The greatest ???????????????

After following and playing this great game for over forty years I guess I must have missed something. Reading an article by a golf sports writer who states Augusta National is " the greatest course in the world " and also regarding the par 3 12th. at the same course states it's " the greatest par 3 in the world ", yeah I must have missed something.
It certainly is a beautiful golf course and the Masters is an outstanding major golf tournament. This particular golf writer was taking into account the degree of difficulty when I come to " greatest ", I for one would disagree. One course that comes to mind is Carnoustie in Scotland, I would suggest that when this course is set up for the " Open " and the wind is whipping in off the sea without a doubt would play a lot more difficult than Augusta.
When it comes to short par 3's lets stay in Scotland for the moment, according to Tiger Woods the " Postage Stamp " ( the 8th. at Royal Troon ) is " the toughest short par 3 you will find anywhere ". I guess the golf writer has very limited vision, limited to a map of the U.S.A. only.

It's easier to play Carnoustie than it is to play Augusta.

hi lowpost
sorry but i disagree, i think Carnoustie is without doubt the hardest course in the world to play.
the greens are every bit as hard to putt and not one green is flat. i have played it twice and its wonderful to play but even on the front tees so hard to score and you have to play it to really see just how many bumps and hollows there are and ever green and every fairway and the bunkers are so deep you hit a fairway bunker then even if your a pro you hitting a 7 or 8 iron out at most. you also have the very high rough and the burn and the wind all make it a diffrent course every time you play.

if you also look at the open scores you will soon see how many of the top players struggle over this coarse and you don't get 20 under posted here and it it not made that much harder for the open as it is every other day of the year. and the other thing is you can turn and and play it.
i don't think you or i would ever get to play Augusta but my friend, "Davie Roberson" played it when he was best UK armature and he did not think it was as good as some of the US open courses, he felt it was an unfair course that luck played to big a part on the greens rather than skill.

i still love watching Augusta and find it exciting but there is a lot of luck on the greens. land the ball two inches one way your close to the hole, two inches the other and your 30 feet away but thats what makes it exciting. if you ever get to Scotland try and play Carnoustie and i'm sure you will change your mind when you see the greens there and try and putt on them. i have played Muirfield too but think Carnoustie is harder. Minzunoman did a wonderful write up on Muirfield on here and worth reading.
cheers
bill

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Sorry - I'll amend my post to further clarify what I meant:

It's easier for anyone to play (physcially play - get on the course) Carnoustie than it is for anyone to play Augusta.

sorry lowpost
i see what you mean now, yes its turn up and play most of the year but busy in summer months but yes anyone can play, at Augusta even pros get turned away from having a round.
cheers
bill

Just because a course is difficult to gain access to doesnt make it a good course, it just means the club is run by elitist freemason wannabes.

Augusta is a fine looking course and certainly proves difficult to get round, but I would take issue with anyone that claims it is the best course in the world.

The 12th enjoys a certain cache because it is the fulcrum of so many disintegrations during the Masters. The fact that it has too shallow a green approached at an angle that ill suits the speed and firmness of the turf makes it difficult, it is not difficult because of brilliant design.

A truly brilliant design rewards an excellent shot and punishes a bad shot, average shots should result in a chance of par with a good recovery shot, the 12th at Augusta National does not fit those criteria.

D.

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so to say a course is the greatest is a bit of a misdemeanor. (Even if your trousers are extendable )