The Masters: The Most Underrated Hole At Augusta National

There are a handful of holes to choose from here, but one stands out.

Nothing is perfect in this life, except for Augusta National. It is the greatest plot of 345 acres that lie on Earth and if you want to argue with that you’ve either never been or you just like being wrong.

With Augusta National’s criteria, it’s tough to find a flat-out overrated hole because every hole on the course is held in such high-regard. On the flip side of that, if you ask someone what is the most underrated hole on the course, odds are you’re going to get a different answer just about every time.

I think some people latch onto holes for many reasons including great moments in tournament history, maybe their favorite player did something special there or you may even remember the disasters that happened on the particular hole.

There is one hole that is forgotten at Augusta National and it’s one of the more intimidating yet aesthetically pleasing holes on the planet and that’s the Par 3 sixth.

It’s not the yardage of ‘Juniper’ that makes it such an underrated hole (it’ll play around 180 yards throughout the week) but instead it’s the sheer fact that you’re hitting to a green that plays 24-feet below the tee box which slopes severely from right to left and from back to front. The tee shot is relatively tight and you feel as if you’re a mile above the green which looks like it’s hanging off the side of a cliff sloping right to left.

Historically, №6 plays as the sixth toughest hole on the course with a stroke average of 3.14.

As for the green being severely sloping, severe may be an understatement. Here’s a look from the green looking back up at the tee box:

Notice that monstrosity of a ridge on the right side of the green? And yes, of course they put the pin back-right on Sunday giving players about a two-foot wide gap where they can land it to knock it even remotely close. You’ll see plenty of players throughout the week land their tee shot on the green to find their ball roll back a good 15 yards off the front edge or leave themselves with an insanely tough chip shot over the back.

Here’s a great look at just how undulated this green is, particularly on the right side:

Six is just like all of the other par 3’s at Augusta in the fact that it changes so much depending on the pin placement.

On Thursday it’ll be tucked just over the bunker on the far left-hand side of the green making it rather accessible. On Friday the crew will tuck it in the back right corner, but only a pace or two beyond the ridge making it extremely tough to knock it close. Saturday it will be tucked way back in the left-hand corner and on Sunday the flag is traditionally 19 paces on from the front and just five on from the right-hand corner.

Lastly, what makes this hole so unique is the fact that patrons actually sit on the hill just past the tee box and follow player’s shots as they rocket over the top of them.

Pay special attention to №6 during Masters week as it surely will have a huge impact on who puts on the green jacket come Sunday.