Augusta National Golf Club has famously named each hole at the home of the Masters for a plant. What’s the story?
A little history lesson: Augusta National was a plant nursery operated by the Berckmans family before it was turned into a golf course in the early 1930s, and Alphonse Berckmans helped ANGC founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts adorn each hole with the plant for which that hole is named. Some of the plants already were in place, but others had to planted. Our favorite is Golden Bell, aka forsythia, for which the par-3 12th was named.
If you, like us, can’t get enough of the details on Augusta National’s layout and the Masters, keep scrolling for all sorts of details such as hole names, lengths, scoring averages and rank among the 18, and how each hole has been changed over the years.
But first, the routing of the layout to help with orientation.
No. 1: Tea Olive
No. 1 at Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters (Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club)
Par/yardage: 4 / 445
Historical scoring average: 4.238
Historical rank in difficulty: 6
Low year: 4.008 (1974)
High year: 4.474 (2007)
2023 average (rank): 4.184 (7)
Changes to the hole over the years*:
- 1951: Bunker added at front-left of green. Underground piping of creek in front of tee.
- 1972: Masters tees relocated to the right.
- 1980: Masters tees lengthened.
- 2002: Masters tees moved back 20-25 yards. Fairway bunker reshaped and extended 10-15 yards towards the green. Portion of fairway landing area regraded.
- 2006: Masters tees moved back 15-20 yards. Trees added to the left side of the fairway.
- 2008: Ten yards added to the front of the Masters tees. Back of tees reduced to ease patron movement.
- 2009: Back of tee reduced seven yards. Tee marker relocated and Masters scorecard changed to 445.
- 2010: Practice putting green behind first tee reduced by 20 percent to improve patron flow.
- *Historical details provided by Augusta National in the annual media guide for the Masters.
No. 2: Pink Dogwood
No. 2 at Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters (Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club)
Par/yardage: 5 / 585
Historical scoring average: 4.775
Historical rank in difficulty: 17
Low year: 4.467 (2020)
High year: 4.996 (1957)
2023 average (rank): 4.635 (18)
Changes to the hole over the years:
- 1946: Second bunker added to front of green.
- 1953: Green extended to the left.
- 1966: Right bunker at green reduced. Fairway bunker on left moved to the right in landing area.
- 1977: Masters tees rebuilt and moved approximately 20-25 feet to right adding 15 yards to the back of the tee. Bunker enlarged 12-15 feet on left side.
- 1996: Spectator mound moved back from rear of No. 2 green.
- 1999: Masters tees moved back 20-25 yards. Fairway bunker shifted to the right.
- 2010: Front of green widened approximately eight feet.
- 2024: Masters tees moved back 10 yards and to the golfer’s left.
No. 3: Flowering Peach
No. 3 at Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters (Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club)
Par/yardage: 4 / 350
Historical scoring average: 4.076
Historical rank in difficulty: 14
Low year: 3.885 (2011)
High year: 4.267 (1989)
2023 average (rank): 4.029 (13)
Changes to the hole over the years:
- 1953: Masters tees shifted to right.
- 1982: New fairway bunker complex constructed.
No. 4: Flowering Crab Apple
No. 4 at Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters (Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club)
Par/yardage: 3 / 240
Historical scoring average: 3.284
Historical rank in difficulty: 3
Low year: 3.089 (2020)
High year: 3.497 (1956)
2023 average (rank): 3.217 (5)
Changes to the hole over the years:
- 1964: Masters tees relocated to right and rear.
- 2006: Masters tees moved back 30-35 yards.
No. 5: Magnolia
No. 5 at Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters (Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club)
Par/yardage: 4 / 495
Historical scoring average: 4.266
Historical rank in difficulty: 5
Low year: 4.061 (2001)
High year: 4.475 (1956)
2023 average (rank): 4.325 (1)
Changes to the hole over the years:
- 1953: Masters tees extended forward 10 yards.
- 1956: Mound built at left of green.
- 1964: Fairway mounds added to right-front of green.
- 1967: Mound at left of green enlarged.
- 1972: Apron of green extended.
- 2003: Masters tees moved back. Fairway bunkers extended approximately 80 yards towards the green. Fairway and bunkers shifted to the right increasing the dogleg. With the extended dogleg and movement of the tee, the hole was remeasured to 455 yards.
- 2010: Seven yards added to the front of the Masters tees without necessitating a change in length to the hole.
- 2019: Masters tees moved back 40 yards.
