2025 Masters Augusta National Golf Course Preview: Hole-by-Hole

by Pat Fitzmaurice|Apr 7, 2025

2025 Masters Augusta National Golf Course Preview: Hole-by-Hole

Augusta National is paradise for golf fans. It's impossible to explain how beautiful the course is to someone who's never been there before. How do you explain perfection to someone who's only experienced the imperfect?

And by the way, Augusta National also happens to have the best concessions stands of any sporting event in America. Not only is the food inexpensive and delicious, but the Augusta concessions tents are a model of efficiency. Walk through a line and grab what you want. Place a drink order with a volunteer who quickly hands you your beverage of choice. Waiting at the end of the line is a small army of cashiers ready to wave over the next customer. It's a near-perfect system.

Let's get better acquainted with Augusta National. Here's a hole-by-hole preview.

2025 Masters Course Preview: Augusta National

No. 1, "Tea Olive," par-4, 445 yards.

Historically, the opening hole is the sixth-hardest on the course. It's a slight dogleg right that requires players to avoid two deep fairway bunkers on the right. Miss left and you're in the trees. The approach shot is uphill, and a false front makes the green smaller than it appears.

Memorable shot on No. 1: We’ll go old-school for this one. Roberto De Vincenzo began the final round of the 1968 Masters two shots behind leader Gary Player. De Vincenzo quickly tied for the lead by holing his 9-iron approach for an eagle. Not a bad way for De Vincenzo to start a round on his birthday. Alas, De Vincenzo would lose to Bob Goalby by one shot despite firing a final-round 66.

No. 2, "Pink Dogwood," par-5, 585 yards

Augusta's second hole favors big hitters who can work the ball right to left. Find the fairway bunker on the right and you'll be robbed of a chance to hit the green in two. The second shot plays downhill toward a triangle-shaped green guarded by front-left and front-right bunkers.

Memorable shot on No. 2: In 2012, Louis Oosthuizen trailed Peter Hanson by one shot when he struck a 4-iron toward the green on No. 2 from 253 yards out. The ball landed at the base of the green and chased some 80 feet toward the back-right pin, dropping into the cup for a double-eagle that gave Oosty a two-shot lead. He would end up losing to Bubba Watson in a playoff.

No. 3, "Flowering Peach," par-4, 350 yards

The shortest par-4 on the course is no pushover, largely because of a semi-blind uphill approach shot to a treacherous green. Players can lay up short of a bunker complex on the left and play a full wedge into the green, or play a more aggressive tee shot and hope to be within shipping or putting range with the second shot. While No. 3 is the easiest of Augusta's par-4s, it still has an above-par scoring average of 4.08.

Memorable shot on No. 3: Charl Schwartzel began the final round of the 2011 Masters four shots behind young Rory McIlroy. After chipping in for birdie on No. 1, Schwartzel kicked his round into high gear with an eagle on No. 3, spinning back a wedge into a hole tucked into the front-left part of the green. Schwartzel would birdie the last four holes of his round to win by two strokes over Jason Day and Adam Scott.

No. 4, "Flowering Crab Apple," par-3, 240 yards

The third-hardest hole on the course, No. 3 was stretched out an extra 30-35 yards in 2006 and now requires a long-iron tee shot to a large, wide green guarded by a bunker in front and another to the left of the green. The elevated tee shot makes the hole play slightly shorter than its 240 yards, but it's still one of the more demanding iron shots players will hit all day. The green slopes from back to front and right to left.

Memorable shot on No. 4: Jeff Sluman is the only player to have aced No. 4 during the Masters, doing so in 1992. But Mark O' Meara gets the honor for his Sunday birdie here in 1998. Coming off birdies at No. 2 and No. 3, O'Meara pulled his tee shot left, leaving a putt of some 60 feet to a back-right hole. He rolled it in for a third straight birdie and wound up winning by one stroke over Fred Couples and David Duval.

No. 5, "Magnolia," par-4, 495 yards

The fifth hole at Augusta supposedly was inspired by the famous Road Hole at St. Andrews' Old Course. It's an uphill dogleg left. A miss left off the tee could catch one of two fairway bunkers or leave an awkward, uneven lie. The large green is festooned with humps and bumps,

Memorable shot on No. 5: Eagles are rare on No. 5, but Jack Nicklaus eagled this hole twice in 1995 — at age 55. He holed a five-iron approach on Thursday, landing it right in the cup. On Saturday, Nicklaus jarred a 7-iron approach from 163 yards on Saturday, landing his ball 6 feet short of the hole and watching as it rolled in for eagle No. 2.

No. 6, "Juniper," par-3, 180 yards

Players face a downhill tee shot to a large, undulating green. The tactical approach depends on where the pin is positioned. But if you don't hit it close, a three-putt is a distinct possibility.

