It's the happiest time of the year for golf fans everywhere. It's Masters time. I'll admit it, I've never been the biggest fan of the Masters. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike it, I think it's a fine tournament. I just prefer the British Open. But, I don't want to talk about that, what I do want to talk about is this.
It's a fair point about that hole. I mean, I know what every hole at that course does, except for that one. I can picture every hole in my mind, except for that one. For a course that is as completely scrutinized as Augusta, it is a completely nondescript, uninteresting hole. Nothing happens there. And frankly, I think it should stay that way. A golf course doesn't need 18 high points, it needs a balance of drama and...I don't want to say boredom here. Hmm, an opportunity for the golfer to catch his breath.
Let's look at Pebble Beach. Part of the reason that course works so well is the routing. A lot of people would have thrown nine holes inland, followed by nine holes on the coast, because that would be one incredible stretch. But then it would suffer from a completely split personality, because the inland nine could not possibly compare to the seaside nine. Want proof? We don't even have to leave Monterey. Just look at Spyglass Hill. The first five holes are brilliant. Set in the dune, they're short (mostly) and quirky. The remaining thirteen are set in the forest, each one plays uphill, and are boring, difficult, and no fun to play. Pebble Beach avoids this because it starts off in the trees, heads to the ocean for a few holes, goes back into the trees for a few holes, and then heads back to the ocean for a spectacular finish.
We don't even have to leave Augusta National to find this same philosophy. When it comes to drama, nothing beats the back nine at Augusta on Sunday. Amen Corner is always full of drama, and unlike every other PGA Tour course with a named stretch of holes, it earned its title, it didn't come from a marketing guy. Smack in the middle of all this excitement is the 14th, a hole with absolutely no hazards whatsoever. It's just a fairway and green. But it works. I guess what I'm saying here is that not every shot has to be exciting and filled with drama. You can have a simple hole once in a while, and it's not the end of the world.
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