Hole 1
Par 4, 400 Yards
One of two par 4 holes with the 18th that favors a left-to-right tee shot, an ideal starting hole with a trap guarding half the green. The hole was changed for the 1970 Masters by moving the fairway trap about 10 to 15 yards further out from the tee to make the "short way" to the green much more risky. The tee was moved a bit to the right to make room for an enlarged spectator mound between the tee and ninth green.
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The Augusta Chronicle
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How Gary Player plays this hole
1. Aside from the natural apprehension accompanied by teeing off at the Masters, the first hole poses a bigger threat because it can sometimes set the tone and precedent for your play on the day. When in contention, I have managed to birdie on several occasions to get away to a good start.
2. It is a challenging drive for an average-length hitter like myself, because the fairway is so narrow in front of the bunker, which comes into play for me as opposed to the long hitters.
3. To play this hole successfully one must remember at all costs to hit the green and avoid the bunkers to ensure a safe par Ð or better still a birdie.
Historical Note
When Player won the 1961 Masters, he played this hole in 3-under par, making par in the first round and birdies in the final three rounds.
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