Every Hole at Augusta National - No. 7, Pampas
History, Masters strategy, and expert commentary on the par-4 seventh
The Basics
Playing ridge to ridge between converging stands of tall trees, this par 4 demands precision off the tee. The fairway opens up about 60 yards from the green, but reaching that area requires a mighty drive. The green, encircled by a symmetrical array of bunkers, is carved into a hill at the center of the property, near the second and 17th greens. The wide, shallow putting surface slopes strongly from back to front and contains two primarily pockets for pins — one back middle and the other in a funnel just over the front-right bunker. Front-right is the classic Sunday position, known for producing more than its share of near-hole-outs.
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History
The seventh hole originally played to a green located at the base of the hill into which the current green is benched. Then just 340 yards, the par 4 featured no bunkers. The primary hazard was a gully running across the front of the putting surface, intended to resemble the Old Course’s Valley of Sin. The boomerang-shaped green was wild: a parallel front lobe climbed to a high point, then fed left into a perpendicular back lobe. Alister MacKenzie intended for players to run shots in from the right. Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts never liked the hole, and in the late 1930s they commissioned Perry Maxwell to move the green back, creating the narrow, bunker-surrounded target that exists today. The hole has been lengthened several additional times, most recently in 2011, when the current 450-yard tee was built.
Strategy Notes for the Masters
“Straightforward” is an appropriate descriptor for No. 7. Length is not imperative off the tee, but wide misses quickly turn a potential birdie opportunity into a potential bogey or worse. Accordingly, many players opt for less than driver to prioritize finding the fairway. The bunkers protecting the front of the green are a relatively friendly place to miss, so golfers who find themselves out of position off the tee will often punch a recovery shot into one of the front greenside bunkers. Generally speaking, coming up short on the approach is far better than going long. –Joseph LaMagna
Our Take
Yes, the green contours are fun, but “Pampas” has morphed into something that Alister MacKenzie likely would not endorse: a hole that merely attempts to defend itself through length and narrowness rather than asking complex questions.
Expert Commentary
Alister MacKenzie (1932): “This hole is similar in character to the 18th hole at St. Andrews, Scotland. There is a deep hollow at the front of the green which is necessary to attack at the correct angle for par figures to be obtained. At this hole, it will also be desirable to play a run-up shot, as it will be exceedingly difficult to retain a pitch in the usual position of the flag.”
Bobby Jones (1959): “The tee shot on this hole becomes tighter year by year as the pine trees on either side of the fairway continue to spread. Length is certainly not at a premium here, but the narrow fairway seems to have an added impact because it suddenly confronts the player just when he has become accustomed to the broad expanses of the preceding holes. Actually, the second shot is somewhat easier if it can be struck firmly so that the needed backspin may be obtained. The green is quite wide but also very shallow. The second shot is normally a steep pitch, often with a wedge, and precise judgment of range is required. We are aware of our responsibility for keeping this fairway in the best possible condition so that the players will uniformly encounter good lies from which they may be expected to produce controlled shots.”
Geoff Ogilvy (2019): “With the pin high on the left over the bunker, where it corns off both ways, it’s hard to hit it close. If it’s playing a little big long and it’s early in the morning and you get a 5-iron into there, it’s a really hard hole.”
Memorable Shots
Tiger Woods’ hole‑out for eagle (2010 Masters)
Phil Mickelson’s near hole-out from the rough (2009 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. 10, Camellia
Every Hole at Augusta National - No. 9, Carolina Cherry
Every Hole at Augusta National - No. 8, Yellow Jasmine
Every Hole at Augusta National - No. 6, Juniper
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