Considering he has won the green jacket on six occasions, you would think that Jack Nicklaus is in love with every blade of grass at Augusta National, with the Masters the jewel in the crown of golf events for so many golf fans.
While the PGA Tour is underway, TGL is up and running, and LIV Golf will start in mid-February, there will be plenty of fans who feel that the golfing season only properly starts once the world’s best make their way through the Georgia pines and take on Augusta National.
The Masters is an event unlike any other. Of course, it is the only major which is played at the same course every single year.
And with that, fans are probably able to recall a moment written in Masters folklore from every spot on the golf course. Whether it be Jack Nicklaus‘ putt on 17 in 1986, Tiger Woods‘ chip from the back of 16 in 2005 or Bubba Watson’s ridiculous approach from the trees on 10 in 2012, the course rarely fails to deliver.
The hole at Augusta National Jack Nicklaus labelled the worst in championship golf
But it would seem that the event’s most successful player has one big problem with the course. Speaking to Golf.com in November 2020, Nicklaus outlined his levels of disdain for one hole in particular.
“I think the second hole is a terrible golf hole. I think it’s the worst hole in championship golf. And the reason I say that is that you’ve got a hole that goes out there, you’ve got a bunker on the right hand side of the fairway, it should be on the left side of the fairway, because you really want to play it out to where you’ve got actually some kind of a line,” he said.
“If you hit the ball properly down the left side, you’ve got all the trees hanging out. You’ve got a green that wants to accept the left to right shot, and you’re standing on your head upside down, and the only thing you can play is a hook into a green that doesn’t want it. That’s not a good golf hole to me.”
Where the second hole at Augusta National ranked during the 2024 Masters
Pink Dogwood, as it is known, has had some memorable moments over the years, with perhaps the most iconic shot in recent times coming when Louis Oosthuizen made an albatross on the second hole back in 2012.
Historically, it is the 16th hardest hole on the golf course. And remarkably, it has never played over par across an entire Masters week – with the highest average coming in 1957 at 4.996.
| 2nd hole at Augusta National | Scoring average |
| High year | 4.996 (1957) |
| Low year | 4.467 (2020) |
| Overall | 4.78 (16th hardest hole) |
During the final round in 2024, it was the easiest hole on the golf course, with plenty of shots towards the front of the green feeding down towards the pin. There were four eagles on Sunday last year, while there were three more across the week.
For those in contention, it is a fantastic opportunity to get an early birdie on the card. But clearly, it is not a part of the course Nicklaus currently holds much fondness for.
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