Strategy at Augusta...

[Phil_the_Author]

On another thread, Tom Doak, stated two points that made me think that the idea of "strategy" in golf course design is often both overloooked or completely missed.

He stated, "It amazes me what people don't notice about a golf course their first time or two around.  I played golf a couple of years ago with one of our interns and two of my associates, and after the round we discussed the course ... the intern only noticed the features that had affected her play of the hole, and was amazed that the rest of us were discussing features that hadn't even come into play for any of us... Most people seem to think you can't have strategy without two or three fairway bunkers and more at the green."

With that in mind, and to honor the Masters,I was wondering what specific examples of STRATEGY for play can be found at Augusta? Both those that can be easily seen and especially those that go unnoticed by most!

[Rich Goodale]

I read a recent article somewhere (maybe on here!), quoting gca.coms favorite architectural analyst/current touring pro Geoff Ogilvy, who said in effect that Augusta (even today!) was so complex that every year every golfer was confronted with challenging situations they had never encountered or even contemplated before.

That sort of rich and robust battleground is what demands and inspires great strategic thinking from the greatest players in the world, and probably from us mere mortals too(haven't played it yet...).  To me, if what Ogilvy says is true then it is hard to argue that Augusta does not have at least a strong claim to being the "greatest" golf course in the world.  I, for one, do not see as much complexity as he implies in other contenders for that honorific such as Cypress Point, Pebble Beach or Shinnecock.

[JESII]

Interesting Rich,

I wonder if that degree of analysis/confusion(?) explains his performance trend...


http://www.masters.org/en_US/players/prev22046.html


I would think the basic principles must remain static, no? They do not exactly get TOC type variety of ground and weather conditions, do they?

[Rich Goodale]

Good google, Jim, but putting my statisticians's hat on, 3 data points do not conclusions make.....

Vis a vis TOC, the ground conditions hardly vary each July (fasty, dusty and firm), but you do get a myriad of micro-up, -down and -sidieways lies, particularly if you stray from the party line.  I think the same is true for Augusta.  As for weather, there is nothing at St. Andrews as subtle as trying to judge the wind on 12 at Augusta.  Also, as the penalties for miscuing are much greater on the latter, and the effective targets at least equally as small, I see Augusta as a more exacting examination the the ability for the golfer to think strategically and execute those thoughts.

But of course, I "see" only in my mind's eye.  I'm looking forward to a good season and awaiting next year's invitation......

Rich

[JESII]

I have heard they are hoping to diversify the field a bit and they have seemed short on certain segments...

As to the strategies, I think you support my basic point about Ogilvy potentially achieving "paralysis through analysis"...I am certainly not suggesting that Augusta is anythink but complex, I have no idea on that, but rather how could you prepare for any specific wind condition on #12 other than to just have a general game plan to play to certain areas that will promote success?

At St. Andrews, they are not really able to select the position on the specific mound they would like the ball to stop, are they?

[Rich Goodale]

At St. Andrews, they are not really able to select the position on the specific mound they would like the ball to stop, are they?

Tiger did a pretty damn good job of that in 2000.

[JESII]

I couldn't disagree more...what Tiger did was took a very general game plan borne out of the knowledge that any of the bunkers can cause a triple bogey in a heartbeat and decided he was not going to hit a tee shot that had any chance of finding a bunker...the equivalent would be to decide you are never going to try to hit #13 at August in two because of the risks involved off the tee and into the green so you hit 3-iron off the tee and lay up to your ideal wedge shot (dictated by the hole location...)...the hook is that this hypothetical game plan at Augusta would need to result in two or three birdies in the four rounds to equate to Tiger's performance and execution at TOC in 2000.

[Steve Salmen]

Philip,

Regarding Mr. Doak's commentary on strategy, the hole at Augusta that jumps out at me is 14.  I believe it is the only hole on the course without a bunker.  Ben Crenshaw calls it the most easily three puttable  green in the world.  What the hole lacks in hazards through the green, it more than makes up for with the undulations on it.

[Rich Goodale]

I couldn't disagree more...what Tiger did was took a very general game plan borne out of the knowledge that any of the bunkers can cause a triple bogey in a heartbeat and decided he was not going to hit a tee shot that had any chance of finding a bunker...the equivalent would be to decide you are never going to try to hit #13 at August in two because of the risks involved off the tee and into the green so you hit 3-iron off the tee and lay up to your ideal wedge shot (dictated by the hole location...)...the hook is that this hypothetical game plan at Augusta would need to result in two or three birdies in the four rounds to equate to Tiger's performance and execution at TOC in 2000.

