One of my favorite “Masters magic” elements is the course design. It’s not overly punishing for top players—winning scores have been getting lower over the years—but it makes the world’s best think through strategy in a way most places can’t match.
Here is my ranking of all 18 holes with comments on what makes each of them unique.
18. 7th (Par 4 — 450 Yards) “Pampas”
On a course that prides itself on interesting angles and decision-making, the 7th hole has been stretched out into a boring execution test off the tee. It’s a dead-straight hole with trees on both sides, and players are challenged into hitting a driver so their approach doesn’t require a mid-iron into a green that isn’t designed for it. There are a lot of bad drives that end up with punch shot approaches into the front bunker because there are rarely other options for recovery.
The green has some fun hole locations, including the front right Sunday pin. It was a better hole when it was shorter.
17. 4th (Par 3 — 240 Yards) “Flowering Crab Apple“
It’s the only long par-3 on the course, which is fair. Nice to see players hitting a long-iron or lumber into a hole.
But on a course with three magical par-3s, the 4th doesn’t quite have the same allure. It feels like a hole that is defined by where you should miss depending on the hole location. That type of test could fit on a U.S. Open layout, whereas the other par-3s are distinctly Augusta National.
16. 17th (Par 4 — 440 Yards) “Nandina“
How many memorable moments have happened on 17? There should be a lot since it’s the penultimate hole in every Masters, but I have a hard time coming up with anything. Jack in ‘86 is the obvious one. Some players have made birdie during closing stretches, such as Charl Schwartzel in 2011. But I’m light on memories here.
This was a better hole when the Eisenhower Tree was still in play. As it stands, it’s not very inspiring. It’s a hole where you make par and move on.
15. 5th (Par 4 — 495 Yards) “Magnolia“
I’ll stand up for Magnolia a little bit. This is such a better hole in person than it is on TV. The front of that green is wild and there is a lot of strategy involved to not get caught up in a bad position. Some 10-handicaps would easily four- or five-putt this green.
The bone I have to pick here is that the fairway bunkers are an automatic one-shot penalty. It’s basically the same if they put water down there. Those bunkers are so deep and you just have no shot of getting there. I’m a fan of fun recovery shots, like we see at Augusta with several other holes.
14. 8th (Par 5 — 570 Yards) “Yellow Jasmine“
On a course with two of the most famous par-5s in the world, Yellow Jasmine tends to get a little lost. It’s a very interesting hole, though. A punch bowl green you can’t see from your second shot? There’s a lot going on here.
The drive is pretty critical here because the fairway bunker is a stiff penalty. You can only lay up to the top of the hill, leaving a lengthy third shot on a hole that can easily reward two good shots. There is a lot of luck around the green given all the humps and hollows. I think it works better on the first nine than it would on the second nine.
13. 2nd (Par 5 — 585 Yards) “Pink Dogwood“
I like Pink Dogwood, a hole that is oozing with strategy. There is a new tee box this year—it’s 10 yards farther back and slightly more to the left than in previous years—requiring more of a draw and perhaps slightly more club into the green.
It’s a wonderfully framed tee shot, and the green is spectacular. There are areas to bail out but getting in the wrong spot can be tricky. This is a top-five spectator hole on the course for me.
12. 1st (Par 4 — 445 Yards) “Tea Olive“
I’m a huge fan of Augusta National’s opener, which gives players the options of laying back with a 3-wood or trying to force a driver up past the right fairway bunker. It’s narrower in person than I thought it was.
The green makes this hole. There are so many little sections and run-offs—Donald Ross would be proud. A good shot will give you a birdie look but there are some nasty spots around this green. That dividing line is everything at Augusta.
11. 9th (Par 4 — 460 Yards) “Carolina Cherry“
The tee shot here is interesting. It’s an easy fairway to hit but not easy to find a flat spot that will give you the best angle for a daunting second shot. Players have to push it down to the left to get into that area, but few pull it off. Most find themselves on a downslope hitting to an elevated green.
The green is sublime. It’s built into three tiers, highlighted by a menacing false-front that has claimed many victims over the years. There are a lot of 90-degree putts. Really a fun test in the modern game.
10. 11th (Par 4 — 520 Yards) “White Dogwood“
White Dogwood has been sliding in my rankings the past few years. It’s obviously a gorgeous hole, and there is nothing wrong with a ball-buster par-4 prior to a stretch of great birdie opportunities that awaits. But it does feel like the trouble left of the green is so obvious and penalizing that players are reluctant to take it on with their second shot.
It’s a bail out to the right and a chipping contest in most cases. Players are very risk-averse here and it can get a little boring, which is in direct contrast to the next five holes.
9. 18th (Par 4 — 465 Yards) “Holly“
What a tee shot. Narrow, nerve-racking and easy to get tangled up in the left fairway bunkers.
