Augusta National: A Complete Guide to Every Hole

Photo by John McArthur on Unsplash

Augusta National Golf Club is the most famous golf course in the world. Every hole has a name, a history, and a personality. Here's a complete guide to all 18 holes — what makes each one distinctive, where the danger lies, and what the professionals are thinking as they play each shot.

The Front Nine

Hole 1 — Tea Olive (Par 4, 445 yards)

The opening hole at Augusta sets the tone immediately. A slight dogleg right with a fairway that slopes from left to right, meaning a drive that misses right tumbles toward trouble. The green is severely sloped from back to front — players who fly the back portion face hair-raising downhill putts. The first hole has caused more opening-round disasters than most spectators realize.

Hole 2 — Pink Dogwood (Par 5, 575 yards)

The longest hole on the course and one of the best birdie opportunities on the front nine. A long accurate drive sets up a potential second shot onto the green, but the putting surface is enormous and dangerously contoured. Players going for the green in two must commit — misses left go into a bunker, and the slopes around the green can leave impossible chip shots.

Hole 3 — Flowering Peach (Par 4, 350 yards)

A short par 4 that plays shorter than its yardage suggests. Many long hitters consider driving the green, but the putting surface is one of Augusta's trickiest — heavily sloped, narrow, and protected by bunkers front and right. Three-putts are common even for professionals who hit the green.

Hole 4 — Flowering Crabapple (Par 3, 240 yards)

The longest par 3 on the course. Players hit to a green that sits below the tee, making distance judgment difficult. The green slopes significantly from back to front, and anything long creates a frightening downhill putt. Club selection in wind is critical — getting between clubs here costs strokes.

Hole 5 — Magnolia (Par 4, 495 yards)

One of Augusta's most demanding driving holes. The fairway narrows significantly at driving distance, with trees encroaching from both sides. The second shot plays uphill to a green that's difficult to hold from the right portion of the fairway. Consistently one of the harder scoring holes on the course.

Hole 6 — Juniper (Par 3, 180 yards)

A beautiful downhill par 3 to a green surrounded by bunkers. The tee shot plays slightly shorter than the yardage due to the elevation drop. The green has significant slope and is one of the more makeable par 3s on the course — professionals expect to score here.

Hole 7 — Pampas (Par 4, 450 yards)

A demanding par 4 that plays uphill to one of Augusta's smaller greens. The approach must be precise — the green has a false front that rejects anything short, and bunkers protect both sides. This hole rewards accuracy over power.

Hole 8 — Yellow Jasmine (Par 5, 570 yards)

One of Augusta's most scenic and strategic par 5s. The fairway bends left around a large hill, requiring a decision off the tee about risk and position. The approach to a green surrounded by bunkers must carry a significant false front — players who lay up must be precise with their third shot to avoid running through the green.

Hole 9 — Carolina Cherry (Par 4, 460 yards)

The final hole of the front nine plays dramatically downhill from tee to green. The fairway is wide enough off the tee, but the approach is deceptive — the green slopes severely from left to right, and anything above the hole leaves a terrifying downhill putt. A good front nine score requires surviving hole 9 without disaster.

The Back Nine

Hole 10 — Camellia (Par 4, 495 yards)

The back nine opener is one of Augusta's most beautiful and demanding holes. The drive must carry a ridge and stay left of center — right side drives are blocked by trees. The green sits at the bottom of a dramatic slope, with the putting surface offering some of the wildest contours on the course.

Hole 11 — White Dogwood (Par 4, 505 yards)

The beginning of Amen Corner. A long par 4 where the second shot must navigate toward a green guarded on the left by the pond that feeds Rae's Creek. Short left means water. Long or right means a terrifying chip from tight grass with water behind. One of the most pressure-loaded holes in golf.

Hole 12 — Golden Bell (Par 3, 155 yards)

The most famous par 3 in golf. A short iron or wedge over Rae's Creek to a green that's only 10 yards deep at its shallowest point. The wind swirls unpredictably through the trees at the tee, making club selection agonizing even for professionals who've played it dozens of times. The front bunker swallows anything short; long means a difficult pitch from tight rough above the green. This hole has ended more Masters contenders than any other single hole in major championship history.

Hole 13 — Azalea (Par 5, 510 yards)

The most celebrated hole at Augusta. A reachable par 5 that bends sharply left around a stand of trees, with Rae's Creek running in front of and along the left side of the green. A big drive around the corner sets up a heroic long iron or fairway wood second shot over the creek. The risk-reward calculus on 13 defines Augusta's back nine — go for it and make eagle or birdie, lay up and settle for par, or make double by finding the water.

Hole 14 — Chinese Fir (Par 4, 440 yards)

One of Augusta's most underrated holes. The only hole without a bunker, but the undulating green is among the most contoured on the course. The approach must land in the right section of the green or face a putt that could travel 30 feet past the hole. Many professionals consider this the hardest putting green at Augusta.

Hole 15 — Firethorn (Par 5, 550 yards)

The second reachable par 5 on the back nine. A long drive sets up a second shot over the pond guarding the front of the green — one of the most dramatic shots in golf when a player goes for it in contention on Sunday. The pond has swallowed countless tournament hopes; the gallery eruption when a player carries it in two is one of Augusta's most reliable sounds.

Hole 16 — Redbud (Par 3, 170 yards)

A par 3 over a pond to a green that slopes dramatically from right to left. The bank on the right side of the green creates the famous Sunday ricochet play, where players aim well right and let the slope feed the ball toward the hole. A beautiful, dramatic hole that produces more birdie chances for players who use the slope correctly.

Hole 17 — Nandina (Par 4, 440 yards)

A demanding par 4 where the tee shot must navigate a tight window between trees. The approach is slightly uphill to a two-tiered green — being on the wrong tier leaves a genuinely difficult two-putt. On Sunday of a close Masters, 17 is where nerve failures often happen.

Hole 18 — Holly (Par 4, 465 yards)

Augusta's closing hole sweeps uphill to a green fronted by two bunkers. The drive must avoid trees on both sides of the fairway. The approach, played uphill and often into the wind, is among the most pressure-loaded second shots in golf on tournament Sunday. The gallery encircling the 18th green creates an amphitheater atmosphere unlike anywhere else in sport.