Every Hole at Augusta National - No. 10, Camellia
History, Masters strategy, and expert commentary on the par-4 10th hole
The Basics
The 10th hole kicks off the back half of the round in hair-raising fashion, plunging 100 feet into a valley shrouded by tall pines. Players with the courage and skill to bend their tee shots around the trees on the left will reap the benefits of golf's most famous speed slot — a rectangular hollow that consumes the left half of the landing zone. There, players will find a manageable, though still difficult, approach over the famous 60-yard-long “MacKenzie bunker” into an elevated, right-to-left-canted green. Those who hang their tee shots out to the right will face a longer shot across the green-side bunker, down the slope of the green, and toward the merciless drop-off on the left. Because of the severity of the green’s tilt and the abruptness of the surrounding ledges, there is no good place to miss. This approach shot is the first of a series of do-or-die moments that define the start of Augusta National’s second nine.
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History
The original 10th hole, which served as the opener at the 1934 Masters, played to a green in a natural saddle just to the right of the MacKenzie bunker. The strategic concept was effectively the reverse of today's: if you could find the platform on the right side of the fairway, you had an easy pitch into the green; if your drive trickled into the basin on the left, you needed to execute a blind, delicate pitch over the bunker. Before the 1938 Masters, Perry Maxwell built the modern green on a hill 75 yards beyond the old one, transforming the hole into one of Augusta National's most demanding par 4s. Since then, the tee has been moved back and to the left, but the fundamentals of Maxwell's design have stood the test of time. Fortunately for photographers, the club has retained the MacKenzie bunker as an ornamental reminder of the hole’s history.
Strategy Notes for the Masters
No. 10 is one of the few holes in professional golf where players must shape the tee ball right to left. Because drawing a driver has become more difficult with modern equipment, many right-handed players opt for 3-wood off the tee.
To any hole location, missing left of the green is no bargain back up the hill. To right pin locations, short-siding in the right greenside bunker is particularly costly, as the green slopes heavily from right to left. –Joseph LaMagna
Our Take
Perry Maxwell’s 1938 transformation of “Camellia” is one of the rare cases in which a change to MacKenzie and Jones’s design represented a substantial improvement. By reversing the hole’s risk-reward calculus and making the channel on the left the ideal spot, Maxwell turned the drive on 10 into one of the most thrilling shots on the course. This tough but nuanced par 4 now feels central to Augusta National’s identity as a modern championship test.
Expert Commentary
Alister MacKenzie (1932): “This is a comparatively easy hole downhill. A long drive over hillocks on the right will land on a plateau from which an iron shot can be played to the opening of a large nature-made punchbowl green. The driver that pulls his shot to the left of the fairway is called upon to play a difficult second shot over a large spectacular bunker, with small chance of getting near the pin. This hole embodies the most attractive features of the 13th hole at Cypress Point, California, and the fourth at Alwoodley, one of the best of the British inland links.”
Bobby Jones (1959): “This, to my mind, is one of the most beautiful holes I have ever seen, especially at tournament time when the dogwood and redbud are in bloom. The tee is on high ground and, I might add, immediately in front of my cabin. The fairway goes down in a broad slope from the tee, following on the left a straight line to the green but, on the right, fanning out to a considerable width. On the right side the fairway continues in the same general slope to the bottom of the hill just short of the green. But on the left at about 230 yards from the tee, the slope runs off abruptly into a valley of fairway some 30 or 40 yards wide. Since the hole is of good length for a par 4, it is decidedly advantageous for the player to make use of the run offered by this slope. Therefore the line of play is down the left side as close as one may dare. A tee shot played to the right which does not avail itself of the slope will add at least two club numbers to the length of the second shot, in addition to which the approach to the green must be made across the slopes, rather than directly into them. A good drive down the left side usually makes it possible to play the second with a medium iron, sometimes even less if the wind is behind. The green nestles on a hillside and is framed by some giant pines which give the impression of Gothic spires. When the dogwood is in bloom, the impression of a recent snowstorm adds great beauty to the appearance of the entire hole.”
Geoff Ogilvy (2019): “It’s one of my favorite holes to play. It’s a fun tee shot, you want to hit it [right to left], but if you don’t it’s not the end of the world…. The second shot on 10 — unless you really smash [a drive] down the left and have a short iron in — may be the hardest swing on the course. Downslope, ball above your feet, [long iron] to a green that looks miniscule from up there…. You get a low draw lie and the shot really requires a high fade.”
Memorable Shots
Bubba Watson’s hook wedge from the pine straw in a playoff (2012 Masters)
Ben Crensha’s 60-footer for birdie in the final round (1984 Masters)
Scott Hoch's missed 18-inch putt (1989 Masters)
Course Routing
Click on a pin below to preview the hole or go to the full profile of the hole.
