AUGUSTA, Ga. — A couple hours after the 2026 Masters began Thursday morning, I set out to walk all 18 holes with three goals in mind: Watch some golf, offset the caloric intake of Augusta National’s press center (which Willy Wonka would deem a bit decadent) and take some time to admire the little things.
Our photographer Darren Riehl did the hard work. I mostly just pointed at stuff. Here begins our tour.
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Editor’s note: This may be a silly story but it has good pictures, so feel free to skip the words and skim those.
No. 1
The entire Masters Tournament relies on a certain assumption of orderliness from its patrons. Even its insistence on calling them “patrons” helps set the tone. It’s easy to roll your eyes at some of that stuff, but here’s the result: When players walk from the clubhouse towards the first tee they very often just walk through the sea of people gathered there. There are a few officials with ropes who can establish temporary order, if need be. Often need don’t be.
We’re behind Wyndham Clark, who’s bobbing and weaving without issue towards the practice green adjacent the first tee. If he tried this at the WM Phoenix Open he’d emerge soaked in cheers and light beers. The group ahead is getting ready to play. Saquon Barkley is among those looking on from the left side of the tee. The green jacket makes an announcement.
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Fore please! Now driving, Andrew Novak.
Fore please turns into fore left. The patrons duck for cover. It’s an organized setting but an unpredictable game.
No. 1: first tee, first umbrella Darren Riehl
No. 2
You know the hazards on the second nine here; there’s water on 11, 12, 13, 15, 16. You may not know there’s also a creek down the left side of the second hole. And you really may not know the way Augusta National marks that creek; rather than automatically conforming to the usual shape and size of your standard penalty-area stakes, in line with Masters minimalism, the club has innovated with these undersized, understated mini-stakes.
No. 2: undersized, understated hazard stakes Darren Riehl
No. 3
This is the trendiest hole at Augusta National; it’s always been excellent but as a brain-bending short, tricky par 4 seems to be having a bit of a well-deserved moment of appreciation. Also trendy: Drake Maye, who’s on the right side as we arrive.
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A couple hours after our pass-through, Scottie Scheffler will drive the green, but that’s a rarity. What’s far more common are tricky, in-between wedge shots. In the span of two minutes we see Andrew Novak playing a clever spinner from the pine straw that zips back past the hole, which one onlooker immediately declares “the shot of the tournament.” We see Brian Campbell taking the safe way out of his half-wedge, flying it well past the front hole location to the middle of the green. We see Tom McKibbin hit one low, glancing cleverly off the bank and trickling just past the hole. These guys are good. This course is hard. A leaderboard looms behind them.
No. 3: this year’s trendiest hole: the wee 3rd Darren Riehl
No. 4
Augusta National’s lone palm leans over, glancing at the front right bunker. There used to be more of these.
No. 4: Augusta’s lone palm Darren Riehl
No. 5
Do all the trees have numbers? And tags? Here, down the left side of the brutish par-4 5th, is No. 2230. There’s a lot of monitoring going on here, amidst the nature.
No. 5: here’s No. 2230 Darren Riehl
No. 6
The hill at No. 6 provides a particularly unique spectating perspective; I can’t think of any other hole in professional golf where the golfers hit directly over your head, with you facing their target. You can see the par-3 16th from here, too — it may be my favorite Thursday-Friday spot to sit and watch. (The sixth tee is at the top of the photo, if you use some imagination.)
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Patrick Reed makes eagle, up ahead. It takes a minute for the leader board to change to a red 5, explaining the roar.
No. 6: the rare seat where players hit over you Darren Riehl
No. 7
The strange thing about Rory McIlroy’s miraculous recovery shot from the trees left of No. 7 — last year, that is, in the final round — is that he missed the short birdie putt that followed. The same strange thing is true of his miraculous approach at No. 15, which resulted in a short miss for eagle. That was a clean, miraculous result after a day of contradictory, messy storytelling. McIlroy double-bogeyed the first hole, opening the door to the rest of the field. Then he slammed it shut with a run of good play, then opened it again, etc. The only clean narrative came in retrospect, with his win.
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Anyway, when you walk No. 7 it’s tempting to see where McIlroy played that approach shot through the trees. But that’s not pictured below. Here’s a little rope in its little rope spot. This is how they keep order at the walkways. They let you cross as soon as the players pass. The whole process seems to work more smoothly here than elsewhere.
