The Masters not truly beginning until the back nine on Sunday is one of the absolute bankers that will be rolled out year after year. The simple truth is that the vast majority of champions come from the final pairing but something does change on the 10th tee.
Back in the day there was barely any coverage of the front nine, which helped the back nine’s cause, then there’s the fact that there’s water on five of the nine holes.
We all have a favourite story from Augusta’s back nine and can quickly picture an iconic birdie or some sort of disaster which certainly isn’t the case on the front side.
Name your favourite birdie at the 4th, 5th or 6th? There you are.
Here the back nine is ranked for difficulty and drama.
10 Camellia, Par 4, 495 yards
Difficulty: 4.30 (1)
Historically the hardest hole on the course which isn’t surprising given the length, hanging lies and tee shot that requires a swinging hook
Drama: 6/10
Unless your name is Bubba Watson this is a hole that is played fairly routinely, with either pars or bogeys dominating. What Rory did here in 2011 was an absolute outlier.
11 White Dogwood, Par 4, 520 yards
Difficulty: 4.30 (2)
The second hardest hole on the property and a hole that is unrecognisably longer than in the 90s. In truth quite a dull hole with a procession of players shoving their second shots away from the drink.
Drama: 4/10
Probably Sir Nick Faldo’s favourite hole anywhere, with two play-off wins in back-to-back years. An occasional brute and the beginning of the world-famous Amen Corner.
12 Golden Bell, Par 3, 155 yards
Difficulty: 3.27 (4)
You watch the players in practice and wonder what all the fuss is about and then Sunday happens and it takes on a life of its own with the swirling winds and that stinker of a pin cut on the right of the green.
Drama: 9/10
You can’t really knock this hole as it repeatedly delivers. Make a 3 on Sunday and you’re absolutely thrilled and making inroads on the field. One of the great holes in making the world’s best look very ordinary.
13 Azalea, Par 5, 545 yards
Difficulty: 4.77 (18)
The easiest hole on the course and now lengthened in recent years. Still a legendary hole but certainly needs players taking on the slanted green rather than wedging in.
Drama: 7/10
Which brings us to the worst pitch in Masters history and Rory’s flub into Rae’s Creek. How he managed to win from this shot is anybody’s guess. Also known for Phil Mickelson’s shot from the pine straw (though he then missed the short eagle putt).
14 Chinese Fir, Par 4, 440 yards
Difficulty: 4.17 (8)
Stick this anywhere else and it’s a very cool hole with no bunkers and a green unlike many other holes. The tee shot is very dull though with plenty not being able to find the necessary shape.
Drama: 3/10
You do get balls funnelling down to the Sunday pin but we’re so familiar with this green that it’s just a bit boring – or it sits between two of the most dramatic par 5s and any hole would struggle to stand up for itself.
15 Firethorn, Par 5, 550 yards
Difficulty: 4.77 (17)
It’s got longer and longer but it’s always remained as a mighty par 5. The beauty here is that a 100-yard wedge is almost as much of a horror shot as pinging in a long iron to the narrow green.
Drama: 9/10
The stats don’t lie and there are lots of birdies (and eagles) here. Remember Rory chipping in the water from behind the green last year? You’re never really safe here and one of the most storied settings in sport.
16 Redbud, Par 3, 170 yards
Difficulty: 3.14 (11)
My personal least favourite hole on the course on the Sunday and I quite enjoyed the switch to the top tier in 2025. The year when everyone was holing out, one after the other, made a mockery of things, in my humble opinion.
Drama: 8/10
But that’s not to say that it’s not interesting. Too much has gone on here and it’s the home to THAT Tiger chip so let’s just enjoy it for what it is. A one-shotter late on where someone will make a birdie that might change their life forever.
17 Nandina, Par 4, 450 yards
Difficulty: 4.16 (9)
In comparison to what’s around it, another slightly less interesting hole and even more so these days without Ike’s Tree to get in the way of the tugged tee shot. But it does require a very solid tee shot and well-judged approach at the penultimate hole of the Masters.
Drama: 6/10
Jack Nicklaus rolled a beauty in here 40 years ago and Rory made the most timely of threes 12 months ago. Otherwise it’s probably more remembered for niggly bogeys. Very unremarkable hole in the flesh.
18 Holly, Par 4, 465 yards
Difficulty: 4.23 (7)
The tee shot here is unrecognisable from 20 years ago and it’s the definition of the drive to give you nightmares. Get this right and you should be thinking of making the most of the slopes and giving yourself a birdie chance.
Drama: 8/10
Unless your name is Rory and you have a wedge in your hands. All sorts of drama here over the years – for many of us the Sandy Lyle birdie will never be eclipsed. AI tells us that at least five players have birdied the 72nd to win the Green Jacket – Arnold Palmer (1960), Gary Player (1978), Sandy Lyle (1988), Mark O’Meara (1998) and Phil Mickelson (2004) – which seems a little light?
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Article Link: The Masters back nine guide: hole-by-hole difficulty and iconic moments