1st Hole, Tea Olive, Par 4, 455 yards An uphill hole with a dogleg right, the opening is tough for big hitters. Stray to the left and they will find the trees, to the right and there are perfectly positioned fairway bunkers waiting to swallow up an over-hit ball. Players will be forced to go left before using a longer club to make it to the green, though this too is fraught with danger as a bunker in front of the green to the left needs to be negotiated. 2006 Average: 4.248 2nd Hole, Dogwood, Par 5, 575 yards The longest hole at Augusta, a dogleg left. So long in fact it has never seen an albatross, despite being downhill. Only the longer hitters can get there in two, while the shorter hitters face the added problem of a fairway bunker to the right. Getting there in two is still a major risk with two bunkers guarding the green at the front. That said, the 2006 field had great success at Dogwood, and it should be the place to kick start a sub-par round. 2006 Average: 4.832 3rd Hole, Flowering Peach, Par 4, 350 yards From the longest hole on the course players go to the shortest par four. While most should not have any problem negotiating the four bunkers to the left of the fairway as they lay up, the approach shot will be difficult to say the least. The green has a steep slope from right to left, and is very shallow. The back left corner is also the tail of an l-shape, and will pose problems when the greenkeepers no doubt decide to shift the pin there. 2006 Average: 4.004 4th Hole, Flowering Crab Apple, Par 3, 240 yards A long par three with a massive, two-tiered green. Most players will need a wood to make the journey, particularly to get past the two front bunkers. The breeze is also an issue, which makes this hole one of the hardest on the course. The green itself is 80 feet wide, and with two levels, so there could be several three putts or chips dropping short. 2006 Average: 3.208 5th Hole, Magnolia, Par 4, 455 yards An uphill dog-leg left that players simply have to aim for the right at the tee or risk being punished. The hole has been extended to draw the left-hand side bunkers into play, while trees have also been added to the left to make the decision at the tee even simpler. The hole itself is quite steep and also features a hump at the front of the green, so players will need to give their approach shots a little extra yardage. 2006 Average: 4.223 6th Hole, Juniper, Par 3, 180 yards The greenkeepers will no doubt make the players sweat as to which day they will put the pin at the back and to the right of the green. The massive hump there makes that pin position a nightmare for all concerned. Although there is a large front bunker, players should have little problem negotiating it, particularly as it is a steep downhill hole. 2006 Average: 3.124 7th Hole, Pampas, Par 4, 410 yards The narrowest hole on the course creates spectacular pictures for the photographers as they capture the players driving down the tree-lined chute towards the fairway. Unfortunately for the players themselves, life is not as sweet. A slightly wayward drive will be punished by the over hanging trees, while once that is negotiated, it is a steep uphill climb to a small green guarded by no fewer than five bunkers. 2006 Average: 4.215 8th Hole, Yellow Jasmine, Par 5, 570 yards A long hole with a green that tails off left from the fairway. Trees block the passage to the green down the left, so in order to make it in two players will have to go down the right where a fairway bunker once again await an errant drive. Even a long hitter will find it tough to make it in two up the steep approach. Although hidden away, the green itself presents no major problems, though the shorter hitters will probably opt for spin if they are laying up. 2006 Average: 4.777 9th Hole, Carolina Cherry, Par 4, 460 yards This massive dog-leg left has two slopes, one that can help and one that will not. On their tee shot players cannot head right, or they risk ending up in the trees, particularly as the fairway slopes that way. But once around the corner the fairway slopes the other way, and will take the ball towards the hole, though the hole has been lengthened to prevent this happening off the tee. The green also slopes from back to front, with a short lay-up destined to end up in one of the two front bunkers. 2006 Average: 4.172 10th Hole, Camellia, Par 4, 495 yards A huge par four, but saved by the downhill slope that can guide balls towards the green. That said, it is still a tough hole for any player. Short hitters will struggle to go the journey, while longer hitters will have to hit off the hill should they go too far with their tee shot. There is also a lip down to the green for an added challenge, as well as one of the largest bunkers on the course around 50m short of the green. 2006 Average: 4.274 11th Hole, White Dogwood, Par 4, 505 yards The start of Amen Corner. The water comes into play for the first time, while once again players will be forced to tee off down a tree-lined chute. The second shot will be tricky with the green nestled nicely next to the water, while bunkers guard the right-hand side. That said, the hole opens up towards the end and players should be able to find plenty of space to land their second shot. 2006 Average: 4.474 12th Hole, Golden Bell, Par 3, 155 yards Looks can be deceiving. What is the most picturesque hole on the course is also the deadliest. Rae&aposs Creek lies directly in front of the green, and should a player find the water, it will be still be a tough ask to hit the narrow green with a short pitch from the wrong side of the creek. On the other side of the green are sloped bunkers, and if they land there players will have to aim their shot directly back at the water hazard, a scary prospect. The charming Hogan Bridge adds to the beautiful deception. 2006 Average: 3.208 13th Hole, Azalea, Par 5, 510 yards A creek crosses this sharp dog-leg left hole twice, the first having no impact but the second crossing making life difficult as it crosses just in front of the green. A tough uphill shot to get to the left-hand turn in the hole is followed by an even tougher decision for players: Go for the green in two or lay up? The seemingly safer option of laying up is still not without danger, with bunkers at the back for an overplayed pitch. 2006 Average: 4.755 14th Hole, Chinese Fir, Par 4, 440 yards Players should have little trouble on the fairway, it&aposs a simple straight hole with no bunkers, the only hole without any. But the green is one of the toughest on the course, with a large hump across the front. This hole adds further weight to the saying &aposdrive for show, putt for dough&apos. 2006 Average: 3.208 15th Hole, Fire Thorn, Par 5, 530 yards Statistically, the easiest hole on the course, especially for the long hitters. Short hitters will have to contend with an uphill tee shot and mounds in the landing area, but the longer drivers should fly right over them, before clearing the creek that sits just in front of the green. An especially long drive can even see the ball roll closer towards the hole and make hitting that green in two even easier. 2006 Average: 4.752 16th Hole, Red Bud, Par 3, 170 yards The fairway-less hole, where grass is replaced by water. This is a straight shoot for the pin, with the complication that leaving it short will mean taking it again. The green slopes right to left, and with bunkers to the right of the green, it makes placement even more difficult. The front section of the green also rolls back the water, so shooting for it when the pin is there takes true bravado. 2006 Average: 3.131 17th Hole, Nandina, Par 4, 440 yards The famous Eisenhower pine guards the left-hand side of the fairway 195m from the tee of this straight par four, ready to catch errant drives. Once negotiated, players have to aim for the front of the sloping green as landing it anywhere past the centre will see it roll straight over the back. 2006 Average: 4.285 18th Hole, Holly, Par 4, 465 yards This dog-leg right also has a chute for players to tee off down, though it&aposs made even more unfriendly by the bunkers staring directly in front of them 330 yards away. After negotiating a tight opening drive, things don&apost get any easier with a second shot to a green that sits proudly atop a steep hill. Overhit and the green won&apost hold it, underhit and it may well roll back to where you played it. 2006 Average: 4.095
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