Perhaps no golf course in America has been emulated as much as Augusta National Golf Club. Every April, the course is on full display and members and superintendents of golf courses everywhere see things about Augusta that they wish could be incorporated into their course.
Hey, we should cut a chipping area behind our fourteenth green... Look at how pristine the bunkers are, we need to put out more rakes and whiten the sand, maybe deeper too... Our course could hold a big tournament if we shaved the greens down and made them real slick... How does it get so green?!?!
The condition, design, and landscaping is quite obvious on television, and with the brightness of today's high-definition television broadcasts, these things are even more obvious. But one thing that fails to transmit, even with today's technology, is the elevation changes that are present at Augusta National, something that adds to the course's difficulty that can't be simulated easily on your home course.
Speaking of today's technology, Google Earth illustrates the differences in elevation across the course. The clubhouse and nearby first tee sit at approximately the highest spot on the property, 280 feet above sea level. The lowest portion of the course is the infamous Amen Corner -- holes 11, 12, and 13. The thirteenth tee sits at approximately 162 feet above sea level, representing a 120 foot drop from the clubhouse.
![Augusta National [click to enlarge]](http://www.ballssticksstuff.com/images/2007/04/03/augusta_national.jpg "Augusta_national")
click to enlarge
These changes in elevation result in greater difficulty of the shots that have to be played. Mentally, it is harder to pick the right club for every shot when the degree of uphill or downhill has to be factored in to the equation. Also, its hard enough hitting a golf ball off of a flat lie, but when the ball is six inches above or below your feet, or your right foot is six inches higher or lower than your left or visa-versa, things get even more tricky.
Given the success they've had at August, you have to wonder of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are part mountain goat.
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Few of us will ever get the chance to play Augusta National, but thankfully there are thousands of other courses to play and last week Zagat released their 2007/08 America's Top Golf Courses
According to Tim Zagat of, you guessed it, Zagat Survey, 6,250 golfers evaluated their experiences over 560,000 rounds of golf to compile the Guide. Courses are rated in the categories of course, facilities, service, and value.
Locally, the Golf Course at Glen Mills faired quite well. It's a travesty that I haven't made my way out there yet.
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Speaking of course reviews, yours truly penned one about Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club. Oobgolf.com is a very interesting golf-oriented website. Naturally it has a blog, but also has some interesting game-tracking online software, and course and equipment reviews.
