Many of the world’s greatest golf courses begin with what’s been termed a “gentle handshake,” allowing players to ease into their rounds. Augusta National starts with a slap to the face, according to the annual Masters statistics — but a genteel slap in the face, of course.
Only four holes have been played to a scoring average below par in the first 88 editions of this tournament. If you guessed that it’s all the par-5s, give yourself a polite golf clap.
When it’s said that the Masters “doesn’t really begin until the back-nine on Sunday” — a phrase popularized by the late, great writer Dan Jenkins, who covered more than a half-century’s worth of these tournaments — there’s some truth to it. The first three holes on the inward nine rank second, first, and fourth-hardest, respectively, in relation to par.
The mysteries of the game’s most cherished venues will forever endure. However, some secrets are revealed in the numbers. Dig in as we take you on a hole-by-hole journey from the first tee to the final green, with betting advice, statistical analysis and fun facts for every hole on the course.
(Keyur Khamar / PGA TOUR)
Hole No. 1 | Tea Olive
Media guide description: “A slight dogleg right that requires a precise second shot to an undulating green. A poorly struck approach shot may result in a difficult two-putt. Drives to the left may catch the trees, and the hole plays uphill.”
Betting angle: Fade the first-timers — at least early. If you’re expecting a debutant to neutralize his nerves and kickstart his Masters career with an early birdie, think again. Last year, there were 20 such players in the field. On Thursday, they played this hole in a collective 6-over-par, with exactly zero birdies. Among the bigger names making their debut this year are Maverick McNealy, Taylor Pendrith and Thomas Detry.
Fun fact: No player has ever made a birdie on this hole in all four rounds. Only six have birdied the opening hole in three rounds.
Bonus fun fact: The highest score ever recorded here was a 9 by Ernie Els in 2016, when he needed six putts to make quintuple-bogey. (Not such a “fun” fact for The Big Easy himself.)
(Andrew Redington / Getty Images)
Hole No. 2 | Pink Dogwood
Media guide description: “A dogleg left, which may be reachable in two. Large, deep greenside bunkers require special attention on the second shot.”
Betting angle: It should come as little surprise that par-5 prosperity is paramount to a player’s overall success. Three years ago, Scottie Scheffler won the tournament with a score of 10-under while playing the par-5 holes in 8-under. Last year, he won at 11-under while playing these holes in 9-under. His chance at yet another title might very well rest on how he fares on the par 5s once again. If he’s making eagles and birdies early, it could be a long week for everyone else with designs on winning.
Fun fact: Augusta National’s par-5 holes are, of course, a player’s best opportunity to card an eagle — and with any eagle comes a special prize. Starting in 1954, anyone making an eagle received a crystal highball glass. In 1963, the custom was tweaked to award a pair of crystal goblets. In 2012, the club harkened to its earlier tradition, offering a pair of crystal highball glasses, which are still given out today.
(Ross Kinaird / Getty Images)
Hole No. 3 | Flowering Peach
Media guide description: “A classic par 4. Golfers attempt to hit short of the four fairway bunkers, resulting in a full club to the green, where it is better to be long than short. Green slopes right to left with a thin neck on the left side guarded by a bunker.”
Betting angle: Don’t give up on those contenders who start slow in the final round. Over the past 20 years, champions have played the first three holes in an average of 0.6 strokes over par. Scottie Scheffler, however, has proven an exception to this rule, playing the opening three-hole stretch in 1-under during each of his victories.
Fun fact: In the official Masters media guide, there exists a section titled “Significant Hole Changes,” which lists every alteration since the tournament began. None has seen fewer than No. 3, which lists only, “1953: Masters tees shifted to right”; and “1982: New fairway bunker complex constructed.”
(Ben Jared / PGA TOUR)
Hole No. 4 | Flowering Crab Apple
Media guide description: “A lengthy par 3 requiring a long iron. This hole is often made difficult by deceptive wind. Two greenside bunkers, front-right and along the left side, guard this green, which slopes to the front.”
Betting angle: Only 42 percent of tee shots found the green at No. 4 last year, tying for the lowest greens in regulation percentage of any hole on the front nine. In total, No. 4 yielded 16 birdies — or just four per round. Of the top 20 players on the final leaderboard, only Bryson DeChambeau and Will Zalatoris birdied this hole in Sunday’s final round.
Fun fact: There have been six holes-in-one on No. 6, three on No. 12 and 24 on No. 16, but just one on No. 4 — a 4-iron from 213 yards by Jeff Sluman in 1992.
