Excellent explanation. Shows how much thought goes into designing, and then playing, golf holes. My plan? Lay up short of the stream. Duff my second shot into the stream. Next shot over the back of the green. Chip close, two putt. An easy 7 🙂
Highly accurate. On a good day, make the front bunker, chip over the green (in the air) into the back bunker. Out of the sand with 20’ to putt. Three putts for a 6.
Ken Venturi said it best about the tee shot on #12 on Sunday: “You can’t win the Masters with this shot, but you sure can lose it” #12 is one of the greatest par 3 holes in golf, without question.
This was a perfect description of how such a short hole can create so much consternation, and intrigue. It's no wonder why this is often the hole that wins, or LOSES the Masters seemingly every year.
Additionally, the slope on the right compounds the problem. The water may be 20ft short of the putting surface, but any shot not landing on the green rolls back. It’s essentially ‘water to the edge of green’ as you play it. Excellent video.
As a former PGA teaching professional and someone who's watched the Masters for 50 years this analysis is spot on. Those who have lost the Masters on this hole either broke the golden rule (going after that right pin), hit a poor shot, or both. I'd say that even if you are a couple shots behind on Sunday going into this hole, this is not the hole to try and make up that ground.
Absolutely LOVE this type of video! Gives such great insight as to what makes a hole so challenging and opens us high handicappers up to game-management thought processes we can implement on our own rounds. Real question - why don't pros hit draws into the 12th if that allows for better dispersion patterns?
I remember Spieth talking about this during his 2016 Masters. Usually pros hit fades because it allows for more spin on the greens, but as described in the video, carries more risks. Draw has less spin and is less likely to hold the green, but really is the safer call.
Also technically the dispersion pattern for a draw will be the same, it will still produce a diagonal dispersion with pulls going farther than pushes, draws will simply introduce more danger as you have to take it OVER the hazard. As Jack Nicklaus said “Don’t ever aim the ball into trouble” so taking a draw to this hole will simply add another possibly punishing element.
it might be worth it just to hit far left or right of the hole #1 priority is don't hit it in the water. there's so much room on the right and you have the option to hit short left knock down for a safe shot. finally its only a 150-160 yard shot... i mean bombs.. how can you miss.
doesnt make much sense for a right handed golfer to hit a draw to a right positioned pin. its great for left pins where it may be a further carry if you aimed straight at it and you can start the ball to the shorter part of the green and have it release towards the whole.
most of them aim center of the green (bunkers) or left of the green even when the pin on the right so they use fade to stop the ball quickly.. if they miss the green its more easy up and down.. if they aim to the right and miss the green they will be punished cause slope on the right green and around the green very steep.. its not birdie hole for them and continue to the next hole
I really like this kind of instruction. It defines the problem, and leaves it up to all of us to deal with it, rather than just telling us what to do. I really can't tell you how much I appreciated and needed this. As an old golfer, I rarely see something that I feel improves my approach to golf but this video did that. Liked and subscribed, and thank-you.
As a diehard golfer, ive always known that the 12th hole was hard because of the dispersion patterns of the right-handed dominated field, but I thought it would be too hard to explain in such a short video like this. WELL DONE!
I didn’t start to understand golf hole design strategies until learning to shape shots after reading Nicklaus’ “Golf My Way” in the mid-1980s. When a green is angled right / or left \ relative the fairway it will normally give the player with the ability to shape shots an advantage over one who can only hit straight. A good analogy is the green direction as a runway you are trying to land a plane on. Shaping the shot into the longest dimension of the green increases the odds of keeping the ball on the green after it lands. The ideal situation for the player would be the hole places at the end of the “runway” with the green sloping uphill towards it. The 12th green shape favors a fade for a right handed player except when the pin is placed on the right below landing area., Something to realize about shaping shots (if you’ve never done it) is the rationale isn’t about the shape of the shot in the air but influencing the direction the ball bounces and rolls after landing. For a right hand player a fade will bounce and then roll to the right after landing and a draw will bounce and roll to the left. What makes the Sunday pin placement on the right so difficult is the left-to-right and back-to-front slope towards the hole . The hole works better for lefties because their fades will bounce and roll into the upslope after landing. So why don’t the right handed players approach the hole with the same shot shape; putting left-to-right draw spin on the ball? Trevino said it best: “You can talk to a fade but a draw doesn’t listen.” There almost no limit to how much the face of a club can be opened to hit a fade/cut shot to the point where you can get so much spin on the ball it will move 90° to the right after landing. But due to the fact the club face must be de-lofted and must strike the inside of the ball to create left-to-right draw spin the ball has a lower trajectory and will more difficult to control predictably.
