The Power of the Pin Placement at Augusta National
by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 10, 2009 11:24 AM EDT
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PrintYesterday was a record scoring day at Augusta National. The conditions were as benign as possible. The weather was great - sunny, warm, no humidity. But also, the pin positions were ridiculously easy. The combination allowed for the best scoring day on average in fifteen years and the lowest number of rounds in the sixties ever at Augusta National.
The players certainly had to execute the shots, but the pin placement comparisons between today and yesterday will show just how easy Augusta played.
Take a look at the par 5 second hole. Yesterday, it was practically an automatic birdie for most players in the field. If you could put the ball in the fairway, the front center pin placement in the chute allowed easy access - even for players who could not hit the green in two. Today, the placement is back left over a bunker. Going for the green in two for an eagle won't be an option and wedge players will have to be much more precise with then approaches to score here today.
The fourth hole is a completely different hole from yesterday. The back left pin placement is one of the easier ones on the green. Today, the front bunkers - particularly the right one - come into play because of where the pin is. It makes this long par 3 much more diabolical.
How about the 7th hole? There were several players that made birdie at this much-maligned hole. It had two things working in the players' favor. First, the hole was playing downwind to make that 450 yards shorter. Second, the pin was probably the easiest location on this tiny green - back left (again). Today, front right with all of the bunkers in play should increase the scoring average.
Finally, this is a really subtle change that they committee made for the pin at 15. Looking at the graphic, it doesn't seem like these are all that different. But, the ridge that divides the top right and bottom left halves of the green is just a few feet away from the pin today. Miss left and it will be a very difficult two putt.
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How did I know...
…you’d find some way to criticize. Wow – guys on the PGA Tour making birdies on par 5’s on a day when the weather is great. What a SHOCK ! When conditions are like they were yesterday, they could’ve put the flags UNDER the green and they would find a way to make birdies.
I guess you didn’t bother with where the flags were at 11, 17, 18… And, of course, the greens are always easy to putt.
Is there ANY way they can please you at Augusta National ?
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Court, you really grossly underestimate how much the pin placements mattered yesterday. Seriously. It made scoring a LOT easier. The weather could have been perfect and they moved each pin 3 yards and the scoring average would have been 2 shots worse for the field. You have to realize this. I don’t know what will make you understand that.
AND, this wasn’t a critical post of Augusta whatsoever. It’s their right to set up the course as easily as they want. But, the point of the post was to illustrate how moving the pin make Augusta radically different – and, in these cases, more difficult.
Actually, 17 was an easy pin yesterday. One of the easiest on the hole. 18 is tough no matter where the pin. And 11 was the easiest pin placement on the hole yesterday.
You’re not going to win on this one. Augusta was set up for birdies yesterday on purpose.
Ryan: I would like to know when, and how, you acquired your perceptive critiques of the Augusta National course as well as your obvious negative bias of its membership.
You write as if you are jealous – or overly envious.
Don't worry, nothing will be allright.
Ahh, the attack the messenger approach. Would be glad to tell you.
I started writing and broadcasting in 2001 – the year before the Masters which saw the bulk of the changes. Every year since 2002, I have had at least two interviews with professional course designers. I did that because course architecture really intrigues me. I’ve spoken with guys who do local courses all the way up to Arnold Palmer’s right hand man at his design company. (Unfortunately, he passed away a couple of years ago.) I have asked them for their thoughts on design philosophy, the actual process of course design from start to finish, and on their contemporary and classic counterparts. That’s in addition to lots of reading and discussing golf course design and architecture with people who are just as interested in it as I am. That’s why I reference GCAtlas so much on here – it is a wonderful forum to learn about this stuff.
I’m not certain why you think I have a negative view of Augusta’s membership. I haven’t mentioned them at all in my critiques other than that they approved the Fazio changes. That’s a statement of fact. I don’t care who the membership is at Augusta National.
Also, I’m not certain why you would think I’m jealous or envious of anyone in this equation. All of my posts that are critical of the course changes are rooted in discussions about Jones/MacKenzie’s design philosophy for the course. I ardently believe that golf course “restoration” should adhere to the original design goals of the course. I believe that about Rees Jones’ work with the USGA as well. He often does things that really have nothing to do with original designer goals, but rather just put his stamp on the course. I feel that is not the way to do this kind of work.
I’m more than happy to engage in a debate about golf course architecture, but don’t just make stuff up to try to critique me. Keep on topic, please.
by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 11, 2009 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Ryan: When you lean on "tune-a-mint’ and such lightly-veiled ad hominems, you don’t forward your image.
And, I’m not attacking the messenger, I’m asking a question and making an observation.
By the way, it is interesting you met and conferred with Ed Seay – “Poogie”. I knew Poogie when he was in high school in Jacksonville Beach – and I knew his wife Lynn Evans – Poogie and Lynn were high school sweethearts. The insiders of golf knew Poogie was the essential guy in Palmer’s design business and I always felt Poogie didn’t get the recognition he deserved inasmuch as Palmer always sucks the air out of the room. Poogie had the formal education to support his professional expertise.
