Augusta National is undoubtedly one of the most iconic courses in world golf, playing host to the Masters once a year.
Rory McIlroy has been told to improve his driving if he wants to win at Augusta, having failed to win the Masters thus far in his career.
He has two PGA Tour wins to his name this season, with the schedule continuing this week at the Valero Texas Open.
But the Masters returns immediately after, with McIlroy’s fellow PGA Tour star Scottie Scheffler out to defend his title.
LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm has been backed for Masters contention, with 12 players on his tour set to take on the major championship.
The Augusta National par-three course design that was never built
Rahm won the Masters in 2023 as Scheffler lifted the trophy on either side, with the duo among a long list of icons to have clinched the green jacket.
Many eyes are now turning to Augusta, where plans for a par-three course design that never came to fruition were once detailed.
As per Fried Egg Golf, Alister MacKenzie drew up plans for the 18-hole course with nine double greens, totalling 2,500 yards.
And founder of the Alister MacKenzie Institute Josh Pettit has now detailed the plans, saying: “So Mackenzie laid out a plan for an 18-hole, par-three course that consisted of nine double greens.
“So his concept with the short course was 18 holes, nine greens that you hit into from opposite directions, and it creates an 18-hole routing.
“The financials of the development were so strapped they barely got the project finished, and by the end of it, they were, you know, in debt to contractors, and it was very difficult for them to even just finish the first golf course. And so they never even started building the par-three course.”
And when asked if there are any plans for the course concept, he replied: “Yeah I found the plan 12 years ago or something like that during my research.
“And when I found it, I’m fairly confident that nobody, at least in the golf space, who knew what it was, had seen it, probably since 1932 or 1933.”
What are the holes of Amen Corner at Augusta National called?
Golf fans and indeed players will unfortunately never know what that par-three course would have played like, although the idea could still somehow be revisited.
But for now, the world’s best will be focusing on mastering the current venue and all of its iconic twists and turns.
Phil Mickelson has issued a Masters fringe warning, with the course also containing the hugely iconic Amen Corner.
It comprises holes 11, 12 and 13, which are now known as White Dogwood, Golden Bell and Azalea respectively.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
