Going by historical records, the par-4th 10th has played the hardest. But, the 11th is a brute, too, and the par-3 4th isn't exactly easy. A closer look at the hardest holes at Augusta National
Augusta National Hardest Hole (s)
Augusta National is hard, you don’t need Ken on the Course to tell you that, we’ve all seen it over the years at the Masters. However, ‘hard’ at Augusta isn’t your normal kind of hard; everything is on a different kind of level – quite literally where the greens are concerned. The historical stats tell us the par-4 10th is the hardest, currently playing to 4.31. Why so?
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Par-4 10th – Camellia, 495 yards
Ignore the pretty name, players run into a brute at Augusta as soon as they make the turn. Playing steeply downhill, it features a bunker well short of the green close to 60 yards long. The play from the tee is to drive the ball to the left centre to create the best angle into a green that pitches right to left. Traditionally, it’s the hardest hole. It’s where Rory McIlroy’s Masters bid in 2011 began to unravel and conjures memories of the Ulsterman in amongst Augusta’s cabins. It led to further tree trouble and a triple bogey. They’ll be more of those here…
Rory McIlroy in trouble on the difficult 10th hole at Augusta National during the 2011 Masters [Getty Images]
Par-4 11th – White Dogwood, 505 yards
A look at the records shows the par-4 11th runs the 10th pretty close in terms of difficulty. Having just battled one long one, it’s straight into the start of Amen Corner at 11, where the wind often plays a factor just for good measure.
The tee shot is downhill and left to right with a pond guarding a green to the left and a bunker devilishly placed to the right centre. Players often bail out to the right with the pond left, but that’s very much bogey country.
Not many players will have fond memories of this hole, it’s a case of take a par and skip to the 12th. Larry Mize does, however – this, of course, is where he miraculously chipped in to defeat Greg Norman in a playoff at the 1987 Masters.
Historical (cumulative) average – 4.29
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The par-4 11th at Augusta National, another brute of a hole [Getty Images]
Its length demands a long iron or hybrid, but it’s often made harder by the swirling winds, which can play tricks. Two bunkers protect the green, front right and front left, and the putting surface slopes from the back to the front. It’s not an easy target, but players who can hit a high ball and land it softly may enjoy some success. In the main, however, a three here is most acceptable.
Historical (cumulative) average – 3.29