AugustaWow, what an experience, from the Eisenhower Cabin, the Crows Nest, the upstairs bar in the library, the list just goes on and on…where to begin…
NOTE: The post got too long, if you want to see the rest:
http://thelaststop.typepad.com and John Kavanaugh, before you call me a "photowhore" like you did on one of your many posting where you were bashing me, realize that the member took some of these pictures and got a really really good laugh at your "don't smoke before sex" comments.
One thing can be confirmed. Augusta deserves all the great accolades it gets. I had tried to lower my expectations given how high on a pedestal the media (CBS) puts Augusta. Plenty has been written in the past few years about the many changes to the course and is it still what Jones and Mackenzie originally intended or is that now just a distant memory. No doubt playing from a zillion yards back on the Masters tees (at 7400 plus yards) is quite different from where we played. However, even from the member's tees it is a very solid test, especially given the greens are like putting in a zero gravity bathtub. Honestly, the new trees on the 11th and 15th didn’t even come in to play. You do notice the new trees on the 7th and 17th, but not in a bad way. Those two holes are so short that a premium on hitting the fairway should be required. Again, all that design stuff just seems to fade away when you get out on the course and are going through the motions. You get immersed in the overall experience and realize how great of a strategic course Augusta really is.
realize how great of a strategic course Augusta really is.
Is it the absolute best golf course in the world from tee to green? In my opinion, probably not.
Is it firmly planted in the top 5? Absolutely!
ExperienceWe arrived at 6PM (well we actually arrived at 4:30PM and sat in the Krispy Kreme parking lot for an hour) the day before we were to play. Driving up Magnolia Lane (even in the dark) for the first time is pretty special. After checking in at the desk we took our bags to our cabin and cleaned up for dinner. And yes, my member walked out of his room in his green jacket…..pretty cool! After dinner we wandered around the clubhouse checking out the library and Crows Nest. Then back to the cabin with a bottle of wine and new logs on the fireplace. At Augusta you can call the front desk and get them to turn on any edition of the Masters back to 1960. We watched 1960, 1992, and 1997….that’s a lot of wine. Knowing we were going to be on a long frost delay we knew we could sleep in a little longer.
The next day I was up at 7AM (like I was going to be able to sleep) only to find a very heavy frost. We could not get out until 10:30ish, so what now…more time thinking about playing your first round at Augusta. We wandered around the clubhouse, locker room, and pro shop for a while and then went for a long breakfast. No menus, just pick whatever you want, they will make it.
They finally released us all to the range. I say all of us, I mean the three groups for the day were released to go hit balls and meet on the first tee at 10:45AM. All twelve golfers head to the range and all hit balls and then all twelve of us head over to the first tee together.
So there we are…all twelve golfers, all twelve caddies, and the head pro. Now you have to hit your first tee shot with a 30 person gallery, gulp.
Hole#1
Finally, the time has come. Now after thinking about doing this your entire life it’s pretty hard to get that out of your head. Don’t hit it right, don’t’ hit it left, don’t whiff it, and certainly don’t shank it and embarrass the member. Luckily I figured out how to think about something else and hit my drive right over the bunker and had a wedge in….now the fun starts. After only having 77 yards to the hole, I promptly flew the green and walked off with double bogey….Welcome to Augusta.
Hole #2This is a reachable Par 5. The pin was in the Sunday position so everything had to be played out to the left for it funnel back to the pin. I laid up and hit a decent wedge and made par. Finally I started to settle down a little.
Second Shot #2
Hole #3I really really wanted to hit a good drive so I could hit this second shot to one of the only greens (and holes) on the course that hasn’t really changed from Mackenzie’s original design. Of course I hit driver into the right trees and have to chip out in front of the green. Idiot!
Second Shot #3
Green #3
Hole #4Great Long Par 3
Hole #5 This is the other hole I really wanted to hit the second shot in to…..and…..of course I hit my drive in the trees right of the fairway. Idiot! Still I have an 8 iron third shot to maybe the second best green on the course. The fairway bunkers on five have to be 20 feet deep. What an underrated hole.
Second Shot #5
Hole #6The green on #6 is impossible, like hitting on to the hood of your car and trying to stop it.
Hole #7Seven is such a tight driving hole, to in my opinion the best bunkered green on the course. The green is awesome, the bunkers, the slopes, the shelves, just a great design. It is amazing that this hole in the original design was one of the flattest and banal on the course. In the early Masters players used to be able to drive the green. Now it is the exact opposite. The green is perched up and completely surrounded by huge bunkers.
View of #7 green from #3 tee box
Hole #8Eight is a short par five and usually plays as the easiest hole on the course. Our group played it even par.
Second Shot #8
Hole #9Even after going to the Masters several times you still don’t realize how up hill the second shot is on this hole. This may be the fastest green on the course. If you miss your second shot anywhere other than below the hole (but not too far because it will roll all the way down the hill in front of the green) you are going to three or four putt.
continued at
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