I hear you, Jim, but what you forget is that at TOC in July the ground is so firm and fast that due to the combination fo gravity and (lack of) resistance, no ball will stop awkwardly on a slope.  Rather, they will gather onto flat areas.  Now the stance you may have may be tricky, but the lie is usually not.

Are we talking about the same thing?

Slainte

Rich

[CJ Carder]

I couldn't disagree more...what Tiger did was took a very general game plan borne out of the knowledge that any of the bunkers can cause a triple bogey in a heartbeat and decided he was not going to hit a tee shot that had any chance of finding a bunker...the equivalent would be to decide you are never going to try to hit #13 at August in two because of the risks involved off the tee and into the green so you hit 3-iron off the tee and lay up to your ideal wedge shot (dictated by the hole location...)...the hook is that this hypothetical game plan at Augusta would need to result in two or three birdies in the four rounds to equate to Tiger's performance and execution at TOC in 2000.

I don't agree with this at all.  How many greens did Tiger drive at St. Andrews that year?  How many times did he hit par 5's in 2?  Sure, he may have played away from some bunkers, but I would wholeheartedly disagree with the idea that his general game plan was just to stay away from bunkers.  In '06 at Hoylake, sure, but not at St. Andrews.  Tiger's game plan was more "controlled aggression" that year.  And even if his game plan was that simple, he still had certain shots that required perfection in the execution.  Further, as Rich states below, at St. Andrews, you can only control for so much before your ball hits the right side of a hump and bounds into a flat spot or collection area that eventually rolls into a well placed pot bunker. 

To get back on topic though, Ogilvy had a great quote in Golfweek that was linked from Geoff Shackelford's blog this morning about how Augusta has areas where missing the green and short-siding oneself is actually more advantageous than hitting the green in the wrong spot.  He referenced specifically #6 when the pin is back right and #7 when the pin is front left.

[JESII]

Probably, but in different dialects...

A few posts ago I asked whether or not these guys try to strategize the mounds in the fairway and you replied that Tiger did a good job of it. I think Tiger accepted what you just said about the ball finding the lows, but that doesn't explain him hitting iron off so many of the tees.

[JESII]

CJ,

I don't know TOC any more than on TV, but driving it over the fairway bunkers on #10 and #12 and with the second into #14 does not prove my theory wrong...

[Phil_the_Author]

Hey guys...

Lets discuss "Startegy at AUGUSTA" in this thread and not Tiger at TOC... Please 

[John_Cullum]

Just what is all this strategy stuff anyway. In stroke play, the idea is to play 72 holes in as few as possible. Keeping in mind Hogan's rule, the most important shot is the next one. You play your tee shots to spots where you can get your approach shot to the correct side of the hole. Then you just have to sink a few putts. If you screw up, then you have to decide how risky it is to try to save a stroke, and any "strategy" is out the window.

Every player's strategy is different. They each have to play within their limits, ala Zach Johnson.

Discovering how a feature affects play isn't strategy, it's just learning the subtleties of the course. I don't see Augusta Nat'l as a subtle course. The movement in the ground is very prominent. The air currents are pretty tricky, but I am not going to give the architect any credit for those.

[Jordan Wall]

With that in mind, and to honor the Masters,I was wondering what specific examples of STRATEGY for play can be found at Augusta? Both those that can be easily seen and especially those that go unnoticed by most!

First off, I've never played or seen the course, so these are merely observations from what I have seen on TV and through pictures.

- The closer drives are to fairway bunkers, the better angle into greens.  This seems to be the case on #'s 1, 5, 8, and 18.
- On #11, a drive down the left would seem to make the approach easier.  Despite you don't have to go over water from the right side of the fairway, the right to left slope of the green would be a lot easier to deal with coming from the left side, where an approach would going into that slope.
- On many holes it seems as if you don't have to shoot at pins to get close to the hole.  The pronounced slopes on the greens will feed balls to the hole.  For instance, the Sunday pin on 16 would be a great example, even using Tiger's short, famous chip as representation.
- All par 5's present a great risk/reward attribute.  They can all be reached in two, yet a misplayed shot could also lead to a bogey, and this includes on the putting green as Tiger made bogey on 13 a few years ago after getting there in two.

One thing that makes Augusta such a great tournament course is the constant risk/reward on the back nine, causing for excitement and the ongoing presence that everything could change with the snap of a finger.  Sunday at Augusta is undoubtebly one of the greatest days of the year.  I look forward to the back nine every year on Sunday, and despite always going for Tiger, I love all the drama that occurs whether he wins or not.

Cheers,
Jordan

[Rich Goodale]

Hey guys...

