10 Round Test Updated: I have not played Augusta National but...

[Mike Sweeney]

I have not played Augusta National Golf Club !!?? It's okay, I am doing okay

I had a conversation today with a friend that just recently played ANGC.  He belongs to a "fancy course" and when I asked him the old cliche, "How would you spilt 10 rounds between "Your Fancy Course", Pine Valley (a mutual favorite) and Augusta National, he literally could not answer.

Let's declare this the "PM Era" (post-Mucci). You are allowed to have an opinion about a golf course that you have not played and have only seen in person OR on TV.

I persoanlly have 3 golf courses that are my "risk the marriage" courses. They are:

• Pine Valley Golf Club
• National Golf Links of America
• Cypress Point Club

There are a couple of courses missing such as Sand Hills, Merion, Shinnecock, Yale, Pebble Beach, Fishers, and Newport. They are either "second tier" or I could not afford divorce:

My individual splits in the "PM Era" are:

• PV 6 vs Augusta 4
• NGLA 8 vs Augusta 2
• CPC 7 vs Augusta 3

Collectively, the split is:

NGLA 4, PV 3, CPC 2, ANGC 1 - I am actually surprised that I wrote this as I have completely enjoyed the first two days of The Masters.

Thoughts?

[JESII]

Augusta, CPC and St Andrews are the short list for me.


ANGC 6 - CPC 4
ANGC 5 - St Andrews 5
St Andrews 8 - CPC 2


I know speed kills...but I just love that these guys have to work really hard to avoid places that are absolutely dead in this tournament.

[Bill_McBride]

Jim, St Andrews is not 8/2 vs CPC for me.  I've played both and it's 5/5.  Cypress Point is an incredible experience but St Andrews is the Old Course, the Auld Grey Toon, a total immersion experience.


And Sweeney, I couldn't afford a divorce for playing Montauk Dunes!

[JESII]

Bill,


I haven't played any. I was taking Mikes question to be our perceived split among the ones we haven't played. Are you saying the St Andrews immersion experience takes three rounds away from it? Or just that golf course to golf course you'd split them even?


Also, forgot my collective 10 round split would be
St Andrews - 4
ANGC - 3
CPC - 3

[Bill_McBride]

Bill,


I haven't played any. I was taking Mikes question to be our perceived split among the ones we haven't played. Are you saying the St Andrews immersion experience takes three rounds away from it? Or just that golf course to golf course you'd split them even?


Also, forgot my collective 10 round split would be
St Andrews - 4
ANGC - 3
CPC - 3

Yes but....I give CPC a little edge but I'd rather be in Scotland

[Mike Sweeney]

Augusta, CPC and St Andrews are the short list for me.

Wow, I forgot Royal Melbourne on my list. Never played it and there is no way it is as good as I have built it up in my mind, but there is obviously a subtle MacKenzie bias in that opening post.

[Ben Sims]

I turned to my wife after my 20th hour of watching golf over the past couple days and said, "remember 6-8 years ago when I said I would rather play twenty other courses ahead of Augusta? That was stupid."

[Jim Sherma]

I turned to my wife after my 20th hour of watching golf over the past couple days and said, "remember 6-8 years ago when I said I would rather play twenty other courses ahead of Augusta? That was stupid."

I have had the same thoughts these past two days. While I've been fortunate to play some of the greats and there are many courses on the wish list, the intamacy we all have with ANGC has it on the top of any list I have. Intellectually I may convince myself otherwise, but a weekend of 54 or 72 holes trying to play the shots I've watched for 40 years would be unlikely to be topped.

[Sean_A]

I haven't played any of the courses mentioned, but for me, sitting in front the screen right now

Augusta  6  CPC  4

Augusta  6  National  4

Augusta  7  PV  3

Augusta  7  RM  3

All five courses are top 8 in my dream bucket list, but Augusta is the one course where I would move heaven and earth to be on the tee in two days if invited.

Ciao

[Jerry Kluger]

I think a relevant factor is whether you have been to the Masters as no matter how good the cameras and TVs are you cannot appreciate the course without seeing it in person. I don't know if seeing it violates the premise of this thread so I won't give my selections but it certainly is right up there at the top of my list. BTW: I also think using divorce as a basic element of the test is perhaps not a proper standard since there are good marriages and bad ones where divorce is well worth it - take it from a guy who has been through it.

[Ian Andrew]

I doubt you'd feel the same way after playing the course.
Even on a below average ball striking day you can still continue to have fun - very much like NLGA.
... or the Old Course for that matter.


You can't say that about courses like Pine Valley.

[Jason Thurman]

This thread is sort of like reading how people would split ten lottery wins if they could choose between Powerball and Mega Millions.

[Mark McKeever]

Jimmy Dunne problems...

[MClutterbuck]

ANGC 8 - CPC 2 but ANGC 50 - CPC 50.


There is a lot more to learn/master at ANGC than at CPC even before considering pin positions.


I would also argue there is more variation of strategy from pin position at ANGC, but I accept this might be misconception due to my limited play at CPC.


Once you get your 8-10 rounds at ANGC I would be fine splitting them evenly.


 

[cary lichtenstein]

I have played Augusta twice and it plays differently during the tournament because of the increased green speeds.

[John Sabino]

Great question, Mike.


Given where I am lucky to live Pine Valley, National, Merion, Maidstone, Somerset Hills can be comfortably played and I can still be back in time for dinner, so no risk of divorce. Mine would be those where I have to get on a plane, take a few days off and spend some money, thus Morfontaine, Loch Lomond, and Cypress Point would trigger the visit to the lawyer.


Not to be an ass (which I am), but having played Augusta under perfect conditions the day before the Masters with two former champions with the Azaleas in bloom I am (probably) the only golfer in the US that doesn't want to play the course again. Nothing can top what happened to me and any experience outside attending the Masters couldn't compare.


In terms of your rating system I would do Cypress 6, Morfontaine 3 and Loch Lomond 2.

[George Pazin]

This thread is sort of like reading how people would split ten lottery wins if they could choose between Powerball and Mega Millions.

Powerball 10-0. Of course, I haven't played Mega Millions, so that probably renders my opinion moot.


ANGC gets treated harder than it deserves on here (golfclubatlas). Seems like it has everything I could ever envision as ideal, whether it's the most exclusive club in the world or not is not even relevant. Of course, I'd want to sneak into the maintenance shed and mow the second cut - do they keep that for member play?


First world problems...

[MClutterbuck]

This thread is sort of like reading how people would split ten lottery wins if they could choose between Powerball and Mega Millions.

Powerball 10-0. Of course, I haven't played Mega Millions, so that probably renders my opinion moot.


ANGC gets treated harder than it deserves on here (golfclubatlas). Seems like it has everything I could ever envision as ideal, whether it's the most exclusive club in the world or not is not even relevant. Of course, I'd want to sneak into the maintenance shed and mow the second cut - do they keep that for member play?


First world problems...

Not sure about the height, but the second cut is there for member play. It really does not impact much though.


The second cut is 1 inch higher? That might not grow that fast in March...

[Mac Plumart]

Augusta 7---PV 3

• Augusta 7---NGLA 3
• Augusta 5---Cypress 5
• NGLA 6--PV 4
• Cypress 9--PV 1
• Cypress 6--NGLA 4