No. 7: a little rope maintains a lot of order Darren Riehl
No. 8
The leader boards are famous around here. You likely know about the Masters no-phone rule; one of its effects is that there’s an outsized pressure on the changing of the boards and thus the updating of the patrons.
What that means is that it’s important to match the correct names with the correct scores. Here’s a look at how they do that, from the rear of the leader boards: by writing the names in light-green chalk. Simple done right.
No. 8: leader board chalk to keep track Darren Riehl
No. 9
You’re never far from much as a patron on No. 9, and as you work your way towards the green you can hang a left, cross the first fairway and get to the merchandise shop, or the concession area, or a rocking chair. If you’re a golfer you can also hang a left and play down that same first fairway. Here’s Nico Echavarria taking the alternate path, though not on purpose.
No. 9: as played from no. 1 fairway Darren Riehl
No. 10
We’ve caught Bryson DeChambeau’s group now, which is alternately known as Xander Schauffele’s group, or Matt Fitzpatrick’s group, but based on the ooh that goes up as DeChambeau hits a towering draw around the corner, there’s one guy commanding outsized attention. Kevin Hart is in this gallery. So is Kai Trump. None of the above are pictured. Instead here’s a tree down the right side, an outlier among the pines, that Darren particularly liked.
No. 10: a tree Darren liked Darren Riehl
No. 11
The course is firm and fast and it’s separating the guys in full control of their distance and their spin from those without. Here are Patrick Reed and Tommy Fleetwood and Akshay Bhatia. They’re a combined nine under par — for now. This must be the hottest group on the property. It’s a back pin and downwind, which means it’s playing less perilous than usual. None of them have to visit the lonely drop zone down the left.
No. 11: a lonely drop zone Darren Riehl
No. 12
I’m struck by the stark difference between Augusta National’s two iconic second-nine par-3s. No. 16 is a hub of crowd activity from tee to green, while at No. 12 you play towards solitude. It must feel quiet over there.
No. 12: the bridge boys Darren Riehl
No. 13
As we walk towards the green at No. 13, Shane Lowry pitches his ball over the creek and onto the middle of the green. It checks up and rolls in for a triumphant eagle. Later I’ll watch highlights and see that Ludvig Aberg has a chip for eagle from behind the green that trickles all the way back into this tributary. No. 13 is easy until it’s not. Here’s a side angle you’re not used to seeing, with the azaleas a few days past full bloom.
No. 13: the hidden tributary Darren Riehl
No. 14
There’s a large, thick stand of bamboo behind the tee box at No. 14. It seems out of place, but nothing’s really out of place on the former grounds of Fruitland Nurseries. Dustin Johnson tees off. Wayne Gretzky is just outside the rope line. Johnson instinctively tosses his broken tee on the ground at the end of the tee box — then reconsiders. He picks up the tee and hands it to his brother. A tee stub stands out here more than it might elsewhere.
No. 14: bamboo behind 14 tee Darren Riehl
No. 15
A cheer goes up as Fred Couples’ name appears atop the leaderboard; at 2 under through four holes, he’s been deemed worthy of the spot. He’ll still be under par when he gets to this hole a couple hours later — but he won’t be under par by the time he leaves.
No. 15: Fred Couples appears, to cheers Darren Riehl
No. 16
Augusta National’s tee markers, like most everything here, are simple, minimal and just about right.
No. 16: counting rings on the tee markers Darren Riehl
No. 17
The Masters is an interesting cross-section of analog everything with groundbreaking technology. Here’s a well-sharpened pencil being used for some scoring-related purpose. You don’t see a well-sharpened pencil in use as much as you used to.
No. 17: lots of stuff done by hand here Darren Riehl
No. 18
Have you ever seen a ladder like this? I have never seen a ladder like this. This is how Augusta National’s scorers get up to the big leader board beside the 18th green.
No. 18: Augusta has perfected ladders, too Darren Riehl
18-hole summary
There’s a big scoreboard with everybody’s name and hole-by-hole score, listed alphabetically, by the first fairway — where most people enter and exit the course. When you finish, they put your name under the score you shot. It’s a good reminder that while the 60-something scores get all the attention, they’re heavily outnumbered.
Bonus: early score-posting Darren Riehl
If you’ve somehow made it this far, Dylan Dethier welcomes your comments at [email protected].
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