So, everyone always talks a big game about Augusta, especially Amen Corner. And yeah, no doubt, that stretch is legendary. But I wanna tell you about another little monster there, Hole 6, “Juniper.” It’s a par-3, looks kinda innocent on your TV screen, but let me tell you, standing there on that tee box is a whole different ball game. I finally got my shot at it, and man, it was something.
Stepping onto the Tee at Six
There I was, finally. You look down from that elevated tee, and the green looks like a postage stamp, even though it’s a decent size. The big thing you notice, or at least I did, is the drop. It’s downhill, and that green, it’s got more waves than the ocean. Seriously, trying to figure out where your ball is gonna end up, even if you hit a good one, is a nightmare. The pros make it look so darn easy, just floatin’ it in there. It ain’t like that when you’re the one with the club in your hand, believe me.
My caddie, good guy, just said, “Aim a touch left of the pin, let the slope do the work.” Sounded simple enough. But then you take your practice swings, and you feel the pressure, you know? Thinking of all those years watching it, thinking, “Yeah, I could knock that close.” Humbling is the word. My palms were definitely a bit sweaty.
So, here’s how it went down for me:
- I pulled out my 6-iron. The yardage was about 175, downhill, bit of a breeze in our face.
- Took a couple of deep breaths. Always try to do that when I’m feeling the nerves creepin’ in.
- I picked a spot, like the caddie said, just a little left of the flag.
- Tried to make a smooth swing, not kill it. Just get it there.
I made pretty good contact, actually. Felt solid off the face. The ball started out nice and high, looked like it was heading right for my spot. For a split second, I thought, “Nailed it!” It landed on the front part of the green, pretty much where I was aiming. But then, Augusta decided to be Augusta. That ball hit one of those sneaky slopes and just started to roll. And roll. And roll some more. It didn’t roll off, thank goodness, but it ended up a good fifty feet away, looking uphill at a monster putt.
Walking onto that green, you really see what they mean by “undulating.” It was like trying to putt across a crumpled-up piece of paper. My first putt, I was just trying to get it close, lag it up there. Left it about six feet short. And then, of course, I missed the six-footer for par. Tapped in for a bogey. Not the dream par, not even close, but hey, that’s golf on a course like that. It really beats you up if you’re not precise.
So, what did I learn from my little adventure on Augusta’s 6th? It’s a beast, plain and simple. Looks all pretty and calm, but it’s got teeth. You can’t just hit a good shot; you gotta hit the right shot, to the right spot. And even then, you need a bit of luck. It really makes you appreciate just how good those tour players are. They make it look like a walk in the park, but it’s anything but. That hole taught me a lesson in respect, that’s for sure.