Very informative. I've always wondered about this hole after watching Tiger's last win where the two other guys all went into the water while Tiger took the long putt to catch up. It wasn't obvious why the pin seekers on Sunday was so prone to hit into the stream.
This was the one blemish on the card for Jack Nicklaus when he roared back in 1986 with a 30 on the back nine. He was 7 under for the final 10 holes (he birdied the ninth), with a bogey on this little hole. I think this is, consistently, the toughest short par 3 in golf. The 7th at Pebble Beach is very tough if the wind is howling, and the 17th at TPC Sawgrass is an island, but with a pretty big green. This is an amazing hole.
The 12th at August is a difficult hole even if there is zero wind. The 7th at Pebble Beach is not at all difficult with no wind or light wind, as designing it to be difficult in zero or light wind would make it unplayable in higher wind. I have never seen the 12th at Augusta be unplayable due to higher winds; difficult with wind for sure, but not unplayable.
Thank you for this video. It taught me a lot more about how to look at golf. I'll never be a pro, but any time you learn something in life is a good time.
I used my gps program to determine that, in 2019, Molinari, Koepka, Finau, and Poulter all hit their balls within 4 yards of the same distance that Tiger did. Also don't forget that McKenzie came to golf design as a master camouflage designer for the Brits in WW1.
Great video. I just had a new idea about golf strategy. As an avid golfer for 20 years it's been a while since i've had a truly novel idea. Thanks for the inspiration
Say everything when the last person to ace the 12th during the Masters was Curtis Strange in 1988.......fiendish hole indeed, but so beautiful! Golden Bell...............
@@chezchezchezchez I'm guessing they wanna keep the main tees in top condition for start of next week..no divots/traffic etc..only reason I can think 🤔
@@chezchezchezchez. Why is the 12th at Augusta play to a shorter yardage than it does for the men? For the same reason every other hole at Augusta and every other course plays to a shorter yardage for women than for men.
This video barely mentioned the swirling winds caused by the intersection of two separate wind paths over the course. They meet near the 12th and make the hole what it is.
Just to close a small gap in the video. Right handed players can flip the dispersion pattern to be more like the left handed fade players by hitting a draw. But, a draw could also invite distance control issues. I am sure Tiger and Colin know this and that is why they take the straight ball to the left side of the green. Its just not worth the risk when there are other pins to chase.
Nicklaus bogied 12 on Sunday in ‘86. Jack once said “Sometimes I get there, and my hands just shake.” Don’t forget the swirling wind. It’s at the “bottom” of the course. The wind can blow in a different direction at the tee box and green than at the top of the ball flight. Per SI, wind can make a difference of 4 club selections. Only 3 aces in the history of the Masters at 12: 1947, 1959, and 1988. Amazing hole.
Very interesting. At 4:38, why do you animate a lefty taking a fade (right to left)? With their flipped dispersion pattern, wouldn't they still want to shoot a draw (left to right) to match the angle of the landing zone?
Fascinating.... almost like what's required for a RH player if they're taking it on is more of a push fade or intentional block than a fade, because the fade puts the bank/water back in play. And do the pros even have yardages for these feel shots
But... if you had to, or if even you felt dialed in, you would be very tempted to go for it. Its a perfect golf hole in a perfect part of a golf course in my opinion.
I’m a left handed golfer and I noticed a bunch of lefties have won the masters in the last 20 years or so (more than most majors I would think). Mike Weir, Bubba, Phil. I wonder if being a lefty is actually an advantage here since they designed the course to be tough for most golfers who are of course right handed Edit- well ok I watched the whole video and he actually talks about lefty golfers so there you go. There must be something to it
Having played this hole many times on the sim, it's hard enough to hit the sliver in the middle of the green without leaving it in the bunker short or long. Going at the right pin is just death.
