The name Amen Corner resonates with every golf fan, conjuring images of blooming azaleas, towering pines, and the gut-wrenching drama that unfolds every April. It’s a name that perfectly describes the most sacred and treacherous stretch of golf at Augusta National. This article will walk you through exactly where that iconic name came from, the holes that make up this legendary corner, and how you can apply the strategies pros use there to your own game.
Before we get into the name's origin, let's get our facts straight. Amen Corner isn't the entire course, nor is it the final three holes. Officially, it comprises the second half of hole 11, the entire par-3 12th hole, and the tee shot on hole 13. It's a triangle of golf at the lowest point of the Augusta National property, tucked away and defined by the dangerous waters of Rae's Creek.
Here’s the specific sequence:
This stretch is where the Masters is so often won and lost. A player can walk in leading the tournament and walk out of contention. Conversely, a string of brilliant shots here can catapult a player to the top of the leaderboard and set them up for a walk down the 18th fairway to a green jacket.
The name wasn't handed down from the club's founders, Bobby Jones or Clifford Roberts. Instead, it was brought into the golf world by the brilliant sportswriter Herbert Warren Wind in a 1958 issue of Sports Illustrated.
To understand why he chose the name, you have to understand the drama of that year's tournament, which centered around a charismatic young star named Arnold Palmer.
During the final round of the 1958 Masters, Arnold Palmer was in a tight race. When he reached the par-3 12th hole, disaster seemed to strike. His tee shot flew over the green and his ball became embedded in a rain-soaked, mushy bank behind the green.
Palmer believed he was entitled to a free drop due to a local rule for "embedded balls." However, the on-site rules official disagreed. Unsure but unwilling to accept a penalty, Palmer made a bold move. He played two balls.
First, he played the embedded ball as it lay, chopping it onto the green and making a double-bogey 5. Then, he dropped a second ball at the spot he felt was fair, chipped it close, and made a par 3. He walked off the green not knowing if his score was a 3 or a 5.
Buoyed by the possibility of the favorable ruling, he stood on the 13th tee and hit a tremendous drive. He then smashed a 3-wood onto the green and two-putted for a critical birdie. It wasn't until he was between the 15th green and 16th tee that he received the official word: Bobby Jones had reviewed the situation and Palmer's par 3 on the 12th hole would stand.
That two-shot swing, from a potential 5 to a 3, combined with the birdie on 13, powered Palmer to victory. He won his first of four green jackets.
When Herbert Warren Wind was writing his recap of Palmer’s dramatic victory, he was searching for the right phrase to encapsulate the thrilling, make-or-break nature of that part of the course. He found his inspiration in music.
Wind remembered an old jazz tune from the 1930s by a group led by Milton "Mezz" Mezzrow titled "Shoutin’ in that Amen Corner." The song’s title referred to a specific spot in some churches where the most fervent and vocal responses - the "Amens" - came from. It was a place of high emotion and crucial moments.
Connecting the emotional, prayerful atmosphere of both the jazz tune's namesake and the high-wire act of navigating holes 11, 12, and 13, Wind created the perfect moniker. In his Sports Illustrated article, he described the area for the first time as "down in the Amen Corner." The name was so perfect, so evocative, that it stuck instantly and has been a permanent part of golf's vocabulary ever since.
Beyond the history, Amen Corner provides a masterclass in golf strategy, decision-making, and mental fortitude. Even if you never get to play Augusta National, you can learn valuable lessons from how the best golfers in the world approach these legendary holes. Every course has its own version of a tough stretch, and these principles will serve you well.
This long, downhill par 4 marks the beginning of the end of the front side. Before its 2022 lengthening, players often began to feel the real challenge right from the initial tee shot. However, modern-day Amen Corner doesn’t actually start until a player’s second shot approach to the green, which remains one of the toughest in golf today.
The second shot is what defines this hole. A pond guards the entire left side of the green, while a bunker sits on the right. The wind is often blowing from right-to-left, pushing shots toward the water. It’s a long approach with nearly nowhere to miss safely.
The wind is not just an obstacle, it’s the architect of the hole. It comes from different directions as it moves through the hills of Augusta National, confusing players with its unpredictability. The green is extremely narrow, so there is not much room for error. The only thing you have to hit is the green in one shot.
The final leg here is a classic risk-reward par five. It gives players a chance to make a comeback after struggling on holes 11 and 12 or conversely, an opportunity to compound that damage with one bad swing. A tee shot that fits a right-to-left curve shape lets players take it over the corner, and the second shot over Rae’s Creek tests every golfer's skill.
The entire left side is framed by trees, and a branch of Rae's Creek looms in front of the green. A tee shot that doesn't draw enough can end up in the pine straw on the right, blocked out from going for the green in two. A hook goes straight into the trees. It’s a hole that demands both power and precision.
The dramatic two-hole swing in 1958, a gutsy performance from Arnold Palmer, and an apt nickname from sportswriter Herbert Warren Wind gave us Amen Corner. It's a place where history is made every spring, defined by its incredible beauty and unforgiving nature, permanently solidifying its status as golf's most hallowed ground.
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