Number 12 at Augusta National

[Tony Weiler]

Watching the Masters on the computer I am seeing a lot of the best in the world struggle at this hole.  I've always thought the difficulty with this hole had a lot to do with judging the winds in that part of the course, and therefore picking the right club.  Today, however, looks about as calm as can be.  What is it about this hole, architecturally, that gives the best players in the world so many fits?  Today, it is playing 155 yards to the lole. 

[Brent Hutto]

I've never played it but small target, severe trouble not far from the hole in certain spots, possibly wind and of course most players today are actually trying to get a birdie and not just playing for par. On a one-shot hole that's a recipe for difficulty even at 150-odd yards.

[Mike Hendren]

It is diffidult to appreciate exactly how shallow this green is and how sharply it is angled from the tee.  Like throwing a BB at a hot dog.

Mike

[Matthew Sander]

Bogey beat me to it, but he's right. A shallow green set at an angle to the line of play will get them every time...

[Ronald Montesano]

Shallow and slightly pinched in the middle by bunkers, correct?

[Matthew Petersen]

I always wonder the same thing. I watched one player today (I want to say it was Hansen) dunk his ball in the creek and the ball barely even made the creek! There isn't a hole on tour where a pro would leave a 155 yard shot 20 yards short. So was there a gust of wind? or was he afraid of wind? A terrible mishit?

[Garland Bayley]

It afflicts the right-handed players. They come out of the shot early, they are short right, where the green is farther away, thereby making the shot look even worse than it was. They stay with the ball too long the ball goes long left, which again looks like a worse shot than it was, because the green there is closer.

The lefties get a pass here for these bad shots, but then are afflicted at the 16th.

[William_G]

Green is shaped like a peanut.

According to the Master's yardage guide, it's 16 yards deep on the left and 14 yards deep on the right. Behind the bunker it's about 6 yards deep in the middle of the peanut.

The front right edge is 12 yards further away than the left, about a 45 degree angle.

The wind is very hard to judge as it swirls around the bottom of the valley, not like Bandon where it blows pretty consistently.

Thanks.

[David_Tepper]

I have never been to AGNC and have not seen all the holes there. I have wondered for some time if #12 is the one hole that does not "fit in" with the rest of the course. It appears to have the smallest, flattest green on the course by far and offers no real place to miss, as most of the other holes seem to.

Personally, I don't really care if one or two holes on any course do not "fit" with the rest of the course, as long as they are good holes, which #12 at AGNC clearly is.


 

[Kalen Braley]

I have never been to AGNC and have not seen all the holes there. I have wondered for some time if #12 is the one hole that does not "fit in" with the rest of the course. It appears to have the smallest, flattest green on the course by far and offers no real place to miss, as most of the other holes seem to.

Personally, I don't really care if one or two holes on any course do not "fit" with the rest of the course, as long as they are good holes, which #12 at AGNC clearly is.


 

David,

Interestingly enough, with the exception of #16, #12 is probably the most different from its original form.

I get that its a butt puckering hole, and I get that its "pretty".  But outside of that I've always wondered why such a penal hole is so popular, especially given that as you mentioned it seems so out of place with the rest of the holes on the property.

[Matt Kardash]

What I find funny is that people will say the 17th at TPC Sawgrass is a bad penal golf hole but will then say how great a hole this is. While I like the 12th at Augusta, I also acknowledge that it is way more difficult and penal.

[Chip Gaskins]

Not only is it simply a hard shot, it is also you can't breath or see straight once you put the ball on the tee there.

[William_G]

Not only is it simply a hard shot, it is also you can't breath or see straight once you put the ball on the tee there.

I would love to put a ball on a tee there, 

[J_ Crisham]

Somewhat similar to the green on 17 at Pebble shapewise/sizewise. Very small target indeed .The miss long may be even worse- I can recall a few years ago Norman having a lost ball that most  probably imbedded in the pine straw behind the greeen. I have sat here on 4 occasions and the different flighting the players use is interesting. As I recall the low ball players seemed to fare better as they just threw darts into the green. The high ball hitters seemed to get hit with gusts of wind that left balls in the front bunker or worse. Very pivotal hole on golf's grandest stage.
                                                                        Jack                                                                                               

[mike_beene]

clowns mouth,pinball,worst hole on course.

