contrary to what the original goals were.

[JESII]

Tiger missed the 18th green with wedges on both Thursday and Friday and finished 20th or so in driving distance...

[Mike Wagner]

I would shorten #1, 3, 17, & 18.  Wouldn't have to be much, but..

#1 is too demanding of a start
#3 - bring back a classic short par 4 (more options)
#17 - too much emphasis on a perfect drive - Augusta is about the greens and precision approaches.
#18 - love to see more looks at birdie

Oh, and....after Sergio's comments, I would NOT invite him back!!!!

[mike_beene]

Shorten 1 and 7 and put the bunkerless green (based on TOC 18)back. Put the pond back in front of 6 and creek on 16,or at least change 16 green so it doesnt funnel down.Trees out on 11,but like them on 15.Get rid of rough.Ban word "patrons".