Bonus fun fact: The other end of the spectrum from Sluman’s ace? Many of the “highest score” totals for each hole occurred decades ago, but the biggest number here occurred in 2011, when Henrik Stenson made quintuple-bogey. Even worse, it’s not the only hole on which he holds this “honor.” Stenson also made an 8 on No. 18, one of eight in tournament history.
(Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
Hole No. 5 | Magnolia
Media guide description: “An uphill, dogleg-left hole with a sloping green. The fairway bunkers are positioned to demand accuracy off the tee. It is a 313-yard carry over the bunkers. The green slopes down to the front, and a back bunker catches balls hit too long.”
Betting angle: Forget the eagles, don’t even bank on many birdies at No. 5. In last year’s tournament, there were just 15 total birdies on No. 5 over the four rounds — and no player has made a birdie here more than once.
Fun fact: Only once in tournament history has the same player eagled the same par 4 twice in a single week. That player? Well, it’s the same one who’s the answer to so many trivia questions at Augusta National: Jack Nicklaus, who posted eagles on No. 5 during the first and third rounds in 1995.
(Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
Hole No. 6 | Juniper
Media guide description: “An elevated tee and large target are characteristics of this par 3. A significant difference in elevation from front to back makes the hole location very important.”
Betting angle: No player has ever birdied No. 6 in all four rounds, but 17 different players have played this hole in nine strokes during a single tournament. The most recent was J.T. Poston last year, preceded in the past decade by Si Woo Kim (2021) and Justin Rose (2020).
Fun fact: At the time of the high-year scoring average, a pond fronted this green, but the club filled it in back in 1959. Since then, the hole has played comparably easier than in the previous quarter-century since the tournament commenced.
(Keyur Khamar / PGA TOUR)
Hole No. 7 | Pampas
Media guide description: “The drive on this tight hole is often played to the left-center of the fairway, setting up a second shot from a level lie. From there, a short- to mid-iron may be played, but it is important to avoid the three bunkers in front of the green and the two behind.”
Betting angle: It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the toughest holes to find the fairway last year once again came at the beginning and end of players’ rounds. Opening tee shots landed in the short grass just 60 percent of the time, while driving accuracy was also 60 percent on No. 17 and 56 percent on No. 18. Ranking fourth on this list was No. 7, where players successfully got their drives into the fairway just 62 percent of the time.
Fun fact: A sneaky-tough hole, the tees at No. 7 were moved back 40-45 yards in 2002, then another 35-40 yards just four years later. Three years after that, an additional 10 yards were added to the front of the tees without changing the hole’s yardage.
(Ben Jared / PGA TOUR)
Hole No. 8 | Yellow Jasmine
Media guide description: “An accurate drive is needed to avoid the fairway bunker on the right side. This uphill hole features trouble left of the green. Bruce Devlin scored the second double eagle in Masters history here in 1967.”
Betting angle: Prior to the 2020 edition of the tournament, Bryson DeChambeau recklessly explained, “I’m looking at it as a par 67 for me because I can reach all the par 5s in two, no problem.” The comment drew criticism, and he’s since retracted it, but he wasn’t too far off that week, playing these holes in 9-under. Since then, however, the golf gods have bitten back. He played the par 5s in 4-under in 2021, 2-over in 2022, 4-under in 2023 and 3-under in 2024. There’s an idea that one of golf’s biggest hitters should make birdie every time, but we’ve learned he’s hardly automatic.
Fun fact: In his seven career top-10s at the Masters, Rory McIlroy has dominated the par-5 holes, playing them in a combined 55 under par — or an average of 7.9 strokes under par. In his nine results outside the top 10, he’s played these four holes in just 41 under par — an average of 4.6 strokes below par in each appearance.
(Scott Halleran / Getty Images)
Hole No. 9 | Carolina Cherry
Media guide description: “Best known for its green that slopes from back to front. The tee shot is often hit down the right side, hoping to take away the two greenside bunkers on the left on the second shot to the green.”
Betting angle: If you’re looking to back one player who’s figured out this hole, check out LIV superstar Joaquin Niemann. Over the past three editions of the tournament, he’s played this hole in 4 under par, with an eagle (just the sixth in Masters history), three birdies and just one bogey in those 12 rounds.
Fun fact: Only two players have birdied No. 9 in all four rounds. The first was Billy Joe Patton in 1954. The next didn’t happen for another 70 years, when Camilo Villegas matched the feat in last year’s tournament.
