Every Hole at Augusta National - No. 6, Juniper
History, Masters strategy, and expert commentary on the par-3 sixth
The Basics
Par 3 | 180 yards
A mid-length par 3, the sixth hole plays off the ridge where the fifth green is perched and across the valley where the 16th sits. Alister MacKenzie claimed the hole was based on North Berwick Golf Club’s Redan, but the similarities are limited — a prominent front-left bunker and a kicker slope feeding toward left pins are the main shared characteristics. The green is benched into an upslope and features a high back-right knob, a lower back-left tier, and a bowl just over the bunker. Because of how sharply defined these contours are, the character of the hole changes dramatically depending on pin position. A back-right pin demands a towering approach to hold the shelf, while front pins allow players to use the funneling contours.
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History
Aside from expanding the back-right shelf to make it a (slightly) friendlier target, the club has kept No. 6 roughly intact since 1934. The green has been rebuilt several times, but its basic three-tiered structure has never changed. The bunker has remained in place, too. Its shape, however, represents the evolution of Augusta National’s aesthetic over the past 90 years. Originally a sprawling, rough-edged example of MacKenzie’s naturalism, the bunker is now much cleaner and simpler in outline, somewhat resembling a cartoon cowboy hat.
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Strategy Notes for the Masters
On the vast majority of holes in professional golf, hitting a shot pin-high toward the fat side of the green yields a positive result. That’s not the case on No. 6, especially when the pin is on the back-right tier. Shots that miss this shelf and roll back down the kicker slope can ultimately settle more than 50 feet from the hole, leaving a tricky, super-slow two-putt back up the slope.
No. 6 is a clever, engaging par 3 to all hole locations, but that right pin is the most captivating. –Joseph LaMagna
Our Take
“Juniper” is, in our opinion, Augusta National’s second-best par 3. Each pin position presents a different range of challenges and exciting possible outcomes. The easy pin on the left, like the one on the neighboring 16th hole, offers the prospect of a long-roll ace, while the famous back-right pin is a pure gut check, forcing players to take aim at a tiny target and hit a bold shot. One of the great delights of attending the Masters is camping out in the valley that houses the sixth, 15th, and 16th greens and just watching the ball react to the ground.
Expert Commentary
Alister MacKenzie (1932): “This is similar to the Redan Hole at North Berwick (Scotland), but here, owing to its extreme visibility, lay of the land, and beauty of the surroundings, we have no doubt that we will be able to construct a much more attractive hole than the original Redan.”
Bobby Jones (1959): “The really difficult pin area on this particular green is formed by the plateau located at the right back corner. In order to land upon and hold this plateau, the shot must be very accurately struck. With the ball stopping either short of this raised area or off to the left, it is an extremely difficult job to get the first putt close to the hole. The front of the green immediately behind the bunker is the easiest location. Back of this the side slope is severe. This is one of the easiest holes on the course, but the setting of the big green is very lovely when viewed from the elevated tee. This area, comprising the sixth hole and the spectacular 16th, is one of the most popular spectator spots.”
Geoff Ogilvy (2019): “When the pin is low on the bottom tier, [6 is a birdie hole]. With the pin on the high [back] tier — that crazy high thing on the right — that is one of the toughest 6- to 8-irons you’ll ever have. The only way you can really hit a great shot to those really small [landing areas], to hit those really precise shots, is to swing it free and loose. It’s hard to get into a free and loose mindset when you know all the bad things that can happen.”
Memorable Shots
Tiger’s approach in 2011: If you had to pick the most underrated, underappreciated shot in Woods’ Masters career, this would get our vote. In an attempt to give himself an uphill putt to an impossible pin, Woods hits a slinging draw to the right side of the green that then rides the slope and makes a beeline for the pin. You can hear him when the ball is in the air say, “Be perfect!” which is another indicator that he knew exactly what he was doing.
Jose Maria Olazabal in 1991: Olazabal was actually leading the Masters on Saturday when he came up short on the sixth hole, leaving him a lengthy putt to a pin on the upper shelf. He had two putts roll back to his feet. Olazabal ended up making a triple bogey and finishing one shot behind Ian Woosnam on Sunday.