On Augusta's inception, and for many years after, they'd grow the grass up on that RF slope a substantial amount compared to the close shave it gets today. Wedge technology made it a simple pitch and a putt for par for everyone, the risk-reward wasn't as severe. Hence, the 'redesign' with bikini wax all over.
draw ball to the hill on right 50/50 up and down for bogey or par. or go for the cut with no fade center green. I really think 90% problem here is hitting any kind of fade even though it fits the green. I have a very similar hole on my course and I just aim for the front of green which would be that 142 mark on the far left side -- no water hazard -- no bunkers -- and if you hit short your still ok. but if was playing THIS course I wouldn't be able help myself out pin hunting. VERY COOL HOLE. THIS PAR THREE SET UP IS COMMON IF YOU STARE AT IT LONG ENOUGH XD
I am entirely certain that the pros have already thought about such a strategy. Their skill is stratospheric versus that of the average golfer. Orbital even.
Augusta’s hole designs get a lot of attention but in some ways the perfect manicuring sometimes masks how amazing these holes are. All the water holes at Augusta including 2 and 8 are just perfect. But this one is seriously incredible.
I played a replica of this hole at a course in Florida and was ecstatic to par it. Most people say they should hang it up after getting an ace, but I thought about it after parring this demon.
This pretty much nails #12. I'm pretty sure Nicklaus said he always aims towards the left center of the green and is happy with a mid to long birdie putt. I still remember Boom Boom lucking out.
Excellent content. Crisp commentary, some true archival footage, and an imaginative concept. More of these, please.
You don’t joke around with that high class voice 😂 that’s for sure
@@Stitch-007 He has to be putting that voice on surely
Yeah should help you during your next round at Augusta
Funny!@@jarry6849
What a stupid comment
Excellent explanation. Shows how much thought goes into designing, and then playing, golf holes.
My plan? Lay up short of the stream. Duff my second shot into the stream. Next shot over the back of the green. Chip close, two putt. An easy 7 🙂
Man that is painfully accurate.
Highly accurate. On a good day, make the front bunker, chip over the green (in the air) into the back bunker. Out of the sand with 20’ to putt. Three putts for a 6.
But that chip that you put close keeps you going
Mate bang on! Drop shot may even go into the far side bunker potentially.
what about over the back into the flowers?
Ken Venturi said it best about the tee shot on #12 on Sunday:
“You can’t win the Masters with this shot, but you sure can lose it”
#12 is one of the greatest par 3 holes in golf, without question.
This is for Venturi up in the booth saying I should lay up
Yeah, what does he know? He only won this tournament before you were born
Tin Cup
This was fantastic. So many great pieces of history, design, and game management well presented. Well done LKD and team
The quintessential "sucker pin" if there ever was one. Evil genius course design. Nice break down.
great video. kept me interested the entire time and I felt like I learned a lot despite already being familiar with Augusta. PLEASE do more of these!
I don't even watch or play golf and I couldn't stop watching this video.
Brilliant. Examples like this demonstrate that elite golf is not all about "natural talent". It takes planning, strategy and self discipline.
True that! Knowing ones game and how to score is key.
Qz
Has to be the best course management / course design video I've ever seen.
This was a perfect description of how such a short hole can create so much consternation, and intrigue. It's no wonder why this is often the hole that wins, or LOSES the Masters seemingly every year.
You won't win the Masters at 12, but you can certainly lose it there
Add in the swirling wind for added pleasure
Additionally, the slope on the right compounds the problem.
The water may be 20ft short of the putting surface, but any shot not landing on the green rolls back. It’s essentially ‘water to the edge of green’ as you play it.
Excellent video.
Jack Nicklaus, who played Augusta pretty well, said take aim at the trap in front and take your 3.
As a former PGA teaching professional and someone who's watched the Masters for 50 years this analysis is spot on. Those who have lost the Masters on this hole either broke the golden rule (going after that right pin), hit a poor shot, or both. I'd say that even if you are a couple shots behind on Sunday going into this hole, this is not the hole to try and make up that ground.
I loved Morikawa’s strategy drawing of a line bisecting the 12th green into left & right… with an all-caps “NO” for the right side.
