The Hidden History of Augusta National's 11th Hole l The Hole At l Golf Digest

Welcome to 'THE Hole At', where Golf Digest's Derek Duncan (our go-to for all things golf course architecture) breaks down the hidden histories behind the most famous holes in golf. In this episode, Derek dives into the long & difficult Par-4 11th hole at Augusta National Golf Club. From its original dogleg-right design, to the removal of a fairway bunker and grazing cattle, to remaining one of the most daunting and critical holes of Amen Corner during The Masters, Derek explores the fascinating history behind one of the game's most iconic golf holes.
Host: Derek Duncan
Producer & Editor: Ben Walton
Cinematography: Ben Walton & Will Fullerton
Audio: Mike Kelly
Executive Producer: Christian Iooss
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[@ericmoerdler5555]

I could watch this for every hole on the course

[@orioles0615]

Will we finally gat an "Every hole at Augusta" this year? :)

[@ChandlerTingle]

Raymond Floyd and Greg Norman disliked this video

[@ThreadsandTreadsGreenwich]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@Coda1850]

🤣

[@natebohmann9514]

Nick Faldo liked this video twice

[@RG-ja34sep]

Tom Watson and Ed Sneed also disliked this video. Conversely, Fuzzy Zoeller and Larry Mize liked it!

[@fredgarvin4252]

I’ll never forget “old Ladies “ jumping up n down holding their 👛 purses when Mize holed that pitch shot!

[@ubute]

Derek's Deep Dive plumbed the depths in devilish detail.

[@jeffking887]

Definitely did

[@Jorge_Alvarez1]

Fascinating to think of 10, 11, 12 and 13 originally being the first 4 holes of the golf course, that would be quite a sobering wake up call 😮

[@BoBromhal]

but 10 was almost 80 yards shorter, and just beyond the big bunker. and as noted, 11 wasn't even 400 yards.

[@oahujuniorgolfassociationc6656]

IMO it’s the only thing that makes me question the founders. How was it not obvious. ? And the funny thing is they changed mainly because amen corner doesn’t get enough light in the morning. And Not because it is the greatest back 9 …and it’s not even close.

[@edwardspray5930]

Absolutely when I was 10 me and my farther had to walk past the wompa swamp all the way through to the switch board hut before we even got to see the first hole.

[@oahujuniorgolfassociationc6656]

I’m gonna have to go to rehab I’m so addicted to these videos. Please: More ! I can’t get enough.

[@franciskulchar2877]

the coolest 15 minutes ive ever spent on youtube

[@soygeorge1]

Woah woah woah where’s Ron? 😢

[@chosen1one930]

Bring back Ron this guy doesn't cut it😊

[@babagadoush1]

Very cool video. Would love more of these about Augusta and other legendary courses

[@chadhardman1270]

I love some buffaying winds.

[@TM_2024GO]

We need every hole review!

[@georgewyatt2924]

I attended the Masters for the first time in 2000. I went to the back of the 11th tee to se what the players faced. I have been back several times since, the latest being 2017. I always go to the back of the tee at 11. It's terrifying. One almost has to pick out a branch to aim at, if not a leaf. It's a very tough hole. Thanks for the review.

[@alexanderh2345]

11th is my favorite at Augusta. A perfect golf hole.

[@KyKicks23]

Love all the videos GD is doing.

[@SteveBalboni916]

What a great Augusta history video

[@davidnelson2101]

Terrific video! Holes 5 and 11 seem to carry similar responsibilities for the front and back of the course - absolutely daunting par 4’s that can and often do break the best of players.

[@williamanderson1986]

It's always funny to see clubs lengthening courses to make it harder for longer hitters but just plays into the longer hands even more

[@CanadianInScotland]

Thats why they are working on the ball rollback, and i heard something about woods being rolled back. Augusta is one of many beautiful courses that are in danger of not being relevant with all the new technology.

[@Nutsandcolts]

Super video, Derek. Well done to all involved.

[@garrettkeeler2255]

Awesome history lesson of an iconic hole! Keep em coming.

[@konstantinpobedonotsev5589]

LOVE these hardcore, “X’s and O’s” architectural videos! This and “Every Hole At” are my two favorite series on this channel.

[@godislarge1]

I remember attending my third Masters and watching Fuzzy roll that eight footer in to win the 1979 tooniment! Being an Augusta native there is nothing like Masters week!

[@mith2946]

LOVE Augusta Personally, though, im not a big fan of 18, especially as a finishing hole for the Masters. The highlight every Masters is the middle of the golf course

[@oliverbrown9305]

14 and 17 have always been underwhelming for me tbh. Especially now with no eisenhower tree on 17 anymore. Only thing interesting about 14 is the green.

