Like asking to touch up the Mona Lisa: Masters resist calls to change iconic 12th hole
Chairman Fred Ridley ruled out any alterations to Golden Bell during his tenure – after Vijay Singh proposed adding 10 yards to the hole
It’s triumph and disaster all twirled up together in 155 short yards. Masters dreams have lived and died at Augusta National’s iconic 12th hole.
So should it go under the architect’s knife? “That’s almost like asking, can we touch up the Mona Lisa a bit?” reckons tournament chairman Fred Ridley.
But that’s exactly what one former green jacket winner has proposed and caused Ridley to issue a firm slap down at his annual pre-Masters press conference.
The Augusta Chronicle has reported 2000 champion Vijay Singh calling for an extra 10-yards to be added to Golden Bell.
“We used to hit 7-irons and 6-irons and then it started going to 7-irons and 8-irons and it’s gone from 8-irons to 9-irons and the guys are hitting wedges now,” he said.
“They should lengthen it by at least 10 yards. I think it should go to at least 170. I think it would be a much more challenging hole if people were hitting a 6-iron or a 7-iron instead of a 9-iron or wedge.”
Masters 12th hole: ‘It would not be lengthened during my tenure’
Ridley, though, immediately ruled out any suggestions of altering the 12th while he is in charge.
“I would say with 100 per cent certainty that it would not be lengthened during my tenure,” he explained. “That’s almost like asking, can we touch up the Mona Lisa a little bit? The 12th hole at Augusta is the most iconic par-3 in the world. It has been and I won’t say it always will be, but I think it always will be.
“I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about the topography, the trees, the wind, the beauty that just captures your imagination.
“When you combine that with the history that’s been made there – the most recent being the tragedies and triumphs when Tiger Woods won in 2019.
“Freddie Couples’ ball hanging up on the edge of Rae’s Creek, which is made part of the song “Augusta”.
“I just think it is such an iconic hole that’s had so many important moments in the Masters that I’m not sure that another 10 yards would really make a difference. Players are hitting short irons, but it doesn’t seem to matter, the hole is very difficult.”
Now have your say
Would you like to see the 12th hole at Augusta National lengthened? Or should it remain untouched? Let me know your thoughts with a comment on X.
Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
