Every Hole at Augusta National - No. 3, Flowering Peach

The Basics‍

This short par 4 travels over two ridges — one in the landing zone for conservative tee shots, and one where the green is perched. 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 green is much deeper on the right than the left, with the right portion running away from the player. Right and center pins, not as hard to attack from the short-left hollow, encourage aggression from the tee, whereas left pins might prompt a layup and a full wedge. A precise approach is a must; chipping from around this severely canted putting surface is terrifying.

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History

“Flowering Peach” has stood the test of time, less affected by distance gains than most holes at Augusta National. Originally, there was just one big Alister MacKenzie-coded bunker left of the fairway. Jack Nicklaus suggested breaking this hazard into four separate bunkers in the early 1980s. The front-right section of the green initially extended more back toward the player, creating more space for a tough front pin. Despite these modifications, the hole's essential character has remained intact since 1934.

Strategy Notes for The Masters

No. 3 is the most strategically complex hole on the golf course. Some players hit an iron short of the left-hand fairway bunkers, leaving 125-130 yards in. Others push it up slightly farther, flirting with the bunkers to set up a shorter, though still full, wedge. The third option, one that has grown increasingly popular in recent years, is to rip driver towards the left half of the green, leaving a 30- to 50-yard pitch up the hill. 

Not matter the pin position, expect a healthy dose of aggressive tee shots, though the traditional front-left Sunday pin tends to prompt more conservative off-the-tee tactics. No matter one’s strategy, however, the second shot on No. 3 is one of the most exacting sub-100-yard shots in golf. –Joseph LaMagna

Our Take

This is one of the most thought-provoking and consistently entertaining holes at Augusta National. Strategic choices vary from player to player and pin position to pin position. Watching a contender navigate the hole under pressure on Sunday — trying to avoid the many danger zones while also pushing for a (seemingly) readily available birdie opportunity — is always fascinating.

Expert Commentary

Alister MacKenzie (1932): “This green is situated on an interesting natural plateau. The left hand side of the green is very narrow; whereas the right side is broad. It is easy for anyone to reach the wide portion of the green with their second shot but difficult to reach the narrow end where the pin will usually be placed.”

Bobby Jones (1959): “The aim here should be slightly right of the center of the fairway, onto the high ground which gives good visibility of the green and also provides the best angle of approach to any flag location. A tee shot pulled to the left side of the fairway is very likely to follow the run of the ground and roll right on into the big bunker. The green on the left is very shallow; on the right side, it is very deep, but it slopes away from the player so that it is not easy to be certain of the exact location of the flag. The main problem presented by the second shot, which is normally played with a wedge or eight-iron, is to gauge the distance precisely. With the pin on the left side, a second shot played either short or over leaves a very difficult pitch to be made and this almost always results in the loss of one stroke, often two. With the wind behind him, the wise player will play for the center of the green, hoping to get down in two putts for a par 4.”

Geoff Ogilvy (2019): “The third I think is a genius hole because the only way to really make birdie or get it close is to risk missing it short of the green. And if you miss it short of the green, it’s almost an impossible up-and-down. It comes all the way back and you’re 12 feet below the level of the green to this crazy pitched green. And the only way to get that pitch close, if you do miss it short, is to risk leaving it short again…. If you miss [the green] in the wrong spots, you have almost zero chance to make par and a big chance to make 6, 7, or 8.”

Memorable Shots

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