Augusta National
Ever since it opened, Augusta National has been in a constant state of evolution (for better or for worse), but it remains one of the greatest championship venues in the world
Hole 1 - Tea Olive
Augusta National's property is defined by a single broad downslope that ends at Rae’s Creek, and this par-4 opener is the only hole on the course that sits completely on top of it. Strategically, No. 1 at Augusta National is one of the most compelling opening holes in professional golf.
Hole 2 - Pink Dogwood
The second hole at Augusta National produces more off-the-tee variety than most par 5s in professional golf.
Hole 3 - Flowering Peach
Players face three basic options off the tee: hit a long iron or hybrid near the bunkers at the top of the first ridge, leaving a full wedge in; bash it left, past the bunkers and into the valley short left of the green; or go straight for the green in hopes of at least holding the narrow shelf short right. The most strategically complex hole on the golf course, “Flowering Peach” has stood the test of time, less affected by distance gains than most holes at Augusta National.
Hole 4 - Flowering Crab Apple
The first — and longest — par 3 at Augusta National has historically required a strong strike with at least a long iron, though club selections in the Masters have shifted as distance gains have spiraled out of control. Can you execute a towering shot with a long iron, hybrid, or fairway wood?
Hole 5 - Magnolia
“Magnolia” is like Paul Thomas Anderson’s film of the same name: brilliant, probably underrated, but a tad bloated. Nonetheless, the hole presents an honest challenge, and the green is one of the most artfully shaped at Augusta National (or anywhere else).
Hole 6 - Juniper
“Juniper” is, in our opinion, Augusta National’s second-best par 3. Each pin position presents a different range of challenges and exciting possible outcomes.
Hole 7 - Pampas
Yes, the green contours are fun, but “Pampas” has morphed into something that Alister MacKenzie likely would not endorse: a hole that merely defends itself through length and narrowness rather than asking complex strategic questions.
Hole 8 - Yellow Jasmine
This uphill three-shotter consistently produces the highest scoring average of Augusta National’s four par 5s, but it still presents a welcome birdie opportunity after the tough stretch of Nos. 4-7. “Yellow Jasmine” is the most underrated hole at Augusta National.
Hole 9 - Carolina Cherry
The ninth hole plays from a high point near the first and eighth greens, down through a valley frequently used by galleries, and up the hill where the clubhouse sits. From a risk-reward perspective, “Carolina Cherry” is a bit of a muddle.
Hole 10 - Camellia
The 10th hole kicks off the back half of the round in hair-raising fashion, plunging 100 feet into a valley shrouded by tall pines. Perry Maxwell’s 1938 transformation of “Camellia” is one of the rare cases in which a change to MacKenzie and Jones’s design represented a substantial improvement.
Hole 11 - White Dogwood
No. 11 is simply a brute, often playing as the most difficult hole to par at Augusta National. It’s also been one of the most frequently tinkered-with holes at Augusta National.
Hole 12 - Golden Bell
The focal point of Amen Corner and the center of gravity in any final round of the Masters, the 12th hole at Augusta National is as terrifying as it is beautiful.
Hole 13 - Azalea
This iconic risk-reward par 5 offers the first of a series of birdie opportunities on Augusta National’s home stretch.
Hole 14 - Chinese Fir
Although some nuances of MacKenzie and Jones’s original strategic concept for the hole have been lost, “Chinese Fir” is still a compelling par 4, rewarding precise and well-shaped shots both off the tee and into the green.
Hole 15 - Firethorn
No. 15 consistently presents one of the toughest decisions players have to make during their rounds: go for the green in two or lay up to one of the most demanding wedge shots in golf.
Hole 16 - Redbud
Set at the base of the ridge that the fifth green and sixth tee occupy, the par-3 16th hole provides a ready stage for championship-defining shots. Over the past several decades, the 16th has shown an undeniable knack for spectacle.
Hole 17 - Nandina
From tee to green, No. 17 is one of the simplest holes at Augusta National and is likely the least-loved hole on the second nine.
Hole 18 - Holly
“Holly” is a little funky, but its design is smart and elegant: bend it around the trees on the right and bypass some of the natural difficulty of the next shot.
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Every Hole at Augusta National - No. 12, Golden Bell
Every Hole at Augusta National - No. 11, White Dogwood
Every Hole at Augusta National - No. 9, Carolina Cherry
Every Hole at Augusta National - No. 8, Yellow Jasmine
Every Hole at Augusta National - No. 7, Pampas
Every Hole at Augusta National - No. 6, Juniper
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