Walking up to this green is a true “I can’t believe it’s this uphill” moment for first-time patrons. There is something symbolic about having to trudge up that hill, hitting a second shot to a fascinating green divided in half by a massive slope—which can be used as a backstop on Sunday.
8. 14th (Par 4 — 440 Yards) “Chinese Fir“
The 14th would be a skip for some in their “Masters playlist” of top holes—especially because it’s sandwiched between two world-famous par-5s—but I think it’s the most underrated hole on the course.
It’s the only hole with no bunkers, but the strategy is paramount. The drive sets up your angle into what is the best green on the course. The contours are unimaginable until you are there. You simply can’t be short on your second shot, but long is dead for certain hole locations.
7. 6th (Par 3 — 180 Yards) “Juniper“
I absolutely love this hole. It’s not anywhere near as renowned as the two par-3s on the second nine, but it’s criminally underrated.
It’s a picturesque, downhill tee shot to a green with my favorite hole location on the entire course—the back right volcano. Anything 10 feet to the left is going to finish some 50 feet from the hole and require a surgeon’s touch for a two-putt. I could sit here all day.
6. 15th (Par 5 — 550 Yards) “Firethorn“
I’m a sucker for the heroic second shot on the 15th. The payoff can be massive but the penalty can be equally as damaging, which makes for a stellar final par-5 on the second nine.
The third shot on this hole is a nightmare because players have to hit a precise wedge off a downslope to a thin sliver of green—and anything even remotely short is usually going to spin off into the water unless conditions are soft. It’s a hole that plays its role exactly how you would want it to.
5. 10th (Par 4 – 495 Yards) “Camellia“
It feels like the land was born to be a golf hole. The beauty, and how far downhill the slope plunges, is stunning. The fairway bunker in the middle of the fairway gets no play at all—in the Masters, at least—but it adds to the landscape wonderfully.
For my money, there is no better place in the world to watch a tee shot on a long par-4. Players have to shape it from right-to-left to catch the speed slot. The green, which is tilted right-to-left, is framed majestically by towering pines. It’s a place I dream about when I think of golf.
4. 16th (Par 3 — 170 Yards) “Redbud“
How can you not love the 16th? Any hole location used is intriguing as players are either trying to funnel the ball toward the hole or attempting to keep their tee shots up on the top shelf. The accuracy needed for the top shelf hole locations is difficult to describe.
While the Sunday location is known for hole-in-ones and getting the ball close, it’s also been the home of heartbreak. If you go long or left, it’s a terrible spot. I think of David Duval in the 2001 Masters who came to the 16th tied until going long and making a bogey. It’s a hole that asks a very specific question.
3. 3rd (Par 4 — 350 Yards) “Flowering Peach“
This might be controversial, but I adore the par-4 3rd and have it listed, aptly, as my third-best hole on the course.
Players are forced to think through this hole backwards, starting with the hole location and their decision to either hammer a drive down close to the green or lay back with an iron to leave a full wedge shot into the hole. Analytics tell us that getting the ball closer is almost always better—but the third green is so treacherous that some of those 40-yard wedge shots seem a lot harder than if they can generate more spin with a full wedge from the top of the hill.
It’s a hole that seems to have gotten better with the modern game. My scorching hot take is that this is a better short par-4 than the 10th at Riviera.
2. 13th (Par 5 — 545 Yards) “Azalea“
If someone who wasn’t familiar with golf course architecture wanted to start from scratch to learn about design, I would send them here.
This is everything you want in a golf hole. For top players, it’s an easy par any day of the week if they want it. The more aggressive you get, the more risk comes into the equation. The tee shot requires accuracy and the second shot—which usually features the ball being above the player’s feet—is so tempting that you almost have to go for it if the yardage is reasonable.
The green is large, but missing long can be awkward. It’s just a hole where you usually get what you deserve—and every shot leaves players with a big decision to make.
1. 12th (Par 3 — 155 Yards) “Golden Bell“
The genius of this hole is subtle. The front part of the green on the left side is significantly closer to the tee box than the back right portion of the green, which runs counter to how right handed golfers typically pull the ball farther while losing yardage on pushes to the right.
It’s no more than an 8-iron for most in the Masters, but they are holding their breath the entire time. The wind can be mysterious. Hole locations on the left part of the green are tame, but it gets progressively hairier as the hole moves to the right side of the green.
At times it seems simple and at times it seems endlessly complex—which is exactly how I would describe Augusta National.
Those are my top 18 holes ranked. How would you rank them? Let me know below in the comments.
And check out some of my other Masters coverage:
John B
3 weeks ago
12th is overrated. Other than the Sunday pin it’s rare for someone to find the water, and birdies aren’t as frequent as you would hope for a hole of that length.
1. 13th
2. 15th
3. 10th
4. 8th
5. 18th
6. 12th
7. 2nd
8. 3rd
9. 11th
10. 16th
11. 5th
12. 9th
13. 6th
14. 14th
15. 1st
16. 7th
17. 17th
18. 4th