No. 6: Juniper
No. 6 at Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters (Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club)
Par/yardage: 3 / 180
Historical scoring average: 3.137
Historical rank in difficulty: 13
Low year: 2.984 (1974)
High year: 3.269 (1946)
2023 average (rank): 3.097 (10)
Changes to the hole over the years:
- 1959: Pond filled in at front of green.
- 1975: Masters tees rebuilt and widened.
- 2012: Masters and members tees connected to form a single teeing ground.
No. 7: Pampas
No. 7 at Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters (Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club)
Par/yardage: 4 / 450
Historical scoring average: 4.157
Historical rank in difficulty: 10
Low year: 3.986 (2001)
High year: 4.402 (1972)
2023 average (rank): 4.209 (6)
Changes to the hole over the years:
- 1938: Green relocated and bunkers added.
- 1951: Masters tees extended forward. Green elevated. Bunkers added.
- 2002: Masters tees moved back 40-45 yards. Portion of fairway landing area regraded.
- 2006: Masters tees moved back 35-40 yards. Green re-grassed to create possible right-rear pin position. Trees added to the right and left side of the fairway.
- 2008: Six feet added to the left of the green. Left-rear bunker moved back.
- 2009: An additional 10 yards was added to the front of the Masters tees without necessitating a change in length to the hole.
No. 8: Yellow Jasmine
No. 8 at Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters (Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club)
Par/yardage: 5 / 570
Historical scoring average: 4.819
Historical rank in difficulty: 15
Low year: 4.628 (2019)
High year: 4.991 (1956)
2023 average (rank): 4.643 (17)1956: Green redesigned.
Changes to the hole over the years:
- 1957: Fairway bunker relocated to the right.
- 1964: Masters tees relocated to right and rear.
- 1979: Green restored to its original design.
- 2002: Masters tees moved back 15-20 yards and shifted to golfer’s right 10 yards. Reshaped and nearly doubled the size of the fairway bunker.
No. 9: Carolina Cherry
Par/yardage: 4 / 460
Historical scoring average: 4.138
Historical rank in difficulty: 12
Low year: 3.967 (2020)
High year: 4.401 (1955)
2023 average (rank): 4.072 (11)
Changes to the hole over the years:
- 1958: Mounding at right and rear of green built.
- 1972: Mound left of green enlarged.
- 1973: Tees split, relocating Masters tees 26 yards to right and rear.
- 2002: Masters tees moved back 25-30 yards.
- 2008: Right hole location softened on first and middle plateau.
No. 10: Camellia
No. 10 at Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters (Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club)
Par/yardage: 4 / 495
Historical scoring average: 4.299
Historical rank in difficulty: 12
Low year: 4.082 (2018)
High year: 4.691 (1956)
2023 average (rank): 4.130 (9)1937: Green relocated from fairway bottom to current location.
Changes to the hole over the years:
- 1968: Bunker to right of green enlarged. Pothole bunker right of green removed.
- 1972: Tees split and shifted left 10 yards.
- 2002: Masters tees moved back 5-10 yards and moved to the golfer’s left five yards.
No. 11: White Dogwood
No. 11 at Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters (Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club)
No. 11: White Dogwood
Par/yardage: 4 / 520
Historical scoring average: 4.303
Historical rank in difficulty: 1
Low year: 4.064 (1995)
High year: 4.644 (1956)
2023 average (rank): 4.274 (3)
Changes to the hole over the years:
- 1950: Masters tees relocated. Pond left of green built. Green reshaped.
- 1953: Two small bunkers added at rear of green.
- 1990: Green rebuilt due to flood damage.
- 1999: Green, pond and bunker complex adjusted.
- 2002: Masters tees moved back 30-35 yards and moved five yards to golfer’s right. Portion of fairway landing area recontoured.
- 2004: Pine trees (36) added to the right of the fairway.
- 2006: Masters tees moved back 10-15 yards. Trees added to the right side of the fairway and fairway shifted to the left.
- 2008: Several trees removed on right side of fairway and fairway widened.
- 2022: Masters tees moved back 15 yards and to the golfer’s left. Fairway recontoured and several trees removed on right side.
No. 12: Golden Bell
No. 12 at Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters (Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club)
Par/yardage: 3 / 155
Historical scoring average: 3.27
Historical rank in difficulty: 4
Low year: 3.030 (2002)
High year: 3.548 (1966)
2023 average (rank): 3.065 (12)
Changes to the hole over the years:
- 1951: Green extended to right by 18 feet.
- 1958: Ben Hogan Bridge dedicated.
