To combat with the nonsensical distance problem, Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters for those of you who don’t know, is lengthening the par-4 fifth hole by up to 30 yards.
The hole will go from 455 yards to 485 yards forcing players to use longer clubs on their approach shots.
According to Golf Channel’s Tim Rosaforte:
“The new hole will play upwards of 485 yards in an attempt to restore the shot value that has been taken away by the distances achieved by the modern game,” Rosaforte said. “Instead of 3-woods and 7-irons, the new fifth should require a driver and a 5-iron, at the very least, depending upon the conditions.”
Early planes files on January 30th show the tee box being pushed back across Berckmans Road, which has been closed to public traffic since 2015. This is supposed to lessen congestion at the fourth green and the current spot of the fifth tee.
November 1st is the approximate end date.
[Image via PGA.com]