After several years of rumors that the par-5 13th hole would be stretched like a rubber band to prevent players from blasting driver over the trees on the left and turning the par-5 into driver-wedge, Augusta National finally built a new back tee that will measure 545 yards in April, adding 35 yards to the iconic hole at the Masters Tournament.
The 13th ranks as one of the great risk-reward holes in golf. Going for it should be a “momentous decision,” in the words of Bobby Jones, who assisted Alister MacKenzie in its design. It originally measured 480 yards when the Masters debuted in 1934 and played to 510 yards for the 2022 Masters. But that distance is shorter than many par-4s in major championship golf these days.
