This is one of the most spectacular holes of the Augusta National return. It is part of what is called the Amen Corner, the legendary 11, 12, 13 sequence. But with its 466 meters this par 5 has struggled to defend itself for a few years against the new generation of players who drive quite regularly more than 300 meters away.
Augusta, hole 13
Some even do not hesitate to cut over the trees on the left, above Rae’s Creek and very often there is only a small club left to reach the green in two. Even players less renowned for their power from the tee, manage to reach the green with an iron quite comfortably and the committee of the famous tournament has finally decided to lengthen the left dogleg.
It was the twitter account of Eureka Earth, an aerial imagery service based in Georgia, which once again published the first photos. The new starting area is complete. It is located on what was once the fairway of 9 Augusta Country Club, the neighboring club, before the Augusta National Golf Club acquired this piece of land to lengthen the hole by approximately 45 meters.
Eureka Earth posted photos of the work in progress earlier this year. This did not fail to arouse the curiosity of observers. It should be noted that the 13 had previously been modified in 2002, and the starting tee had already been moved back about 25 meters to resist the overpowering of the Tiger Woods of the 2000s, in a move that had been described as “Tiger-Proof”.
Before the 2022 edition last April, the 11th and 15th were both extended. Augusta National Golf Club, located in the city of Augusta, Georgia, is one of the most famous golf clubs in the world. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts on the grounds of an old orchard, the course was designed by Jones and Alister MacKenzie and opened in January 1933.
From the following year it became the home of one of the four majors, the Masters Tournament. The Eisenhower Tree, also known as the “Eisenhower Pine”, was a Taeda Pine, located on hole 17 about 190 meters from the tee.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a member of the Augusta club, struck the tree so many times that, at a club meeting in 1956, he proposed cutting it down. In February 2014, the Eisenhower Tree was removed after suffering extensive damage during an ice storm.
