Fix the hole, baby: 16 at Augusta

[Jason Thurman]

You're hired by the board to renovate the hole. You're specifically prohibited from just restoring the Mackenzie design. Obviously budget is not a concern. What do you propose to the board in your plan?

[Mark Kiely]

I play the clip from 2005 that many consider the most dramatic moment in Masters history -- if not one if the most exciting highlights in sports history -- and tell them we're not changing anything.

[Matt_Cohn]

You're hired by the board to renovate the hole. You're specifically prohibited from just restoring the Mackenzie design. Obviously budget is not a concern. What do you propose to the board in your plan?

Not much, right? Maybe find a way to have a left hole location that brings the water more into play—you almost never see a ball go in the lake in the Masters—but I’m not so sure what needs to be fixed here.

[Jeff Schley]

The 2020 Sunday pin location was changed to the back right.   https://golf.com/news/augusta-national-changes-sunday-hole-location-16th/

For difficulty I'd prefer that, however I don't mind the funnel for Sunday as it does add to excitement.  Is there no pin position anywhere on the front right? Must not be.

[Matthew Rose]

Lengthen it to 200 yards?

[Thomas Dai]

Bring back the previous version of the 16th?
atb

[Mike Hendren]

The 16th is one of the greatest ugly duckling holes in the country.


Mike

[David_Tepper]

Some of Jack's greatest moments at the Masters have been at #16.

1975: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV7m9nxCueQ


1986: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuLqQJ28304

[John Chilver-Stainer]

Add a raised tongue tied into the centre of right hand slope creating a 30 cm hump in the lower plateau. This creates a bowl for the sunday lower left pinning area and an increased chance of balls being diverted towards the hole.
The anticipation of a hole-in-one would be off the charts although there would be probably just be more near misses.

[Tom Bacsanyi]

Bring back the previous version of the 16th?
atb

Love the old hole, but there's literally one tiny pin position on that green and the thing would have to be mowed at .250, not .90. Also keep in mind the old green site is an extremely popular viewing area.

[Ally Mcintosh]

As one who’s just stated on the other thread that I thought some of the original greens looked awkward, I sure love the look of the first iteration of the 16th.

[Bill Gayne]

What's the "Baby" reference in the thread title?

[Jason Thurman]

You get the opportunity of a lifetime and immediately get yourself fired by ignoring your design brief?

The green jackets do not want a restoration in this scenario. No matter how many colourized photos you show them.

I just think the challenge is pretty one-dimensional these days. There's not much drama when the pin is tucked near the water since everyone knows they can bring the ball in using the slope. A mediocre shot is too well accommodated I keep wondering what a reshaped green might do. Keep the slope as is near the front, but transitioning to something more leveled-off and almost running away with a few contours in the middle and back. Open up a lot of pin positions, with areas toward the back rewarding a ball that challenges the water with a release toward the hole.


Also cool to think about keeping the slope as-is near the back... Allow a player to carry over the water and bring a ball back (and preserve the character of the Tiger chip), but shed balls hit short or even deep right away rather than funneling them all in.

For a heroic par 3, it's a little too "Everyone has a hero in their own heart" in spirit right now.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I'd like to see a couple of other places to put the pins. Don't know where though.

[Matt_Cohn]

It is funny that perhaps the most quintessentially Augusta hole (beautiful water, some highly exacting hole locations, other super-funnel hole locations to create excitement, big roars---was designed by RTJ.

[Matt Kardash]

I have always thought that the 13th hole at TPC Sawgrass is the better version of 16 at Augusta.

[Steve_Lovett]

It's not broken and doesn't need fixing. Consider moving the tees back to 200.

[Pat Burke]

I’d remove the left bunker


Looking at a bank that would likely feed your missed shot in to the water instead of a fairly safe bunker shot (with backstop) would drive a few more players further right on the tee shot

[Ben Stephens]

This proposal is based on a near mirror image of Mackenzies original. The green is extended towards the front with a Mackenzie style tongue and extended around the water back left. The top tier has shallow mounds at the edge of the green which is slightly narrower and the bunkers are redone.

[Peter Pallotta]

Bring back the previous version of the 16th?
atb

About which 94 year old Gene Sarazen said:
"Sixteen was a terrible hole, one hundred yards over a ditch...[Years later] I remember going out for drinks with Roberts one evening and I told him that number sixteen is a terrible hole. One hundred yards over a ditch. 'Now go get Trent Jones', I said".

[Jason Thurman]

This proposal is based on a near mirror image of Mackenzies original. The green is extended towards the front with a Mackenzie style tongue and extended around the water back left. The top tier has shallow mounds at the edge of the green which is slightly narrower and the bunkers are redone.

This looks really similar to one of the thoughts I had pictured - the mounds back right feel like they would keep some of the current green's spirit and allow balls to funnel in to certain pins, but would require a more precise shot than the current slope requires to really gain an advantage by using them.


The question I keep coming back to when I think about this sort of configuration: Is it just too similar to the green on 6?

[James Reader]

Bring back the previous version of the 16th?
atb

Mackenzie’s inspiration?





Ok, I doubt it but the resemblance did strike me when I played this hole yesterday.

[jeffwarne]

About which 94 year old Gene Sarazen said:
"Sixteen was a terrible hole, one hundred yards over a ditch...[Years later] I remember going out for drinks with Roberts one evening and I told him that number sixteen is a terrible hole. One hundred yards over a ditch. 'Now go get Trent Jones', I said".



This, not the "2" on 15, was actually "the shot heard round the world"
and thus licence was given for courses to literally "keep up with the Jones's", for another 75 years.


I like Ben's design, though I would add a pin/moregreen on the right and reconfigure the right bunker a bit to create the room.


The original hole was too much like 12 with an angled green to the right over water.

[Eric LeFante]

16 may be the most dramatic par 3 in golf so I certainly wouldn't change it. The hole magnifies a great shot and a poor shot and shows who is in control of their golf swing under extreme pressure. A great shot ends up next to the Sunday pin and a poor shot leaves a very difficult two putt.


I would like to see it a little longer; Jack hit 5 iron in 1986, Tiger hit 8 iron in 2005 and 2019. Hole 6 is usually a 7 iron, hole 12 is usually a 9 iron, it would be nice to see guys hitting 6 iron.


I agree with Jeff that the original hole was too much like 12.

[Kalen Braley]

Erik,

I guess I would disagree with the usage of the term "great" shot.

There have been 33 HIOs in Masters history and 23 of 33 or 70% of them have come at 16. 

If anything 16 doesn't differentiate enough between great, good, and just OK shots especially with the Sunday pin due to the massive bowl effect.  Throw in that these guys are now hitting short irons, it would seem its a relatively easy hole for them. And while poor approach shots are punished pretty hard, that's true of nearly every green at Augusta.