The Augusta National, home of the Masters, is famous for being the most beautiful course in the world, largely for the array of flora and fauna. Each hole is named after a distinctive plant. But although easy on the eye, it is taxing on a golfer’s mental and physical conditioning. Renowned as the toughest test in golf, this is what the world’s greatest players are up against in a quest to feel the fit of a green jacket...
Click on the links below to join Peter Dixon as our golf correspondent takes you on a unique hole-by-hole tour of the course.
No 1 – Tea Olive, par 4, 445 yards
Easy does it. A slight dogleg to the right is the easiest tee shot the players will face in the tournament. But it gets much tougher from here.
No 2 – Dogwood, par 5, 575 yards
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Beefy hitters can make the green in two. Those who fail to make a birdie often walk away muttering something unmentionable under their breath.
No 3 – Flowering Peach, par 4, 350 yards
Not as pleasant as it sounds. Jeff Maggert got into trouble here in 2003. The pin is often placed toward the narrow end of a green best described as devilish.
No 4 – Flowering Crabapple, par 3, 240 yards
Check for the wind. An Augusta gust can hamper players on a sloping green. The toughest of the “short” holes.
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No 5 – Magnolia, par 4, 455 yards
The green is a bit like those stomach-somersaulting roads you get in innocuous village centres: speed bumps everywhere. This makes it a challenging putting surface.
No 6 – Juniper, par 3, 180 yards
In 2004 Chris DiMarco achieved the fourth hole-in-one here. A big green but a bigger slope. Jose Maria Olazabal took seven in 1991 and lost by one to Ian Woosnam.
No 7 – Pampas, par 4, 450 yards
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Tiger-proofed. Two years ago the green was reshaped and trees and more than 35 yards were added. The green at the front is guarded by a trio of bunkers.
No 8 – Yellow Jasmine, par 5, 570 yards
Respite. This regularly plays as one of the easiest holes, ranked as the seventeenth and sixteenth hardest in the past two rounds in 2010.
No 9 – Carolina Cherry, par 4, 460 yards
Any extra spin here can be costly. Even if a ball lands pin high it can slip and slide back towards the fairway. Exactly what happened to Greg Norman in his final-round implosion in 1996.
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No 10 – Camelia, par 4, 495 yards
In 2007 Tiger Woods hit the right bunker and failed to make par, lost the lead and didn’t recover. It was the first time he lost a lead in the final round of a major and failed to regain it. Historically the toughest hole.
No 11 – White Dogwood, par 4, 505 yards
Amen Corner starts here. The praying may start here, too. A left-to-right dogleg, opposite to the fairway.
No 12 – Golden Bell, par 3, 155 yards
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The most famous par three in golf. Water in front, trouble at the back and a narrow target makes amateurs watching at home duck behind the sofa. Will only trouble nervy pros, though.
No 13 – Azalea, par 5, 510 yards
Mickelson’s miracle. Last year’s champion threaded a 209-yard six-iron off pine needles, between two trees, over the creek and on to the green for a birdie. Easy.
No 14 – Chinese Fir, par 4, 440 yards
No bunkers. No problem? Hardly. The green slopes to the right and has more ups and downs than a US daytime soap.
No 15 – Fire Thorn, par 5, 530 yards
More pine needles to worry about off the right side of the fairway but one for the birdies. Easy Tiger.
No 16 – Redbud, par 3, 170 yards
Another memorable hole for Tiger Woods. Remember his chip in 2005? Eleven players have aced it, including Padraig Harrington.
No 17 – Nandina, par 4, 440 yards
The Eisenhower Tree in front of the tee is just for the show. It doesn’t come into play. In 2005 10-15 yards were added.
No 18 – Holly, par 4, 465 yards
A steep hill to sap the strength from the legs at the end of a hard day. The tee was moved back 60 yards in 2002, so players rarely look their most sprightly for the gallery.
* EA SPORTS Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: Masters Edition is available on Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii now, gamers will be able to play the revered Augusta National course for the first time. For more information visit: ea.com/uk/tiger-woods