[V. Kmetz]

- Start Sunday's round 90 minutes earlier, so they could...
- Re-institute the ability to start sudden death playoffs starting at #10
- Change up the recent Sunday pins, specifically #15, 16 and 18
- Architecturally: Restore the green site of #7 closer to original design, eliminating all but the front center of the five (5) post 1937 bunkers.
- Maintenance: Thin out the recently planted trees between #15 and #17 to a select few
- Maintenance:  Remove the 25-30 trees planted on the right side of 11's drive zone, replace with 2.5" traditional rough
- Maintenance:  Institute a similar sideboard of traditional rough along the right side of #14 drive zone

I have no vested stake in Augusta being anything it doesn't want to be.  I actually think events of the last years...the ball controversy, Martha Burk, Tiger's scandal and his choice of The Masters as return are pointing to a visible day when ANGC stops holding the Masters.

As to my suggestions...the game and the aesthetics of ANGC's course presentation have changed so much that the original Mackenzie-Jones design-loss is a moot point.  These wishes are expressed to improve the tournament spectacle and alter the strategic opportunities for the great player. 

The Masters has gotten closer and closer to a US Open aesthetic and that's a diminishment in my opinion.  It should return closer to the risk-reward model, we experienced as spectators for the 25 years between 1972-1997.  I don't think it's impossible for the elite tour players to play well there, I merely believe that fewer players have the low Sunday scores available to them.

I'd love to know your thoughts

cheers

vk

[Jim Tang]

It is unfortunate that the powers that be at Augusta have become so obsessed with score, which is the only thing the USGA seems to think about when it comes to the U.S. Open.  Jack shot a final round 65 in 1986, with a back nine 30, and that tournament is widely regarded as one of the most dramatic tournaments ever.

Each of the majors has an identity; The Open is all about the weather conditions and links golf, The U.S. Open is all about par, The PGA offers the last chance to win a major for the year, and Augusta has, for a long time, been about low scores, birdies, drama on the back nine.  I think with Augusta's recent changes, much of that identify has been lost.

However, I can also understand the need to protect the course from technology and crazy low scores.  It is a tricky balance to strike.

I think Augusta got it right back when Phil won his first Masters.  The course was set up pretty tough earlier in the week, but on Sunday the course was set up where a guy who was playing well could make birdies and make a run.  I hope Augusta sticks with that model.  I don't want to see guys at Augusta grind it out on Sunday for pars.  That's called a U.S. Open.

[JMEvensky]

Invite more amateurs,at least both Walker Cup teams.

[jonathan_becker]

Invite more amateurs,at least both Walker Cup teams.

I've always been a fan of this.  In fact, weren't both teams invited back in the day? (I could be wrong)

Having both WC teams gives at least more of a chance of an amateur being in the hunt on Sunday, even though it's not very probable.

That's my dream scenario for viewing golf....an amateur in the last group of a major on sunday.

[V. Kmetz]

I like the idea of the Walker Cup players.

I just like the sheer exhibition of a wide-range of talents.  I'm not as vested in the human interest side of that story (young kid tackles pros at augusta) for many of these kids are just young pros in every sense of the word, except their age.

However, such an inclusion and competitive effort on an amateur's part might rekindle interest in amateur golf as an important aspect of elite competition.

cheers

vk

[Richard Choi]

No "second cut". Remove all new trees planted under Fazio's directions.

Those changes would be a great start.

[Matt_Ward]

 V. Kmetz:

Amen on your thoughts regarding pin placements -- can we POSSIBLY see another pin location at #16 besides the ALMOST TYPICAL AND PREDICTABLE far left side to benefit the collection area.

Ditto with #15 always being on the left side and with #18 generally being places in the front left side to allow for shots to gather back to it.

I won't reprint my other comments on the 2nd cut, tree infestation and the silly length additioins -- see #1 and #7, etc, etc.

There again -- I just did ...

[Matthew Petersen]

Move up the tee on 7 by about 100 yards. Which is to say, go back to the original tee. 

[JLahrman]

One of these years a playoff is going to go longer than two holes and they're going to wind up having to finish it on Monday.  It's a minor miracle that in this many years of sudden death (since the late 1970s?) they've never needed more than two holes.  Or maybe playoffs rarely go that long, I don't know.  But once will be too many as far as the Masters is concerned.

As far as the course goes, removing the rough would be my first priority.  Followed closely by thinning out the trees.

[Dan Herrmann]

Matthew - you beat me to it.  A shorter 7th would be great.

I'd lose all those trees on 15 they planted for Tiger.

Lose the rough, bring back the mounds.

Shorten #1 a bit.

Spend more TV time covering #5

Allow a bkmp shot, if for nothing else but to show how the course flows.  For example, until I visited Augusta, I never knew 6 and 16 were right next to each other.

Have the TV coverage show the joy of entering the grounds, the experience.  Show the big swag stores, the driving range (new this year), and the Master's museum.  The sandwich stops too.  I'd also like to see some video of the grounds crew working.

Allow Brad Faxon to be the first on-course reporter.

Show something that shows just how short Magnolia Lane really is.

I agree with the Walker Cuppers!  Bob Jones would agree too.

Send me a badge? 

[Kevin Lynch]

Amen on #7 to all those above.  When the fantasy hole draft was done a few months back, I asked if there could be modifiers, such as "Augusts'a 7th Hole BEFORE it was ruined."

I was a little heartened by last year's Sunday set-up.  It seemed like the committee set up the course to allow for dramatic charges, rather than a Immelman / Johnson Attrition Snoozer.  Was that a return to their senses or just a one day anomaly?  I guess we'll see in April.  All I know is that I used to treat Masters Sunday like a religious holiday, but the obsession over grinding pars in the prior 5 years significantly diminished the event's identity for me.  Brandel Chamblee's harsh criticism of the changes in this year's preview were dead-on.

It drove me nuts to hear defenses of the set-up, claiming older players hit longer irons into these greens "back in the day."  Well, if they'd been forced to do it onto rock-hard greens rolling at a 15 on the Stimp, we never would have heard of Gene Sarazen's "Shot Heard Round the World."  Under today's conditions, he'd be hitting 4 from the pond on 16. 

I'm also willing to bet Cliff Roberts would have fired somebody if a wedge hitting 1/3 onto 15 green ended up in Rae's Creek like they often do now.

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