Augusta National Unveils Intriguing Course Tweak Ahead of 2024 Masters
The countdown to the Masters is officially underway, and that means Augusta National has started to unveil the latest adjustments to its famed but ever-changing course layout.
According to the 460-page 2024 Masters media guide, which was recently distributed to members of the press, Augusta National will introduce just one tweak to the Alister MacKenzie design for this year’s tournament.
The Masters tee box on Augusta’s par-5 2nd hole is now positioned 10 yards further back and to the golfer’s left. Known as “Pink Dogwood,” the hole was already the longest par-5 on the property and this year will be even longer. The hole will measure 585 yards, which is 15 yards longer than the second-longest hole, No. 8.
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The length of the par-5 has not made it particularly challenging for players, however. The hole typically presents a key birdie or eagle opportunity early in the round and has consistently played as one of the easiest on the course. In 2023 it was the easiest, with a scoring average of 4.637.
The hole’s tee box has not been touched since 1999, when it was moved 25 yards back. That lengthening process coincided with a shift of the daunting fairway bunker on the right side of the hole, which can be considered the dogleg’s central defense.
The 2024 decision to move the tee box to the left will presumably bring that penal bunker more into play off the tee, but it remains to be seen whether such a tweak will impact the hole’s scoring average.
As Tour pros continue to gain speed and distance each year, pushing the boundaries of the sport's most iconic venues—both literally and figuratively—Augusta National has continued to adapt.
Last year’s course adjustments included a drastic lengthening of the iconic par-5 13th, which saw 35 yards added to its official distance on the tournament scorecard. In order to make such a change, Augusta National purchased land from the neighboring Augusta Country Club.
Since the inception of the Masters in 1934, the club is rumored to have spent hundreds of millions buying up additional land to keep the course up to date. No matter what it takes, Augusta has always strived to maintain its stature as a venue that challenges the best professionals in the world.
Since Tiger Woods’s first win in 1997, the club has added more than 500 yards to the routing. As evidenced by the most recent tweak to the 2nd hole, it doesn’t appear to be halting that process anytime soon.