Course Routing
Click on a pin below to preview the hole or go to the full profile of the hole.
Augusta National
Ever since it opened, Augusta National has been in a constant state of evolution (for better or for worse), but it remains one of the greatest championship venues in the world
Hole 1 - Tea Olive
Augusta National's property is defined by a single broad downslope that ends at Rae’s Creek, and this par-4 opener is the only hole on the course that sits completely on top of it. Strategically, No. 1 at Augusta National is one of the most compelling opening holes in professional golf.
Hole 2 - Pink Dogwood
The second hole at Augusta National produces more off-the-tee variety than most par 5s in professional golf.
Hole 3 - Flowering Peach
Players face three basic options off the tee: hit a long iron or hybrid near the bunkers at the top of the first ridge, leaving a full wedge in; bash it left, past the bunkers and into the valley short left of the green; or go straight for the green in hopes of at least holding the narrow shelf short right. The most strategically complex hole on the golf course, “Flowering Peach” has stood the test of time, less affected by distance gains than most holes at Augusta National.
Hole 4 - Flowering Crab Apple
The first — and longest — par 3 at Augusta National has historically required a strong strike with at least a long iron, though club selections in the Masters have shifted as distance gains have spiraled out of control. Can you execute a towering shot with a long iron, hybrid, or fairway wood?
Hole 5 - Magnolia
“Magnolia” is like Paul Thomas Anderson’s film of the same name: brilliant, probably underrated, but a tad bloated. Nonetheless, the hole presents an honest challenge, and the green is one of the most artfully shaped at Augusta National (or anywhere else).
Hole 6 - Juniper
“Juniper” is, in our opinion, Augusta National’s second-best par 3. Each pin position presents a different range of challenges and exciting possible outcomes.
Hole 7 - Pampas
Yes, the green contours are fun, but “Pampas” has morphed into something that Alister MacKenzie likely would not endorse: a hole that merely defends itself through length and narrowness rather than asking complex strategic questions.
Hole 8 - Yellow Jasmine
This uphill three-shotter consistently produces the highest scoring average of Augusta National’s four par 5s, but it still presents a welcome birdie opportunity after the tough stretch of Nos. 4-7. “Yellow Jasmine” is the most underrated hole at Augusta National.
Hole 9 - Carolina Cherry
The ninth hole plays from a high point near the first and eighth greens, down through a valley frequently used by galleries, and up the hill where the clubhouse sits. From a risk-reward perspective, “Carolina Cherry” is a bit of a muddle.
Hole 10 - Camellia
The 10th hole kicks off the back half of the round in hair-raising fashion, plunging 100 feet into a valley shrouded by tall pines. Perry Maxwell’s 1938 transformation of “Camellia” is one of the rare cases in which a change to MacKenzie and Jones’s design represented a substantial improvement.
Hole 11 - White Dogwood
No. 11 is simply a brute, often playing as the most difficult hole to par at Augusta National. It’s also been one of the most frequently tinkered-with holes at Augusta National.
Hole 12 - Golden Bell
The focal point of Amen Corner and the center of gravity in any final round of the Masters, the 12th hole at Augusta National is as terrifying as it is beautiful.
Hole 13 - Azalea
This iconic risk-reward par 5 offers the first of a series of birdie opportunities on Augusta National’s home stretch.
Hole 14 - Chinese Fir
Although some nuances of MacKenzie and Jones’s original strategic concept for the hole have been lost, “Chinese Fir” is still a compelling par 4, rewarding precise and well-shaped shots both off the tee and into the green.
Hole 15 - Firethorn
No. 15 consistently presents one of the toughest decisions players have to make during their rounds: go for the green in two or lay up to one of the most demanding wedge shots in golf.
Hole 16 - Redbud
Set at the base of the ridge that the fifth green and sixth tee occupy, the par-3 16th hole provides a ready stage for championship-defining shots. Over the past several decades, the 16th has shown an undeniable knack for spectacle.
Hole 17 - Nandina
From tee to green, No. 17 is one of the simplest holes at Augusta National and is likely the least-loved hole on the second nine.
Hole 18 - Holly
“Holly” is a little funky, but its design is smart and elegant: bend it around the trees on the right and bypass some of the natural difficulty of the next shot.
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