(David Cannon / Getty Images)
Hole No. 10 | Camellia
Media guide description: “A long par 4, this hole plays downhill. Players will try to drive the ball to the left or center of the fairway, hitting a second shot into a green that slopes right to left. Prior to 1935, this was the first hole at Augusta National and is traditionally one of the most difficult holes on the course.”
Betting angle: In 2011, on the verge of winning his first major championship title, Rory McIlroy wildly pulled his tee shot to start Sunday’s back nine, making triple-bogey and leading to an inward 43 and a share of 15th place. The results haven’t improved much, but at least he’s built up some scar tissue here. In his next 30 rounds, he carded just a single birdie on No. 10 against seven bogeys and a double. In his last 18 rounds, however, he’s posted five birdies and just four bogeys and a double.
Fun fact: Only one player has made a birdie on No. 10 during all four rounds of a single tournament, a feat accomplished by Jordan Spieth in 2021.
(Andrew Redington / Getty Images)
Hole No. 11 | White Dogwood
Media guide description: “At this hole begins Amen Corner, and wind is often a factor. A driver to the right side of the fairway is rewarded with a more level lie. A pond guards the green to the left, and a bunker is strategically placed right-center. This hole may best be remembered for Larry Mize’s incredible chip shot in the 1987 playoff.”
Betting angle: No two-hole stretch generated more double-bogeys and “others” — triple-bogey or worse — last year than Nos. 11 and 12, which had a combined total of 43 round-killers. Ludvig Åberg, Max Homa and Collin Morikawa each finished inside the top five, but posted double-bogey on one of these holes in the final round. For those live-betting during any of the four days, it would be wise to fade players about to approach these two and back those who have already successfully navigated them.
Fun fact: Following the 1950 edition of the tournament, Rae’s Creek was dammed to create the pond left of No. 11 green. The result led to Ben Hogan’s famous quote about staying away from the trouble: “If you ever see me on the 11th green in two, you’ll know I missed my second shot.”
(Ben Jared / PGA TOUR)
Hole No. 12 | Golden Bell
Media guide description: “One of the most famous holes, this is the shortest par 3 on the course. With swirling winds, club selection can range from 6- to 9-iron. Rae’s Creek in front and three bunkers, one in front and two in the rear, make it a necessity to land on the putting surface. The Hogan Bridge allows golfers to cross the creek.”
Betting angle: It’s difficult to analyze which player endured the most infamous final-round gaffe — McIlroy on No. 10 or Jordan Spieth on No. 12. One year after winning the 2015 title, Spieth raced out to a five-stroke lead at the turn, but bogeys on 10 and 11 led to a quadruple-bogey on 12 after he rinsed two shots in Rae’s Creek. Since then, he’s played this hole to a respectable 3.11 scoring average. If there’s an edge to be found here, it might lie in the fact that his four birdies have all occurred during weekend rounds, when perhaps his aggressive nature kicks in a bit more.
Fun fact: Only one player has birdied perhaps the world’s most famous par 3 in all four rounds — and it wasn’t an all-time great. Scott Verplank pulled off the feat in 2003, leading to his lone top-10 in 15 tries. “It does take a while to figure out how to navigate your way around the greens,” he said.
(David Cannon / David Cannon Collection)
Hole No. 13 | Azalea
Media guide description: “An accurate tee shot to the center of the fairway may allow a player to go for the green in two if he desires. A tributary to Rae’s Creek winds in front of the green, and behind the putting surface are four bunkers. The Nelson Bridge is located at this tee. From tee to green, there are approximately 1,600 azaleas.”
Betting angle: In the past quarter-century, no eventual champion has carded worse than bogey on any hole around Amen Corner during the final round. Last year, Scheffler played these holes in bogey-par-birdie, respectively. If the tournament isn’t a foregone conclusion with nine holes to play, the live outright possibilities should separate themselves on these three holes.
Fun fact: In 2002, as part of the so-called “Tiger-proofing” of Augusta National, the Masters tees were moved back 20-25 yards at No. 13; in 2010, seven yards were added to the front of the tees without necessitating a change in length to the hole; and in 2023, the tees were moved back another 35 yards to their present yardage.
(Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
Hole No. 14 | Chinese Fir
Media guide description: “The only hole on the course without a bunker, this hole features a green with significant contours that terraces down sharply left to right. Following a well-placed drive, the second shot in will usually be a middle-iron.”
