Augusta has been altered again to keep up with times

Out with the old and in with the new is a statement that has become strikingly evident at this year's Masters.

It didn't take long for the previous version of the fabled Augusta National to become old. The latest round of revisions has increased the total distance of the course to 7,445 yards -- the second longest in major championship history.

The changes were made to restore shot values that Bobby Jones had intended in the original design, but of the six holes that received a face-lift, half have been questioned by players as being unfair and giving the advantage to the bombers.

The par-3 4th hole is now 240 yards and requires most players to hit some type of fairway wood to reach the green -- that includes the longest in the game such as Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and John Daly.

The par-4 7th has been extended to 450 yards, forcing players to hit mid- to long irons to an elevated green, which is the smallest on the course.

And the par-4 11th was lengthened to 505 yards, with additional trees planted down the right side so that second shots would be played with a long iron or possibly more.

"The conditions of the greens currently are different than they were in the early 1900s," said Retief Goosen. "You hit a three-iron on the front of the 11th green, it will roll off into the water."

It's tough to see the changes taking place here at Augusta as well as in the game of golf.

When I arrived in the media center this week, I was presented with a booklet titled Golf Course Changes and Improvements. It was a breakdown dating back to the 1930s of all changes to the course.

It almost seemed to me a little defensive posturing prior to our seeing the changes to the course. But one of the things the old guard of champions has appreciated about Augusta National is its constant desire to improve and upgrade the course, the facilities and the Masters.