Memorable shot on No. 6: In 2020, Dustin Johnson led by four shots going into the final round. His lead had been trimmed to one shot when he reached No. 6, where the pin was cut into a difficult spot on the back-right portion of the green. DJ feathered an 8-iron to 6-feet and made the putt for a needed birdie that helped propel him to victory.

No. 7, "Pampas," par-4, 450 yards

This hole was only 365 yards long as late as 2001. It was stretched to 410 yards in 2002, then lengthened another 40 yards in 2006. Now, players are required to thread their tee shots between trees on either side, then hit an uphill approach shot to a green surrounded by five bunkers.

Memorable shot on No. 7: We're not giving Byron Nelson credit for driving the green here in 1937, when this hole measured only 320 yards. On Saturday at the 2017 Masters, Kevin Chappell split the fairway with his drive on No. 7, leaving him with a 131-yard approach. He landed his second shot just past the hole and spun it back for an eagle. Chappell was -6 over his final two rounds and finished at -4 in a tie for seventh.

No. 8, "Yellow Jasmine," par-5, 570 yards

Players have to squeeze their tee shots between the trees on the left and a pair of fairway bunkers on the right. If you're able to go for the green in two, it's a blind uphill tee shot to a green framed by a giant mound on the left and two smaller mounds on the right. This is the most difficult of Augusta's four par-5s.

Memorable shot on No. 8: We'll go with "shots" for this one. The 1986 Masters was all about Jack Nicklaus, but there was some Sunday drama at No. 8 with the twosome of Tom Kite and Seve Ballesteros, who supposedly weren't fond of each other after squaring off in a tense Ryder Cup singles match the previous fall. Kite holed a wedge from 80 yards out for an eagle. Then Ballesteros holed a 40-yard pitch-and-run for an eagle of his own. Kite would finish one stroke behind Nicklaus. Ballesteros finished two strokes back.

No. 9, "Caolina Cherry," par-4, 460 yards

This hole challenges players with contrasting angles. It's a dogleg left with a fairway that slopes from left to right. For the second shot, players are often hitting from a lie below their feet to an elevated green. A pair of bunkers guard the left side of the tiered green, and there's a false front on the right side of the green.

Memorable shot on No. 9: During his legendary final round in 1986, Nicklaus hit his approach shot on No. 9 to 12 feet. As he prepared for his birdie putt, Nicklaus heard a roar from the eighth green. He turned to the patrons and said, "Why don't we try to make some noise ourselves?" Nicklaus then rolled in his birdie start to jump-start his memorable Sunday charge.

No. 10, "Camellia," par-4, 495 yards

The back nine starts with the hardest hole on the course. The scoring average on No. 10 is 4.30. The fairway drops more than 100 feet on this slight dogleg left, so there are some BIG tee shots on this hole. But for tee shots that don't run all the way to a flat portion of the fairway, players must hit a second shot off a downslope to a slightly elevated green. Leave your approach shot short, and you're likely to catch the front-left bunker.

Memorable shot on No. 10: There was Ben Crenshaw's 60-foot birdie putt in the final round in 1984, and Bubba Watson's hooked wedge shot through a gap in the trees during his 2012 playoff against Louis Oosthuizen. But let's go with a memorably bad shot. Then-21-year-old Rory McIlroy took a four shot lead into the final round of the 2011 Masters. His lead was down to one when he blasted his tee shot on the 10th way, way left. It bounced off a tree and settled near a pair of private cabins that TV viewers had probably never seen before. McIlroy wound up making a triple bogey and dropped to seventh place. He wound up shooting 80 and finishing tied for 15th.

No. 11, "White Dogwood," par-4, 520 yards

The second-hardest hole on the golf course marks the beginning of the storied three-hole stretch known as "Amen Corner." As on No. 10, players have a downhill tee shot, this time to a fairway that slopes left to right. It's a downhill approach shot to a slender green guarded by a pond on the left.

Memorable shot on No. 11: Augusta native Larry Mize won the 1987 Masters on the second hole of a playoff against Greg Norman, holing a 140-foot chip from in front of the green to break Norman's heart.

No. 12, "Golden Bell," par-3, 155 yards

This is one of the best and most famous par-3s in the world. Players must hit a short-iron shot over Rae's Creek and onto a wide but extremely shallow green. The wind can be extremely hard to judge from the tee box. There's also a bunker fronting the middle of the green. The traditional Sunday pin position on the back-rich portion of the green dares players to hit an aggressive shot over the creek for a chance at a birdie.

Memorable shot on No. 12: Jordan Spieth had a five-shot lead in the final round of the 2016 Masters when he stepped to the 12th tee. His tee shot landed on the sloped bank just beyond the creek and bounced back into it. From the drop area, Spieth hit a fat wedge into the creek. His fifth shot flew into the bunker beyond the green. He splashed out and tapped in for a 7. Spieth wound up losing to Danny Willett by three strokes.