[Patrick_Mucci]

While Mike Hendren is correct, he's only partially correct.

One of the other factors making the hole challenging is the lack of visibility of the putting surface.

While you can see the flag stick and the features fronting and behind the green, you don't get a great view of the green itself, increasing the uncertainty.

[Mike Hendren]

Patrick, coming from you that's HUGE praise indeed!  Perhaps we underestimate how much raising the green above the flood level increased the hole's difficulty and not merely by the elimination of the sand bar bunker stretching all the way across the front of the green.

Kalen makes an interesting point I've never considered:  Lost in the hole's uniqueness and perhaps greatness is the fact that it indeed an architectural aberation compared to the balance of the golf course.  Good observation, Kalen.

Mike

[David_Tepper]

Michael Hendren -

I thought I was the one who first pointed out #12 did not "fit in" with the rest of the course!

DT

[Kalen Braley]

Michael Hendren -

I thought I was the one who first pointed out #12 did not "fit in" with the rest of the course!

DT

Curses, just when I thought I was going to have my moment of glory....

...David comes along and correctly puts thing straight!  Till next time!   

[Tim Martin]

Somewhat similar to the green on 17 at Pebble shapewise/sizewise. Very small target indeed .The miss long may be even worse- I can recall a few years ago Norman having a lost ball that most  probably imbedded in the pine straw behind the greeen. I have sat here on 4 occasions and the different flighting the players use is interesting. As I recall the low ball players seemed to fare better as they just threw darts into the green. The high ball hitters seemed to get hit with gusts of wind that left balls in the front bunker or worse. Very pivotal hole on golf's grandest stage.
                                                                        Jack                                                                                               

The same shot you describe Norman hitting got Graeme McDowell today resulting in a  triple bogey 6.

[MikeJones]

Golden Bell is the ultimate golf mind f***

The players can't trust the wind they feel as it swirls around thus causing them to second guess and twitch on the shot causing all kind of bad strikes and pulls that normally wouldn't happen.

[David Camponi]

I have never been to AGNC and have not seen all the holes there. I have wondered for some time if #12 is the one hole that does not "fit in" with the rest of the course. It appears to have the smallest, flattest green on the course by far and offers no real place to miss, as most of the other holes seem to.

Personally, I don't really care if one or two holes on any course do not "fit" with the rest of the course, as long as they are good holes, which #12 at AGNC clearly is.


 

David,

Interestingly enough, with the exception of #16, #12 is probably the most different from its original form.

I get that its a butt puckering hole, and I get that its "pretty".  But outside of that I've always wondered why such a penal hole is so popular, especially given that as you mentioned it seems so out of place with the rest of the holes on the property.

What else do you want in a par 3? #12 at ANGC is as good as it gets.

[Philippe Binette]

left to right angle on a short iron shot...

if the green was a right to left angle, the hole would be easier... players would aim for the middle-right side (shorter), if they pulled it, it goes 5 yards longer and 10 yards left, still on the green... if you pushed it, short right, it's still dry

but with a left to right angle...
if you aim middle-left (shorter) and pull it, it's long and left it the bunker or swale
if you aim middle-left (shorter) and push it, it's short and wet

an angle across the natural ball spread, (which is short right and long left) is always hard

[jeffwarne]

What I find funny is that people will say the 17th at TPC Sawgrass is a bad penal golf hole but will then say how great a hole this is. While I like the 12th at Augusta, I also acknowledge that it is way more difficult and penal.

I'm pretty sure I saw a couple guys chip to #12 at ANGC today.
haven't seen that at TPC Sawgrass 17...........

[Jeff_Brauer]

http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/articles/the-unique-challenges-of-augusta-national,19953/

The Onion's take on the challenges of ANGC.