- 1960: Green raised.
- 1965: Tees revised to split level, side-by-side.
No. 13: Azalea
No. 13 at Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters (Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club)
Par/yardage: 5 / 545
Historical scoring average: 4.775
Historical rank in difficulty: 18
Low year: 4.474 (2019)
High year: 5.042 (1976)
2023 average (rank): 4.736 (15)
Changes to the hole over the years:
- 1954: Contours of green changed and bunker rearranged.
- 1958: Byron Nelson Bridge dedicated.
- 1967: Masters tees extended forward five yards.
- 1974: Masters tees extended to rear five yards.
- 1975: Masters tees extended to rear seven yards. Green rebuilt and recontoured.
- 1988: Swales to left and rear of green moderated.
- 1994: First permanent air system installed at green.
- 1995: Creek in front of green modified.
- 2002: Masters tees moved back 20-25 yards.
- 2010: Seven yards added to the front of the Masters tees without necessitating a change in length to the hole.
- 2023: Masters tees moved back 35 yards.
No. 14: Chinese Fir
No. 14 at Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters (Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club)
Par/yardage: 4 / 440
Historical scoring average: 4.165
Historical rank in difficulty: 8
Low year: 3.936 (2011)
High year: 4.413 (1949)
2023 average (rank): 4.177 (8)
Changes to the hole over the years:
- 1952: Bunker at right of fairway in landing area removed.
- 1972: Masters tees relocated to left and reshaped. Apron on green extended.
- 1974: Tees split.
- 1987: Green modified to provide for back left hole location.
- 2002: Masters tees moved back 30-35 yards.
No. 15: Firethorn
No. 15 at Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters (Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club)
Par/yardage: 5 / 550
Historical scoring average: 4.776
Historical rank in difficulty: 16
Low year: 4.505 (1991)
High year: 5.097 (1998)
2023 average (rank): 4.650 (16)1955: Gene Sarazen Bridge dedicated.
Changes to the hole over the years:
- 1957: Bunker added to front-right of green.
- 1961: Pond in front of green enlarged.
- 1963: Mound at rear of green removed and mound on right extended.
- 1964: Bunker at right of green enlarged.
- 1969: Tees split, moving Masters tees to rear and right. Mounds added in fairway on right side.
- 1999: Fairway mounds reduced, and pine trees added to right and left.
- 2006: Masters tees moved back 25-30 yards and shifted approximately 20 yards to the golfer’s left.
- 2009: Eight to nine yards added to front of the Masters tees. No change to yardage.
- 2022: Masters tees moved back 20 yards and fairway recontoured.
No. 16: Redbud
No. 16 at Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters (Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club)
Par/yardage: 3 / 170
Historical scoring average: 3.139
Historical rank in difficulty: 11
Low year: 2.875 (2020)
High year: 3.422 (1950)
2023 average (rank): 2.960 (14)
Changes to the hole over the years:
- 1946: New green constructed.
- 1947: Stream transformed into a pond. Green shifted to right. Masters tees moved left.
- 1961: Masters tees extended and relocated to the left.
- 1966: Neck of pond and left-rear of green filled in.
- 1973: Left section of pond filled in.
No. 17: Nandina
No. 17 at Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters (Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club)
Par/yardage: 4 / 440
Historical scoring average: 4.161
Historical rank in difficulty: 9
Low year: 3.949 (1996)
High year: 4.348 (1951)
2023 average (rank): 4.256 (4)
Changes to the hole over the years:
- 1951: Ditch in front of tees removed and filled. Masters tees extended forward 10 yards.
- 1972: Tees separated, moving Masters tees back 10 yards.
- 1999: Masters tees moved back approximately 25 yards.
- 2006: Masters tees moved back 10-15 yards.
- 2014: Eisenhower Tree removed following historic ice storm.
No. 18: Holly
No. 18 at Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters (Courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club)
Par/yardage: 4 / 465
Historical scoring average: 4.23
Historical rank in difficulty: 7
Low year: 4.014 (2001)
High year: 4.463 (1954)
2023 average (rank): 4.300 (2)
Changes to the hole over the years:
- 1958: Mounding at left of green built.
- 1967: Double bunker constructed on left in fairway landing area.
- 2002: Masters tees moved back 55-60 yards and moved to the golfer’s right five yards. Bunker complex adjusted, making bunkers approximately 10 percent larger. Trees added left of fairway bunkers.
- 2022: Thirteen yards added to the back of the Masters tees without necessitating a change in length to the hole.