Absolutely LOVE this type of video! Gives such great insight as to what makes a hole so challenging and opens us high handicappers up to game-management thought processes we can implement on our own rounds. Real question - why don't pros hit draws into the 12th if that allows for better dispersion patterns?
I remember Spieth talking about this during his 2016 Masters. Usually pros hit fades because it allows for more spin on the greens, but as described in the video, carries more risks. Draw has less spin and is less likely to hold the green, but really is the safer call.
Also technically the dispersion pattern for a draw will be the same, it will still produce a diagonal dispersion with pulls going farther than pushes, draws will simply introduce more danger as you have to take it OVER the hazard. As Jack Nicklaus said “Don’t ever aim the ball into trouble” so taking a draw to this hole will simply add another possibly punishing element.
it might be worth it just to hit far left or right of the hole #1 priority is don't hit it in the water. there's so much room on the right and you have the option to hit short left knock down for a safe shot. finally its only a 150-160 yard shot... i mean bombs.. how can you miss.
doesnt make much sense for a right handed golfer to hit a draw to a right positioned pin. its great for left pins where it may be a further carry if you aimed straight at it and you can start the ball to the shorter part of the green and have it release towards the whole.
most of them aim center of the green (bunkers) or left of the green even when the pin on the right so they use fade to stop the ball quickly.. if they miss the green its more easy up and down.. if they aim to the right and miss the green they will be punished cause slope on the right green and around the green very steep.. its not birdie hole for them and continue to the next hole
I really like this kind of instruction. It defines the problem, and leaves it up to all of us to deal with it, rather than just telling us what to do. I really can't tell you how much I appreciated and needed this.
As an old golfer, I rarely see something that I feel improves my approach to golf but this video did that. Liked and subscribed, and thank-you.
Mind boggling. Please more and more and more of this content.
Great stuff, Luke! Thanks for letting me be involved! #DECADE
As a diehard golfer, ive always known that the 12th hole was hard because of the dispersion patterns of the right-handed dominated field, but I thought it would be too hard to explain in such a short video like this. WELL DONE!
Do more of these. This was great!
I didn’t start to understand golf hole design strategies until learning to shape shots after reading Nicklaus’ “Golf My Way” in the mid-1980s. When a green is angled right / or left \ relative the fairway it will normally give the player with the ability to shape shots an advantage over one who can only hit straight. A good analogy is the green direction as a runway you are trying to land a plane on. Shaping the shot into the longest dimension of the green increases the odds of keeping the ball on the green after it lands. The ideal situation for the player would be the hole places at the end of the “runway” with the green sloping uphill towards it. The 12th green shape favors a fade for a right handed player except when the pin is placed on the right below landing area.,
Something to realize about shaping shots (if you’ve never done it) is the rationale isn’t about the shape of the shot in the air but influencing the direction the ball bounces and rolls after landing. For a right hand player a fade will bounce and then roll to the right after landing and a draw will bounce and roll to the left. What makes the Sunday pin placement on the right so difficult is the left-to-right and back-to-front slope towards the hole . The hole works better for lefties because their fades will bounce and roll into the upslope after landing.
So why don’t the right handed players approach the hole with the same shot shape; putting left-to-right draw spin on the ball? Trevino said it best: “You can talk to a fade but a draw doesn’t listen.”
There almost no limit to how much the face of a club can be opened to hit a fade/cut shot to the point where you can get so much spin on the ball it will move 90° to the right after landing. But due to the fact the club face must be de-lofted and must strike the inside of the ball to create left-to-right draw spin the ball has a lower trajectory and will more difficult to control predictably.
I love the data showing what we know Tiger could do so well: stay out of stupid mistakes.
To my memory Nichlaus never chased that pin on sunday either.
Tiger once ran up a 10 on the 12th hole
Incredible Content! More Please!!
Perfect guide for my next round in Augusta 👌🏻😂
Best explanation I've seen.
So, right handed players chasing the pin, have a better chance drawing the ball, due to the dispersion pattern.
Very informative. I've always wondered about this hole after watching Tiger's last win where the two other guys all went into the water while Tiger took the long putt to catch up. It wasn't obvious why the pin seekers on Sunday was so prone to hit into the stream.
The best definition of my favorite and the most fascinating hole in golf.
