A Guide to Navigating Augusta National

This is a guide for how to best experience the Masters from someone who has been lucky enough to be on the grounds at Augusta National for more than 150 days dating to 1980. This template can be utilized for practice rounds but is more intended for those fortunate enough to attend a weekend round. Practice rounds aren’t as structured, so I suggest enjoying the beauty of the place and not getting caught up in 20-deep galleries following the likes of Rory and Scottie. Find an amateur or a lesser-known player and walk a few holes alongside him standing along the ropes to witness some of the shots being played, not just from the fairways but also on and around the greens.  

A couple points of emphasis to take from this for practice days is to make sure you have a meeting place with your party in case you get separated. With the large crowds gathered for concessions, merchandise and bathrooms, it will probably happen at some point. The manual scoreboard and the oak tree, both near the 1st tee, are good spots. Bring a camera. Phones are not allowed, but from Monday through Wednesday you can snap pictures with a camera. Take advantage of the merchandise facility near the south gate (between 5 and 13); there will be lines, but they won’t be nearly as long. It doesn’t have all of the selections the main shop does, but I promise you will be able to purchase anything you could ever want there. Besides, you don’t want to spend three of your 10 hours on the hallowed grounds in a Disney-like queue to buy a T-shirt. Also, if you only want a smaller item like a cap, a visor or a flag, there are pop-up stands all over the course that rarely have lines. If you buy a bunch of items, use the check stands so you don’t have to lug your merchandise around all day.  

On Thursday, you want to be around the 1st tee for the ceremonial start of the tournament. The pairings will be the same on Friday, with everyone going off of No. 1.

For those going Saturday and/or Sunday and who plan on walking, this is my recommended guide to optimize your day. I will do this “Scottie Style,” but instead of how to play the course will offer tips on how to navigate from the other side of the ropes. (for reference, Scheffler did a hole by hole walk through here)

• Enter through the south gate This is the entrance farther down Berckmans Road, and depending on where you get routed to park could be the quickest gate to get to. Regardless, it’s worth the few extra steps to begin your journey here. Walking in you will get a glimpse of Berckmans Place and the three replica putting greens. There is a smaller, less crowded merchandise shop that provides the same souvenir staples, the same kind of things you will find in the massive shop near the driving range. If you are looking for fine china or Rolex watches, the main shop is your only option. Also, there are bathrooms and concession stands that are easy to navigate. Grab a beverage and a sandwich and turn right. 

• You will be next to the 14th tee and the 13th green. Walk 400 yards and you will see fans setting up their green chairs behind the 12th tee. Because no players will be coming through until at least noon, these seats are left vacant; it’s the perfect place to sit and enjoy your breakfast. I typically start with egg salad, but when I have the girls with me, a breakfast peach ice cream sandwich seems to hit the spot. 

• After soaking in the serene setting of Amen Corner, walk along the 11th fairway and past the 10th green. From there you can see where Bubba hit his hooked wedge from the pine straw and where Rory battled the cabins en route to a triple bogey and his ill-fated finish in 2011. 

• Near the putting green and the 10th tee is the Eisenhower Cabin. Turn right and you’ll find the par-3 course. Unless you’re there on Wednesday, it will be roped off, but you can see all nine pristine holes. Then you can get in line to have your picture taken in front of the clubhouse on Magnolia Lane. Because you can’t bring in cameras or phones during tournament rounds, this is the only way to have a picture taken. The Augusta staff will provide a card for a free digital download. 

• Loop around the clubhouse and head over to the practice facility. It’s truly amazing that this area was constructed in under a year, turning a gravel lot into a world-class facility. There is an autograph area for kids looking to get a flag or a hat signed. 

• About 90 minutes before the final twosome starts, go to the main concession stand (next to the manual scoreboard, which shows every player in the field). Grab more nourishment (guaranteed it will be under $15) and head up the hill to the bleacher behind the 1st green. This is a nice view, as you can see the 9th tee and the 8th green, and it will allow you to relax before embarking on a grueling four-hour walk to watch the guys in contention. 

• Get a lower-row aisle seat, because once the final group putts out, everyone leaves. Otherwise, it could take 15 minutes to exit the grandstand. Cross to the right on the 2nd hole in front of the tee. There you’ll find another large concession and restroom area. If you make that stop, it’s best to stand on top of the hill if you want to see the action on the 2nd green. 

• Most play a mid-iron off the 3rd tee, although more and more are hitting driver these day. Either way the fun begins around the green. You can see approaches and putts from the big hill to the right of the small but tilted green. 

• I generally skip the 4th hole. The bleacher to the left of the green is usually full. However, when the back tee on the 5th hole was added, the right side was opened to walk down. Here you can walk past the only palm tree on property and can easily see the right side of the green. 

