Every hole at Augusta National Golf Course, the iconic home of The Masters Tournament, has a unique name. This article breaks down the story behind each one, taking you on a hole-by-hole tour to understand the botanical inspiration for this legendary course. We'll walk through the front nine, navigate the treacherous back nine (including Amen Corner), and finish with a deeper appreciation for the thought behind each tee box and green.
Unlike courses named after people or geographic features, Augusta National's holes trace their names back to the land's history. Before it was a world-famous golf course, the property was an indigo plantation and then, more importantly, a 365-acre plant nursery known as Fruitland Nurseries. Founded by the Berckmans family in the 1850s, it became one of the most successful horticultural sites in the South.
When Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts purchased the land, they decided to honor this heritage. Almost every hole is named for a tree, plant, or shrub that grows on or near it. This tradition connects every shot played during The Masters to the natural beauty and history of the grounds. Let's walk the course.
The outward nine at Augusta sets the stage. It's a collection of challenging and strategic holes where players try to build a solid foundation before facing the back nine's famous finish.
The first hole is named after the fragrant Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans), an evergreen shrub that greets players and patrons with a sweet, apricot-like scent. As a coach, I see this opening hole as a true test of nerves. The fairway bunkers on the right are deep and punishing, and an errant tee shot left can leave you blocked out by trees. A well-placed drive is essential to have a clear look at a very tricky, undulating green. Taking a par here is a fantastic start to the round.
Named for the stunning Pink Dogwood trees (Cornus florida 'rubra') that line the right side of the fairway, this hole is the first real scoring opportunity. Big hitters may be tempted to go for the green in two, but the shot is downhill to a narrow, well-bunkered putting surface. The smart play for most golfers is a layup to a preferred wedge distance. The key is landing your third shot on the correct tier of the green to give yourself a solid birdie putt.
This is the shortest par 4 on the course, named for the elegant Flowering Peach trees (Prunus persica). It's a classic risk-reward hole. Players might be tempted to drive the green, but anything left will find a cluster of four deep bunkers. The true defense of this hole is its pear-shaped, steeply sloped green. The play is often to lay up with an iron off the tee, leaving a full wedge shot where you can control the spin and get the ball close.
Simply brutal. Named for the Flowering Crab Apple, this long par 3 demands a precise long-iron or even a fairway wood. Two imposing bunkers, one front-right and another front-left, protect a two-tiered green. An afternoon wind often swirls here, making club selection incredibly difficult. Just hitting the green is a victory a miss short-sided in the sand can easily lead to a double bogey.
Originally modeled after the "Road Hole" at St. Andrews, this dogleg left is now one of the toughest holes on the course. It's named for the magnificent Magnolia trees. The deep fairway bunkers on the left are a popular (and painful) landing spot, requiring a carry of over 315 yards to clear. The enormous green has severe humps and slopes, demanding a pinpoint approach shot. Walking away with a par of 4 here feels like a birdie.
Named for the Juniper shrubs near the tee, this downhill par 3 is dominated by its massive, dramatically contoured green. From the elevated tee box, players get a great view of the target, but club selection is everything. A back pin location is one of the most difficult on the course. If you miss your spot by just a few feet, you can face an almost impossible putt down a steep ridge.
This hole was significantly lengthened over the years and is now defended by towering pines that squeeze the fairway. It’s named after the ornamental Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana). The tee shot is tight, and from the fairway, players hit into one of the smallest and best-protected greens on the course. It’s surrounded by five bunkers, so your approach shot must be precise.
The Yellow Jasmine (Gelsemium sempervirens) gives its name to this uphill par 5. A player's drive must avoid the large fairway bunker on the right. From there, it's a completely blind layup shot. The real challenge is the long, narrow green protected by sculpted mounds. An approach that finds the putting surface is no guarantee of a two-putt, but a birdie is definitely possible for those who execute the first two shots perfectly.
Named after the native Carolina Cherry tree (Prunus caroliniana), this hole closes the front nine. The tee shot is semi-blind to a fairway that slopes severely from left to right. Even a perfect drive will leave a downhill lie to an elevated, three-tiered green. An approach shot that comes up short will famously roll back down the fairway, sometimes 50 yards or more. It's a shot that requires both conviction and control.
This is where The Masters is won and lost. The back nine at Augusta, especially the stretch known as Amen Corner, is arguably the most famous side in all of golf.
The name "Amen Corner" was coined by legendary sportswriter Herbert Warren Wind in a 1958 Sports Illustrated article. It refers to the harrowing stretch of the 11th, 12th, and 13th holes. Wind borrowed the name from a jazz song, and it perfectly captured the spirit of the place - a spot where players' hopes live and die, and where a few Sunday prayers certainly couldn't hurt.
The first leg of Amen Corner is a monster par 4, named for the White Dogwood. The tee shot is tight, with a right-to-left sloping fairway pushing balls toward the trees. The real danger comes on the approach. A pond guards the left side of the green, and a bunker sits to the right. The wind is often a factor, and players frequently bail out to the right, leaving a tricky up-and-down to save par.
Perhaps the most famous par 3 in golf. Named for the Golden Bell shrubs (Forsythia)massed behind the green, this hole is as beautiful as it is terrifying. Though it's short, the swirling winds through Rae's Creek make club selection a nightmare. Players must carry the creek, avoid the three protective bunkers, and land on a very shallow green. Many a Masters dream has drowned in that water.
Over 1,600 azaleas, including the original species from Fruitland Nurseries, give this hole its name and its breathtaking beauty. This sharp-dogleg-left par 5 is the ultimate risk-reward hole. A successful drive down the left side leaves a mid-iron approach to the green. However, Rae's Creek famously snakes along the left side of the fairway and crosses in front of the green. Going for it in two is a gamble that can lead to eagle or double bogey.
Strategically positioned after the tension of Amen Corner, Chinese Fir is the only hole on the course without a single bunker. But don't let that fool you - its heavy contoured fairway and massive, undulating green are its defense. The an approach shot to the correct tier is essential for a chance at birdie.
A reachable par 5 that has produced countless moments of Sunday drama. It's named for the sharp-thorned Firethorn shrub. After a good drive, players face a decision: lay up or go for the green in two over the pond in front? The shot requires precision and courage. Hitting the green can set up an eagle putt, but finding the water can end a player's chances.
This is the site of perhaps Tiger Woods' most famous shot - the dramatic chip-in in 2005. It’s named for the flowering Redbud tree (Cercis canadensis). The hole plays entirely over water to a green that slopes severely from right to left. A Sunday pin in the back-left corner is one of the most exciting in golf, using the slope to feed the ball toward the hole for a potential ace.
Named for the Nandina plant, this hole is fondly remembered for the Eisenhower Tree, a tall pine that guarded the left side of the fairway until it was removed after an ice storm in 2014. Despite its absence, this hole remains a solid challenge, requiring a well-placed drive to set up an approach to a challenging, elevated green.
The finishing hole is named after masses of native Holly. The tee shot is one of the most demanding in golf - a tight, uphill chute through a corridor of trees. Finding the fairway bunker on the left ends any hope of reaching the green in regulation. From the fairway, it’s an uphill approach to a two-tiered green protected by two deep bunkers. A final par here is hard-earned and often enough to secure a green jacket.
The names of the holes at Augusta National do more than just identify them, they root the course in a rich horticultural history that makes the tournament experience unlike any other. Each name reflects the natural landscape, reminding everyone that before it was a cathedral of golf, it was a garden of immense beauty.
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