This was the one blemish on the card for Jack Nicklaus when he roared back in 1986 with a 30 on the back nine. He was 7 under for the final 10 holes (he birdied the ninth), with a bogey on this little hole. I think this is, consistently, the toughest short par 3 in golf. The 7th at Pebble Beach is very tough if the wind is howling, and the 17th at TPC Sawgrass is an island, but with a pretty big green. This is an amazing hole.
The 12th at August is a difficult hole even if there is zero wind. The 7th at Pebble Beach is not at all difficult with no wind or light wind, as designing it to be difficult in zero or light wind would make it unplayable in higher wind. I have never seen the 12th at Augusta be unplayable due to higher winds; difficult with wind for sure, but not unplayable.
Thank you for this video. It taught me a lot more about how to look at golf. I'll never be a pro, but any time you learn something in life is a good time.
I appreciated this analytical look at what seems to be a simple shot, thanks
Did you notice at :33 seconds it show thick rough short right...now it is a shaved bank. Only Couples ball stayed up there....
Wow guys well done, what a video! More!!
I used my gps program to determine that, in 2019, Molinari, Koepka, Finau, and Poulter all hit their balls within 4 yards of the same distance that Tiger did. Also don't forget that McKenzie came to golf design as a master camouflage designer for the Brits in WW1.
I don’t know much about golf and this was helpful in more than just learning about this specific hole. Thanks!
Great video. I just had a new idea about golf strategy. As an avid golfer for 20 years it's been a while since i've had a truly novel idea. Thanks for the inspiration
Awesome series. As many of these as possible please
Awesome video!! More!!
Very interesting - thank you so much!
Great video! Minor editing error in the graphic at 4:20-check the apostrophes.
More analysis of good course management. Who are the best course managers today, and how would they play it?
Wow, amazing video and information. Will definitely enjoy watching the Masters even more now . Thank you!
I love golf so much man. It’s truly the Greatest Game man has ever created
This video was well worth the watch. Hope yall make more like this!
I love this stuff. I will never look at the 12th hole the same again after watching this.
I knew next to nothing of golf... Now I know a little bit more. Thank you!
I'll never need to know this, but I'll always be glad that I do now.
We need more of this, thanks!
More of this contents please!
That was suuuper interesting to hear those insights and the theory behind it. Could we please get more of this type of content in the future?
I applaud his deviousness.
That was fascinating! Great analysis for mortals. Thank you.
Need more of these!
Excellent video. Erratum: At 4:11, it is asserted that Greg Norman blew his '96 lead on this hole. He had already lost his lead on 11.
Well done on the video!
Great info. I'll have to remember it when I play Augusta.
Say everything when the last person to ace the 12th during the Masters was Curtis Strange in 1988.......fiendish hole indeed, but so beautiful! Golden Bell...............
Very well done sir. Haven’t enjoyed a commentary for quite sometime, I really appreciated yours.👍
Simple and brilliant analysis, Thankyou 👌👌👌👌
If you're a right hander and say three shots back on Sunday, to me I would attempt to hit a draw with nine iron starting to the right of the flag!
Phenomenal video on the nuances of course design
The greatest ever hole in the history of golf!!,it's got absolutely everything!!152, yards of sheer terror!!timeless
135 for the girls this week , WHY??
@@chezchezchezchez I'm guessing they wanna keep the main tees in top condition for start of next week..no divots/traffic etc..only reason I can think 🤔
@@greatwhiteshark9192 good point
@@chezchezchezchez. Why is the 12th at Augusta play to a shorter yardage than it does for the men? For the same reason every other hole at Augusta and every other course plays to a shorter yardage for women than for men.
@@dorothygale1104 probably what Great White said. See above.
This video barely mentioned the swirling winds caused by the intersection of two separate wind paths over the course. They meet near the 12th and make the hole what it is.
Yeah, you have a winning format here with this video.
A series on famous holes would be awesome!
Just to close a small gap in the video.
Right handed players can flip the dispersion pattern to be more like the left handed fade players by hitting a draw. But, a draw could also invite distance control issues.
I am sure Tiger and Colin know this and that is why they take the straight ball to the left side of the green. Its just not worth the risk when there are other pins to chase.