[@RG-ja34sep]

Brilliant historical analysis of the 11th hole, the start of “Amen Corner”. So many adjustments and changes over the years, I think they’ve gone overboard. It’s better and far more exciting for these great players to play aggressively, rather than defensively. I’d much rather see them going for a birdie, instead of grinding for a par/bogey!

[@boudalff]

Great video. Its a shame the changes it has gone through, The wide 'pick-a-side' design was fantastic. Where players would have choices on how they could tackle a hole like this. Ground game using the mounds etc. Now its just 'you need to drive it to exactly this spot, then you need to hit an iron at the right edge of the green, probably miss right and try get up and down'.

[@adamfarhan768]

Golf Digest has some superb videos. This one included. My only qualm is that there are no videos of actual players hitting these shots they are talking about. Not sure about copy rights, but I'm sure Golf Digest can fork some money for these.....

[@oahujuniorgolfassociationc6656]

Phil may have a thing or two to say about this.

[@mntlblok]

@@oahujuniorgolfassociationc6656 Starting to recognize that moniker now in YT comments sections as I'm so often finding myself clicking that "thumbs up" thingy. 🙂

[@LeakyBucketHandle]

Fascinating

[@mntlblok]

And the cows!!

[@tylerdean5020]

Curious to see if they keep making the course harder with the roll backs or if they leave it alone for a while

[@eddiemaylor2716]

It's incredible how often Augusta have been changing their holes. Surely it would be easier (and cheaper) to change the equipment the pros are using.

[@kidpagronprimsank05]

See why golf heads decided to rolling ball back

[@geraldduncan5646]

Eddie, I’m certain you know that all the top courses that have hosted any PGA event have done so because they can and will always make changes to better challenge the Pros. Augusta’s no different, accept that because the first of the Four Majors has been played there every year since 1934, changes in course layout is even more important.

[@MatthiaGryffine]

For me, the 11th Hole has always been a case of doing something and then overdoing it. By this point, it may as well be a Par 5.

[@dannymac6368]

Watch out for those delicious, all-you-can-eat winds. 😄

[@garykinzer8147]

Fabulous history of the hole and what makes Augusta Augusta.

[@robertdefazio2885]

Thank you for this video absolutely love it ❤🏌‍♂️😅

[@Coda1850]

Augusta is an amazing place.

[@NineteenEightyJuan]

need that sketch blueprint available for purchase

[@tomhyland4077]

I'd buy it!

[@alexanderh2345]

11 is the sleeping giant of Augusta.

[@david-johnrainier9870]

I think everyone was waiting for golf Digest’s Masters videos….

[@dontcarestudios9393]

I love Ron Whitten, but Derek did a great job as well, loved his analysis. Thank you guys for this video!

[@braydendachwitz-el3ob]

Make more of theses course designs videos about Augusta

[@yogamon]

Buffet-ing or buffeting winds😂 6:56

[@ARusso1192]

Love these videos

[@rickkeeler5711]

Excellent video. What hole is next and where can I get a copy of those blueprints?

[@mattcolwell27]

I'm wondering the same thing. Been internet sleuthing for a day now. I know I came across them in the last. Let me know if you found em please. I'll do the same.

[@ericbaumgartner6558]

great video but the music bed makes me want to Clifford Roberts myself.

[@joshuaking9651]

“Buffet”ing winds😂😂😂😂

[@TIMMMAYNZ1]

Never understood lengthening a course to make it more difficult why not just put bunkers in play that are at carry distances forcing players to hit 3 wood or less to stay short and leaving longer iron shots in

[@Honeycawt]

Both honestly

[@magnuscroify]

Agreed - golf at the highest level should place a premium on consistent accuracy/precision, not blasting the ball 340+ yards.

[@michaellee8853]

@@magnuscroify but to blast the ball 340+ yards takes an incredible amount of accuracy/precision. One degree of difference puts you twice as far offline than hitting a 170 yard shot.

[@mntlblok]

That leader board at 7:54.

[@DerKirmisklopper]

Great Video! Can somebody please name the song/instrumental starting at 6:45?

[@RJB]

Fantastic video

[@Benwikimedia]

A golf course in my town closed and they started rolling hay on it.

[@standardshirley2480]

why are they rolling hey on it?

[@stefanoroberti]

Hey you, golf pro who's gonna play Augusta this year and is doing his homework, good luck!

[@davidturoff8017]

Wouldn’t buffeting winds be pronounced like “Jimmy Buffet” and not like “Chinese buffet?”

[@andrewmorley5059]

Was looking for this comment 😂

[@paghal11]

Exactly! That bugged me too. The 't' is not silent.