No. 13, "Azalea," par-5, 545 yards

Amen Corner finishes with one of the most beautiful holes in golf. Players try to hit a right-to-left tee shot to position themselves to go for the green in two. Hang a drive out to the right, and you'll be in the trees hitting off pine straw. Miss left, and you might be in Rae's Creek. For the second shot, players typically have the ball above their feet and are often trying to play a fade off a hook lie. The 13th green is guarded by Rae's Creek in front and bunkers in back, with azaleas blooming behind those back bunkers. This is the easiest hole on the course, although there's certainly trouble to be had.

Memorable shot on No. 13: In 2010, the left-handed Phil Mickelson pulled his tee shot into the trees on the right. Mickelson's caddie, Jim Mackay, recommended a layup shot. Mickelson declined that advice and pulled a 6-iron. Despite having a lie on the pine straw and a tree impeding his follow-through, Mickelson went for the green and hit a magnificent shot to 5 feet. Never mind that he missed the eagle putt and had to settle for birdie. That bold shot put wind in Mickelson's sails and helped carry him to his second Green Jacket.

No. 14, "Chinese Fir," par-4, 440 yards

Augusta National's only bunkerless hole, No. 14 is a slight dogleg left that challenges players with perhaps the trickiest green on the course. Leave an approach shot short of the hole at the front of the green, and you'll have to putt up a 6-foot rise. The green also slopes from left to right, but with contours galore. The 14th green is a three-putt waiting to happen.

Memorable shot on No. 14: In 1982, Dan Pohl became the first player to record back-to-back eagles in The Masters. After carding a three on No. 13, Pohl spun a 118-yard wedge shot back into the hole for a deuce on No. 14.

No. 15, "Firethorn," par-5, 550 yards

The 15th fairway is wide, so it's bombs away off the tee on this par-5. It's the second shot where the fun begins. The 15th green is guarded by a pond in front and a bunker on the right. Land your approach shot over the green and you'll be faced with a difficult chip or pitch coming back.

Memorable shot on No. 15: Another Jack Nicklaus special. During the Golden Bear's magical Sunday run in 1986, he struck a near-perfect 4-iron to 12 feet, then rolled in the eagle put to cut into Seve Ballesteros' lead.

No. 16, "Redbud," par-3, 170 yards

This critical par-3 plays over a pond to a green guarded by three bunkers. The real drama on the 16th hole always comes on Sunday, when the hole is cut into the left side of the green. That's the low side of the green, and well-placed tee shots will funnel down toward the hole. But shots missed left will find the water, and shots missed right will stay on the high side of the green, making for a difficult two-putt.

Memorable shot on No. 16: There have been many, but Tiger Woods' miraculous chip in 2005 is one of the most memorable Masters shots of all time. Leading Chris DiMarco by one shot, Woods sailed an 8-iron over the green, leaving a ridiculously hard chip. Woods hit his aiming point and watched as the ball ambled from the high side of the green down toward the cup. It came to a brief stop at the edge of the hole — Nike logo in full view — and then tumbled in for a miraculous birdie. (We won't talk about the awkward high-five attempt with caddie Steve Williams that followed.) DiMarco missed his birdie putt, and Tiger's lead had grown to two shots. Uncharacteristically, Woods bogeyed his final two holes to land in a playoff, but then he beat DiMarco with a birdie on the first playoff hole.

No. 17, "Nandina," par-4, 440 yards

Once players thread their drives between the trees on this uphill par-4, things get interesting. Approach shots are hit into a sharply contoured green guarded by a pair of bunkers in front. If No. 14 has the trickiest green on the property, No. 17 is probably runner-up. Putting is especially challenging when the hole is cut into the back-right part of the green.

Memorable shot on No. 17: This was where Jack Nicklaus sank the 12-foot birdie putt that prompted the famous "Yes, sir!" call from CBS announcer Verne Lundquist. And a difficult putt it was, moving left to right, then moving left again at the end. Nicklaus read it perfectly and walked off the green with a one-shot lead.

No. 18, "Holly," par-4, 465 yards

The tee shot is terrifying, with players required to hit their drives through a narrow chute between the trees. A pair of large fairway bunkers will catch balls missed left. Then it's an uphill dogleg right to a tiered green that slopes from back to front. Players can sometimes use the contours of this green to get approach shots to feed toward the hole.

Memorable shot on No. 18: Phil Mickelson won his first Green Jacket in 2004 by curling in an 18-footer for birdie on the final hole. It was the fourth time in tournament history that a player had won with a birdie putt on the last hole. Mickelson celebrated with a triumphant leap that showed he chose wisely in picking professional golf over professional basketball.

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