Don't worry, nothing will be allright.
I didn’t really intend to make “tune-a-mint” or any like phrasing to come across as making Hootie – or any of the membership – look bad. I actually found Hootie’s drawl endearing, not something to criticize. The man is loaded and successful. And I have a small drawl myself. I can see where you would think that, particularly since other writers do use those terms against Augusta.
Ed was a very kind man in the couple of times I interviewed and spoke with him. He had such a wealth of knowledge and helped me get a grasp of what professional course design is like. I was really saddened when he passed.
by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 12, 2009 11:09 PM EDT up reply actions
come on RB – you just said that the course set up was a joke because these guys were making birdies on par 5’s. It didn’t matter where they put the holes on a day like yesterday – there were going to be birdies made.
11 was EASY ? That means that these guys absolutely suck – very few players hit the green at 11 because of where that flag was. Anything close to the water is tough. 17 did not give up many birdies.
You’re right – the flags were put where they are on purpose, but you make it sound like a conspiracy. If you’ll pay attention, you’ll see the holes move to more and more difficult spots as the tournament goes on – especially on the par 5’s.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Court, I said nothing about the course being a joke by making par 5 birdies and eagles. That’s what I want! I want a winning score between 7 and 12 under. I think that’s perfect, in my mind.
My problem with Thursday was just how many accessible pins were there in a single round. You don’t normally see that many in any single day at Augusta. I want them used, certainly. That helps produce scoring. I just didn’t want an abnormally high number of them used at once.
They made the move to a very tough position on 15 on Friday. Actually, probably the toughest on the green other than front right. Yesterday’s position is one of my favorites on that hole.
by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 11, 2009 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions
They can make the course
as easy or tough as they wish. Mostly, because it is their course and they require no assistance from the PGA of America, The USGA, the R&A and especially, us. But, also, because there is so much room in front of the ‘back’ tees, so much water in their sprinkler system and so many adjustments on their greens and ‘first cut’ mowers, and, yes, RB, because they control pin placements. There were 2-3 oddball first round placements. I Invite you (or anyone) to go to Pine Valley or Oakmont and play those courses with the pins wherever you want them. It won’t effect your score more than a stroke or two. The same is true at Augusta. Any change from most difficult to ‘easy’ is a .1, .2 or at most .3 difference across the field. Yesterday’s pin placements may, OR MAY NOT, have affected scoring .8 or .9 strokes – MAX.
Is the entire blogosphere going to beat this death ad infinitum (4 years MSJC Latin) or just this entire friggin’ weekend? I would rather discuss if Brett Favre is coming to play backup QB for the Ravens.
If the members of ANGC were as critical of our writing and reporting as we are of THEIR golf course, there would be mucho tear drops on golf bloggers’ keyboards throughout the world. I guarantee they know more about writing than 99.9% of us know about golf courses…
by One-Eyed Golfer Guy on Apr 10, 2009 5:12 PM EDT reply actions
Looking back at the scoring average from yesterday proves my point a bit about the placements having an impact. The Thursday scoring average was 72.24. On Friday, it was 73.73. A 1.5 stroke difference between day 1 and 2. I don’t make this stuff up :)
I’m happy to see scoring. That’s what I want. I don’t want arbitrarily low scoring by rigging the course to make it as easy as they can, but that is certainly the committee’s call – not mine. This post was just to point out the radical differences in pin placements and how it impacts scoring. The impact was real to the tune of 1.5 strokes on average.
I wouldn’t be so sure about that writing thing, though – us bloggers write pretty good. (Bad grammar on purpose, haha.)
by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 11, 2009 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions
You probably didn’t notice all the balls in the water at 12, or coming up short at 13 and 15…from the WIND that gusted on and off.
Did you know that “pin placement” is actually an incorrect term ? I didn’t either until our show host started correcting me. “Pin” isn’t in the rule book, so it is supposed to be called “hole location” or “flat location”. (I promised him that I would never say “pin placement” on a national TV broadcast. :-D
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Haha, well there is a pin there – but the pin is the slang for the flagstick. Presumably, the pin indicates where the hole is, haha. But I didn’t know that it wasn’t a defined term in the rule book.
by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 12, 2009 11:10 PM EDT up reply actions
The pin placement was great...it was downright embarrassing
I want to see players playing….missing shots, making shots, etc….not everyone making birdies across the board
People said the last few years that the Masters was becoming too much like the US Open.
Congrats, now it is becoming the John Deere Classic scoring wise
What an amazing masters
I am not a Cabrera fan, I was really rooting for Cambell to get it done. But that was another exciting way to end a great weekend in golf.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
This Is Why You'll Never be a Member
Its hole placements. Never refer to it as pin placements. What’s a pin? Everybody knows this in the inner circles of the game. Good Night.
PtotheJizzle.blogspot.com
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