Hopefully everyone got a chance to exhale after a crazy tournament and get their buddies together for a Masters pool (and if you haven’t yet, hit me up). I wouldn’t call myself a golf snob by any means, but who doesn’t love the Masters? It’s the perfect come down after the thrill of March Madness. For real life reference, the tourney is like a 5 day spring break bender that turned into a 6 day when you got back home; whereas the Masters is the wake and bake pancakes breakfast with a couple naps sprinkled throughout the day. I cannot wait to lay on my couch with the azaleas in bloom, the soft piano keys and Jim Nantz softly uttering: “hello friends”…I can feel the drool from my nap already. I could go off pretending to list guys I feel like have a chance to win and who you should pick for your pool, but I’ll stick to my favorite competitor at the Masters: The Course…for now. Let’s get into my favorite holes 😉
5th favorite hole: 16th Hole-Par 3 “Redbud”
Wet holes are a common theme for my favorite holes, and the 16th is an iconic hole that probably got snubbed at 5. When Augusta National is packed with patrons, this hole is an absolute spectacle with stadium vibes.
The water skipping contest is electric, but so many insane moments have happened at 16. From Tiger’s chip to Phil’s man boobs jumping up and down, this hole will always bring the drama.
4th favorite hole: 18th hole-Par 4 “Holly”
One of the few dry holes on this list, Holly is absolutely majestic with a Narrow shoot that frames the fairway bunkers perfectly. Of course the last hole is going to give us incredible moments, such as Tiger’s 2005 playoff win vs Chris DiMarco and Hideki Matsuyama’s caddie bowing to the course. Between the views from the tee, the manageable difficulty, the pressure and the moments, this hole has it all. Here’s a view of the tee shot from some random twitter account…thanks Kent MacDonald, I would too.
3rd favorite hole: 10th Hole-Par 4- Camellia
I love the aesthetics of this hole. I always thought they should put a huge slip and slide at the top of the gigantic hill the tee box sits upon.
This is always one of the toughest holes at Augusta National and has left us with some incredible moments. In all honesty, part of what puts this hole so high on my list was the memory of watching the 2012 Masters with my dad and witnessing Bubba Watson’s ridiculous shot from the pines. Here’s a video of a guy filming his TV.
2nd Favorite Hole: 15th hole-Par 5-Firethorn
I believe every golf course in heaven will have a water hazard (not so heavenly) and a beautiful footbridge leading to the green. Grandstands and standing room for the patrons frame the approaching fairway, pond and green to make a picturesque backdrop for this beautiful hole. We’ve seen several blow ups, such as Francesco Molinari crumbling under the pressure from the Tiger roars and plunking on in the drink. Here’s a clip of my guy Rickie (not in this Masters…again… because he stinks) playing this hole beautifully.
And a painful Sergio Garcia clip…yikes.
Favorite hole(s): 12th and 13th-Par 3 and Par 5-Golden Bell and Azalea
I’m a coward, I couldn’t choose which Amen’s corner hole to put at the top of the list, so I’ll call the last half tied for most favorite. Gun to head, I’ll take the Par 5 Azalea with it’s breathtaking views and a wide open picture of a ridiculous right to left slope before players make a decision to go for the green or lay up in front of the diagonal creek hazard. It’s arguably the best hole in the world, but how many meltdowns have we seen on the 12th to keep it off the list? Both have a water hazard and a walking bridge (heaven’s golf course staples) and memorable moments such as Spieth’s meltdown on 12.
I cannot wait for the greatest golf tournament in the world and to see the Azaleas in bloom again. If you’re waiting on picks…wait until tomorrow 😉 Love you, bye.
The Morning Flush 