Lets discuss "Startegy at AUGUSTA" in this thread and not Tiger at TOC... Please 

Philip

Would you not want us to discuss Montgomery at El Alamein if you were to post a topic on "Military Startegy in WWII?"

[Phil Benedict]

Hey guys...

Lets discuss "Startegy at AUGUSTA" in this thread and not Tiger at TOC... Please 

Philip

Would you not want us to discuss Montgomery at El Alamein if you were to post a topic on "Military Startegy in WWII?"

Monty was the original bomb & gauge guy>

[Jason McNamara]

Hey guys...

Lets discuss "Startegy at AUGUSTA" in this thread and not Tiger at TOC... Please 

Philip

Would you not want us to discuss Montgomery at El Alamein if you were to post a topic on "Military Startegy in WWII?"

Perhaps, but you're discussing Montgomery at El Alamein while Philip's topic is "Military Strategy in the Ardennes."   

[Bill_McBride]

Vis a vis TOC, the ground conditions hardly vary each July (fasty, dusty and firm), but you do get a myriad of micro-up, -down and -sidieways lies, particularly if you stray from the party line.  I think the same is true for Augusta.  As for weather, there is nothing at St. Andrews as subtle as trying to judge the wind on 12 at Augusta.  Also, as the penalties for miscuing are much greater on the latter, and the effective targets at least equally as small, I see Augusta as a more exacting examination the the ability for the golfer to think strategically and execute those thoughts.

Misjudging the wind on the Eden (High Hole In) can certainly be as costly as at #12 at Augusta.  Too long and too short are equally an invitation to disaster on the Eden.

Although the Rae's Creek pond in front of #12 Augusta can certainly ring up high scores as well......

[Kevin_Reilly]

I was just re-reading this old Herbert Warren Wind article in an April 1955 issue of Sports Illustrated that described the "Strategic Design" of Augusta National:

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1129507/1/index.htm

An excerpt:

At Augusta, the 13th and 15th holes probably offer the simplest illustrations of this strategic concept, although it is present in varying degrees of subtlety in all of the holes. Both the 13th and 15th are par fives, rather shortish ones, 470 and 505 yards respectively, in keeping with Jones's thesis that a par five should not be so lengthy that it cannot be reached with two absolutely first-class shots. At the same time, on each of these holes, a receptive water hazard lurks just before the green, a winding creek on the 13th, a small pond on the 15th. If a golfer has poled out a fine drive on either hole, then, if the wind is not against him, he has a decision to make: should he try to clear the water hazard and set himself up for a birdie or even an eagle, or should he play short of the hazard and accept the prudent probability of a par? Billy Joe Patton, who in last year's Masters was in no mood to accept the probability of a par when there was the remotest possibility of a birdie, elected on that pressureful last round to "go for" the green on both these holes. In both instances he was pressing the percentages; neither of his drives, the first pushed, the second pulled, afforded him a really good lie and a comfortable stance for that big second shot. On the 13th, though he lashed a terrific spoon shot from a side-hill lie, the ball drifted a shade and caught the upper creek, and before he was finished, Billy Joe had himself a seven. Quite similarly, trying to crack a spoon all the way from a close lie in the rough on the 15th, he was unable to get enough of the ball. The ducking shot eventually skidded into the pond before the green, and Billy Joe had a six that settled his fate once and for all. To be sure, the same all-out tactics were responsible for the slew of birdies Billy Joe picked up on his four adventurous rounds, but in most cases the odds were more in his favor than on the 13th and 15th in the final round, and this is the point of strategic architecture.

[Rich Goodale]

Vis a vis TOC, the ground conditions hardly vary each July (fasty, dusty and firm), but you do get a myriad of micro-up, -down and -sidieways lies, particularly if you stray from the party line.  I think the same is true for Augusta.  As for weather, there is nothing at St. Andrews as subtle as trying to judge the wind on 12 at Augusta.  Also, as the penalties for miscuing are much greater on the latter, and the effective targets at least equally as small, I see Augusta as a more exacting examination the the ability for the golfer to think strategically and execute those thoughts.

Misjudging the wind on the Eden (High Hole In) can certainly be as costly as at #12 at Augusta.  Too long and too short are equally an invitation to disaster on the Eden.

Although the Rae's Creek pond in front of #12 Augusta can certainly ring up high scores as well......

Bill

Anybody who gets more than a 4 at the 11th at St. Andrews has made at least two bad shots (or one horrendous one).  A slightly bad shot at the 12th at Augusta can easily lead to a tough 5.

Jason

Good point.  My bad, but at least I can spell strategery.

Rich

[Scott Warren]

Good point.  My bad, but at least I can spell strategery.

Rich