[@sublimed13]

Nice video, but those filters you use on the still photos made me pull out a cloth and wipe my monitor LOL. not necessary tbh

[@JonasSQJT]

Did my man just say "buffet-ing" winds? @6:56

[@greatwhiteshark9192]

Nick faldos hole!! ⛳

[@jayburbs15]

Easy hole, most of us will just never get a chance to prove it...😅😂

[@jeffarmfield2346]

Where's the other guy?

[@pattonorr7572]

If he doesn’t mention Kitty Litter Alley I’m going to be sad

[@Oscar-gt8kx]

Rory McIlroy disliked this video

[@ThisIsCRB]

Roll the ball back, shrink the driver head.

[@CIA_Is_aTerrorist_Orginization]

Let's go back to persimmon woods while we're at it

[@ThisIsCRB]

@@CIA_Is_aTerrorist_Orginization if wooden bats are good enough for MLB they are good enough for golf. Imagine if the NFL used a nerf vortex because “it goes farther!”

[@AndrewHall-dp9il]

I didn’t want to like this video either but I did…brovo mister.

[@ipanzerschrecku4732]

well Faldo won on the 11th

[@v1persacidno973]

We want Ron

[@scottd291]

Great film but the 16th at St Andrews its not the PRINCIPAL'S buckers its called THE PRINCIPAL'S NOSE

[@josephdrost1686]

They sure can lose it

[@Yankee_Doodle_Dandy]

Your watch is on the wrong side

[@RJB]

He's a lefty, usually they are on the right wrist.

[@SwayPromo]

Course designers feelings get hurt. So let’s make a 525 yard long par 4 😂 when only 10% of guys on tour actually drive It over 310….

[@jimiverson3085]

OTOH, if the player is hitting a club into the 11th green that leaves them unconcerned about the water, the hole has lost its character.

[@SwayPromo]

@@jimiverson3085 if you think any shot into a green that has water on It. No matter what club they are hitting into that green… leaves them unconcerned just because it’s a shorter shot. You don’t know golf.

[@jimiverson3085]

@@SwayPromo if they had left the hole at 445, you're talking most of the field hitting gap or sand wedge to that green. Yeah, they'd be going flag hunting.

[@Ian-mo4fb]

The editing and continuity in this video is making me nauseous.

[@DJTMoney23]

It's sucks they made the hole so difficult that no one attacks the green anymore. Basically every single person plays the hole the same way to just missing short right of the green and tries to get up and down

[@Boston_420]

Yes it's designed this way on purpose it forces you to take on more risk if you're trailing or wanting to add strokes to the lead banking on an up and down is no guarantee on that green either I like they made it harder it was too "easy" before

[@DJTMoney23]

@@Boston_420 except basically no one takes the risk on. They made it hard that now every single person plays the hole the exact same way, they've destroyed all the nuance of the hole.

[@Boston_420]

@DJTMoney23 you didn't watch the tournament closely then a couple guys got burned and it should be hard it's one of the hardest holes in golf, the trend of everyone wanting to be youtube golfer bros that are allergic to competition is pretty annoying tbh

[@DJTMoney23]

@@Boston_420 Ludvig and Collin both his awful shots. They were not attacking the pin, a hole being hard just for the sake of it does not make a good hole when every single person plays the hole the exact same. Par is just a concept, just because a hole plays over par doesn't mean it's good, it's not actually a hard hole vs the field when every single person lays up front right of the green and then tries to get up and down. The does not differiente good players and bad players, a good and bad player will likely both have a look at par. That's the sign of a bad hole

[@Boston_420]

@DJTMoney23 I think you're over thinking this a bit and I'd say that makes it a great hole not a bad one that the best players in the world are forced to play it a similar way, it's designed that way on purpose more than likely you're going to you have to play 3 perfect or well executed shots to make par, holes like that make or break champions, best in the world historic courses need these holes, it's the masters not the waste management there's a time and a place for low scores Augusta isn't it and I'm glad they're making it harder each year liv is out there if you want to watch them shoot low every round every course

[@danguee1]

Lolz! Did he really say "booffaying" winds?!? Haha. That's "buffett-ing" as in Warren Buffett..... How embarrassing

[@bwalsh1105]

Sorry but the narrator is awful for this lesson. Need a softer spoken older man type narration for this type of stuff.

[@jeffking887]

With a southern drawl

[@Rey-hl8oz]

Glasses are always a sign of a guy that knows what he is talking about.

[@Gamecocks_16]

agreed, the other narrator does a much better job for the other videos in this playlist

[@deanholliday3370]

I've been using this hole as an example of "retaliatory architecture failure" . when they "tiger proofed" the course, the simple minded decision to just go back...and back again was stupid, unimaginative and typical of augusta. they should have taken the tee at 455 and gone against the tree line on the right side. 20 yards right. forcing a fade for position. just getting longer is pathetic.

[@v1persacidno973]

We want Ron