Betting angle: Only one player has ever birdied No. 14 in all four rounds — Bernhard Langer in 1991. Last year, though, Shane Lowry matched his feat … sort of. Lowry made par on this hole in the opening round, but followed birdie-eagle-birdie during the final three days to tie Langer’s record of 4-under here in a single tournament.
Fun fact: In 1952, a bunker on the right side of the fairway at the landing area off the tee was removed and never replaced. To this day, No. 14 remains the lone hole at Augusta National that does not have a single bunker.
(David Cannon / David Cannon Collection)
Hole No. 15 | Firethorn
Media guide description: “A reachable par 5 when winds are favorable, many golfers will attempt to reach the green in two. A well-hit second shot must be made over the pond and away from the bunker that guards the green on the right. Gene Sarazen hit ‘the shot heard ’round the world’ when he scored a double eagle here in 1935.”
Betting angle: This feels like a miraculous statistic, considering technological advances and the general concession that current players are better equipped for success than previous generations, but eight holes at Augusta National played to a higher scoring average last year than their all-time cumulative scoring averages. That includes each of the final five holes on the course, none more than No. 15, which was once again lengthened in 2022 and played above par in 2024 — a stroke average of .228 more than it has overall.
Fun fact: Call it a double eagle or an albatross, but Sarazen’s triple-circle has remained the lone 2 on No. 15 for 90 years. Strangely enough, there’s only been a single 2 on each of the other par-5 holes, as well — Louis Oosthuizen on No. 2 in 2012, Bruce Devlin on No. 8 in 1967 and Jeff Maggert on No. 13 in 1994.
Bonus fun fact: One year after winning the green jacket — and 83 years after Sarazen’s shot — Sergio Garcia posted a number 11 strokes higher, hitting five balls that each cleared the water guarding the front of this green, only to watch each one roll down the bank and into the hazard.
(Ben Jared / PGA TOUR)
Hole No. 16 | Redbud
Media guide description: “The hole is played entirely over water, and the green is secured by three bunkers. With the green significantly sloping from right to left, an exacting tee shot is required to have a reasonable birdie opportunity.”
Betting angle: If you’re seeking to play a hole-in-one prop, this is clearly the spot, and Sunday is the day. Of the aforementioned 17 holes-in-one since 2004, 13 have come with the familiar final-round hole location, most recently Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau in 2019.
Fun fact: There have been two dozen holes-in-one on No. 16, but 17 of them have come in the last 21 editions of the tournament. No player has aced 16 in his Masters debut since Clive Clark in 1968. That was also the first Masters ace caught on film.
(Andrew Redington / Getty Images)
Hole No. 17 | Nandina
Media guide description: “This par 4 requires a drive near the crest of the hill to see a green guarded by two bunkers. The Eisenhower Tree once stood left-center of the fairway but was removed after an ice storm in 2014.”
Betting angle: How difficult was No. 17 last year? Of the 60 players who made the cut, only three played the penultimate holes in under-par for the weekend, as Matthieu Pavon, Adam Scott and Jon Rahm each made birdie in Saturday’s third round and par in Sunday’s final round.
Fun fact: In the third round of last year’s Masters, the two closing holes played as the two toughest scoring holes on the course — the first time this had occurred during a single round in the past three decades.
(Augusta National / Masters Historic Imagery)
Hole No. 18 | Holly
Media guide description: “One of the most famous finishing holes in golf, this uphill dogleg right is protected off the tee by two bunkers at the left elbow. A drive hit down the center of the fairway will often require a middle-iron for an uphill second shot to a green guarded by two bunkers.”
Betting angle: It would stand to reason that eventual Masters champions might need to excel on the 72nd hole in order to close out a victory, but that hasn’t been the case. Over the past decade, no winner has birdied the difficult 18th, and only six have even made par. Of the others, Jordan Spieth (2015), Tiger Woods (2019) and Hideki Matsuyama (2021) each limped in with bogey to clinch, while Scottie Scheffler four-putted for double-bogey in 2022.
Fun fact: Everyone knows Fuzzy Zoeller is the lone Masters champion to win in his debut — well, since the second edition of this tournament in 1935, that is. There’s an even longer drought of rookies failing to hold the outright 54-hole lead after finishing this 18th hole on Saturday afternoon. The last player to do it? Ralph Guldahl in 1937. (For those who answered “Jordan Spieth,” he only shared the lead in 2014.)
(Illustration: Drew Jordan/ The Athletic; Photo: Keyur Khamar / PGA TOUR)