THE Masters is the only golf Major played on the same course every year.
The rituals such as the famous green jacket are part of the drama, but the real star of the show is always the Augusta National golf course.
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From Fire Thorn to Azalea – and don’t forget Flowering Crabapple – every hole is known.
From the ceremonial starters on Thursday morning to the final putt on Sunday evening, the masters never fails to deliver.
It has witnessed some of the greatest moments in golf history such as Tiger Woods’ incredible comeback win in 2019.
Here we show you how leading pros tackle each hole, which is the hardest… and a great one Masters memory of each of them over the years
1st – tea olive
Plays like one of the most difficult holes on the course thanks to the subtle undulations of the green and magnet-like bunker on the right side of the fairway.
The first tee shot is also one of the most nerve-racking shots of the round, so hit a bad one and it can set the tone for the rest of the day.
2nd – pink dogwood
This hole can throw up anything from albatross to bogey and is one of the most exciting on the course.
Players must hit a hitting draw off the tee and the second shot up the narrow shoot at the front of the green.
3rd – Flowering peach
When the wind is blowing hard from behind and conditions are firm underfoot, the longest hitters will crush a driver near the green.
If they don’t, it’s about keeping them at a distance that suits them for a wedge second shot to a hole where they’ll look for a birdie.
4th – Flowering Crab Apple
The green is a huge target, but players go in with a long iron and must hit the right part of the putting surface to make a birdie and par.
Danger lurks everywhere, but it’s better to miss it in the short bunkers, because then players hit back into a green that slopes down towards them.
5th – Magnolia
This hole is long, uphill and a dogleg to the left that forces players to hug the left side of the undulating fairway – while avoiding the bunkers, which take a 305-yard shot to miss.
This demanding par four has been extended by 40 meters this year and is inspired by the legendary Road Hole in St Andrews.
6th – Juniper
Players use a center iron to drive down the slope to this undulating green, which can yield a number of pin positions.
There used to be a stream in front of the green, but that’s been taken out and now there’s a lone bunker left to swallow up a misfired shot.
7th – Pampas
Drives need to find the fairway here so players have ultimate control over spin for their second shots.
Five traps guard the green, but since pros go in with a short or medium iron, a birdie is a good shout on this hole.
8th – Yellow Jasmine
An uphill hole where the bunker on the right side of the fairway must be avoided if competitors want to reach the green in half.
The second shot will have to be a tie played around the trees to a long thin green that increases the chance of an eagle.
9th – Carolina cherry
A drive down the right side of the fairway gives the best angle in this green that slopes sharply from back to front.
Players should pay attention to the amount of spin on their second shots, as even one that lands safely on the green can roll back down the fairway.
10th – Camellia
This monster par four plays less than its yardage because of the steep descent.
Again, a draw must be played off the tee using anything from a driver to a long iron, but the difficulty doesn’t end there, with a sloping green adding another reason why this hole is typically the toughest on the course.
11th – White dogwood
Kneel down and pray a little, because this is the beginning of Amen Corner.
The turn is downhill and must be taken from left to right.
The second shot must avoid the pond just to the left of the green.
Banks on the right can be used as bailouts. Par is a great score on the most difficult hole on the course.
12th – Golden Bell
One of the world’s most famous holes. To quote from Arnold Palmer more broadly speaking of golf in general, the 12th in Augusta is deceptively simple but endlessly complicated.
Whirling winds make club selection absolutely crucial and Rae’s Creek is close to the bunker and green.
The bank will funnel any balls that are briefly hit back into the water.
13th – Azalea
This is the only hole that has changed for 2023 as it has been extended by 35 metres.
Another brilliant risk/reward hole, this one has arguably been more responsible than any other for determining who ends up with the green jacket.
It has seen it all Phil Mickelsons amazing shot from behind the trees to Tiger Woods going into the water.
The green is guarded by a tributary of Rae’s Creek and four bunkers – not to mention a huge flower bed – behind it.
14th – Chinese spruce
Completely devoid of bunkers, the defense of this hole is the unnerving green that will test even the most stable of hearts and hands.
The pit surface slopes significantly from side to side and any putt on it should be treated with the utmost respect.
15th – Firethorn
This hole is all about the second shot.
Players should carry the water short, avoiding the bunker on the right and not going over the back for a long time, where more water awaits.
As with all of Augusta’s par-fives, eagle is just as likely to be bogey here and it makes for plenty of heart-in-your-mouth moments coming this late in the round.
16th – Redbud
If you’re betting your money on there being a hole-in-one in the Masters, chances are it’s going to be here.
Competitors go in with a short to medium iron to a green that slopes heavily from right to left.
The pin is often placed where the balls naturally gather – but don’t go too far left into the water.
17th – Nandina
The tee and second shot should pose few problems for the pros, but it’s a different story when they hit the green.
It slopes in all directions and should a player miss it, there is no such thing as easy up and down for a par.
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18th – Holly
One of golf’s most iconic tee shots, players rip a driver or 3-wood through a narrow grove of trees while hoping to avoid the sand on the left.
The green is split into two different levels and is protected by a short bunker and another on the right, where there will be a lot of action this week.