Nicklaus bogied 12 on Sunday in ‘86. Jack once said “Sometimes I get there, and my hands just shake.” Don’t forget the swirling wind. It’s at the “bottom” of the course. The wind can blow in a different direction at the tee box and green than at the top of the ball flight. Per SI, wind can make a difference of 4 club selections. Only 3 aces in the history of the Masters at 12: 1947, 1959, and 1988. Amazing hole.
Finally an advantage for us left handed players
Make more videos like this. Everything you have been asking for will come.
Best golf video I've ever watched.
Top tier golf content, loved this!
Very interesting. At 4:38, why do you animate a lefty taking a fade (right to left)? With their flipped dispersion pattern, wouldn't they still want to shoot a draw (left to right) to match the angle of the landing zone?
A fade for a lefty still has long right and short left. Entry angle is relatively less important than where the ball lands.
Would’ve liked if you included the scoring avg on this hole depending on pin position
More content like this please
Loved this, brilliant video. Well done, and thanks for sharing.
More Please! Do every hole!
Fascinating.... almost like what's required for a RH player if they're taking it on is more of a push fade or intentional block than a fade, because the fade puts the bank/water back in play.
And do the pros even have yardages for these feel shots
More videos like this please!!
4:40 the second I saw the tilt of the green I knew you’d talk about lefties playing it way better
Fascinating stuff
What a terrific analysis. Easy to follow and concise. New subscriber here!
Great Video!
Love to get to Augusta hope Rory finally wins
such an interesting video. thanks for sharing
More like this! Great video!
But... if you had to, or if even you felt dialed in, you would be very tempted to go for it. Its a perfect golf hole in a perfect part of a golf course in my opinion.
Never broke it down this way about dispersion patterns. This may help me on the crap courses I play.
I’m a left handed golfer and I noticed a bunch of lefties have won the masters in the last 20 years or so (more than most majors I would think). Mike Weir, Bubba, Phil. I wonder if being a lefty is actually an advantage here since they designed the course to be tough for most golfers who are of course right handed
Edit- well ok I watched the whole video and he actually talks about lefty golfers so there you go. There must be something to it
Having played this hole many times on the sim, it's hard enough to hit the sliver in the middle of the green without leaving it in the bunker short or long. Going at the right pin is just death.
Always new this but a very good explanation for all.
Absolutely beautiful video. Well done.
One of the greats used to say "If I am near the 12 hole after my tee shot on sunday, I pushed it."
On Augusta's inception, and for many years after, they'd grow the grass up on that RF slope a substantial amount compared to the close shave it gets today. Wedge technology made it a simple pitch and a putt for par for everyone, the risk-reward wasn't as severe. Hence, the 'redesign' with bikini wax all over.
Love the saying " The Masters doesnt start until the back 9 Sunday" I actually enjoy watching the mis-calculations on 12 yearly.
That makes Augusta (at least on this hole) a course for lefties !! Great video.
draw ball to the hill on right 50/50 up and down for bogey or par. or go for the cut with no fade center green. I really think 90% problem here is hitting any kind of fade even though it fits the green. I have a very similar hole on my course and I just aim for the front of green which would be that 142 mark on the far left side -- no water hazard -- no bunkers -- and if you hit short your still ok. but if was playing THIS course I wouldn't be able help myself out pin hunting. VERY COOL HOLE. THIS PAR THREE SET UP IS COMMON IF YOU STARE AT IT LONG ENOUGH XD
I am entirely certain that the pros have already thought about such a strategy. Their skill is stratospheric versus that of the average golfer. Orbital even.
It’s a nightmare for a righty. Pulls/draws right carry long and pushes/fades come up short.
Lefty’s have an advantage
Augusta’s hole designs get a lot of attention but in some ways the perfect manicuring sometimes masks how amazing these holes are. All the water holes at Augusta including 2 and 8 are just perfect.
But this one is seriously incredible.
Never considered that about dispersion patterns. Cool vid!
I played a replica of this hole at a course in Florida and was ecstatic to par it. Most people say they should hang it up after getting an ace, but I thought about it after parring this demon.
This pretty much nails #12. I'm pretty sure Nicklaus said he always aims towards the left center of the green and is happy with a mid to long birdie putt. I still remember Boom Boom lucking out.
Great video