• Because you can’t go down the left side, the 5th hole is tricky. You have to cross after the tee shots are hit, then go up and cross again. Try to find a spot on the big hill on the left, which offers good views of another diabolical green. 

• It’s also hard to get around the 6th as the ropes are moved well back behind the green, and there is not much space along the 7th fairway. It is best to stand under the tee as shots fly directly over you. Also, the 16th green is just to your right, so you can catch a couple of tee shots there. 

• The huge hill behind the 7th green offers one of the best vantage points on property. This is in the middle of the course, and a scoreboard will tell you who might be making a move. If the final group is struggling, this is your opportunity to peel off and find another pair. The 17th is to the right and the 10th green is just down the hill. 

• With concession stands and restrooms nearby, it’s a good time to take a break, and if you walk the 550 yards (mostly uphill) on the 8th, you’ll be coming right back down the hill as the 9th runs parallel. If you chose to watch all of the action at the 8th, go down the left side. If you attempt to go down the right, you will be cut off 125 yards from the green because of how the 9th hole is configured. 

• You want to get to the left of the 9th green, as a big hill next to the 1st tee provides good sightlines. This green has a massive false front. Nicklaus made birdie here on Sunday in 1986 to begin a remarkable 7-under stretch over the last 10 holes, even with a bogey at the 12th. A decade later, things really started to unravel for Norman when he left his approach shot short and the ball rolled back down the hill.  
• You can walk down either side at the 10th. Left is the better vantage point to watch the second shots, but right is better to watch the putts, as there is a massive hill near the 15th tee. In 2005, Tiger restarted his third round here at 7:30 a.m. My dad and I got to the spot as quickly as possible (no running allowed!) to see him hit it stiff. He won in a playoff later that evening. 

• The most beautiful part of the course is also the hardest to spectate. There is no access down the left side of the 11th fairway and the ropes are a good 60 yards from the green, so with the Sunday pin tucked on the left, it is impossible to see the hole with the flag out. You can go from the 10th green to the 14th green (maybe 75 yards), but it seems crazy not to be there for the action at Amen Corner on a Sunday. 

• It is even worse at the 12th because you cannot get within 160 yards of this green. However, the players are directly in front of you trying to decipher the wind, hitting short irons and saying a prayer. Among my many memories at this spot over the last decade was Jordan Spieth’s meltdown quadruple bogey and how surreal it was that winds picked up for the only time all day in 2019 as the final groups passed through. Four of the last six players hit it in Rae’s Creek, but a 43-year-old veteran played to the fat side of the green. Tiger made his par and went on to win his fifth green jacket by a shot. 

• The area behind the 13th green is gorgeous and that hole can really produce some wild swings, but because of the 14th tee, you can’t get within 80 yards of the green. After watching the tee shots and reloads on the 12th tee, we typically head over to the 14th green to catch the last few groups on the most ridiculous green on the course. There is a bleacher to the right and a hill to stand on behind the green.  

• The bleachers left of the 15th green are a great place to watch as you can also see what is happening at the 16th in addition to having a large scoreboard in front of you. However, the grandstand is usually full, so stand in the crosswalk 100 yards from the green after the ropes are dropped. This is the only hole where the gallery guards allow this, and it is only done on Sunday. 

• There is a massive hill to the left of the pond at the 16th hole, which is adjacent to the 6th. There are always fireworks at this hole, and this is most likely the last good chance to see clearly unless you head from the crosswalk on 15 to the bleachers on 17. While they hit much different clubs, it is wild how similar Tiger’s tee shot in 2019 was to Jack’s in 1986. Both stuffed it inside two feet and created the loudest roars I have ever heard at Augusta National. 

• Go down the left side of the 17th fairway, as you’ll get blocked right and forced to cross over. It will be tough to see much, but if you get lucky you can find a place behind the back hole location. This is where Kenny Perry hit to it give the tournament away in 2009 and the spot where Gary McCord said there were “body bags over there,” a comment that got him banned  

• It is virtually impossible to see anything on 18 unless you came in at 8 a.m. and claimed a spot with a chair. We have done that before, but it is not my style to sit in the same spot and watch virtually the exact same putts all day. However, it is neat to see the winner celebrate, and if there’s a playoff, this is where it begins. Without a seat, the only chance to see is right of the green, near the 10th tee box. 

• If you want the full experience, skip the 18th and grab a front-row seat on the putting green for the green jacket ceremony. We had the perfect spot in 2018 in hopes of watching Rickie Fowler slip on the green jacket, but when Patrick Reed won, we decided to beat the crowd to T-Bonz.  

I hope  this gives some insight for when you get to walk the beautiful property that is Augusta National. It is always special no matter how many times you go through the gates. I’m grateful my family has been able to enjoy it and create so many special memories over the years.

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