Chicago Public Golf

Think of the most compelling micro-moments in all of sports; pitching with bases loaded late in the game with two outs and a small lead; a pivotal second set tiebreaker in a 5 set match; the football with less than a minute left in the second quarter-down by two touchdowns and wanting badly to go into the locker room down by only 7. These are pivotal, mid-game moments that provide great drama. Depending on how it plays out, someone is going to walk away with a big advantage.

However, nothing compares to that hour long period when the final group on Masters Sunday steps on to the 11th tee and begins the slog through Amen Corner. Whatever happens on the ensuing three holes usually has a huge influence on who puts on the Green Jacket a few hours later.

So let’s kick off a regular feature at the Chicago Golfcast and try and find Chicago’s Amen Corner somewhere amongst all of the daily fee courses around here. To aid in our effort, let’s first reflect on what makes the real Amen Corner so compelling.

I’ve never played them, but I have studied them. Holes 11, 12, and 13 at Augusta are three consecutive holes of such mind-boggling complexity, difficulty, and guile that when the player is done, the overriding feeling is simply, “thank God it’s over and I’m still alive.” Any joy is usually reserved for one or two humans that by force of will or dumb luck, escape with their wits intact. Let’s go through some more of the special traits of the real Amen Corner:

• The three holes are truly placed in a remote corner of the grounds at Augusta National about as far away from the clubhouse as you can get.
• They are situated in a V shape forming a perfect “corner.” If you drew a line from 13 green roughly down the fairway, it would be perpendicular to 11 fairway and hit just about at 11 green.
• They are three holes of great variability, each providing a distinctly different challenge. Hole 11 is a long, gentle dog leg right par 4 with a pond left of the green (505 yards). Hole 12 is a short, devious par 3 with a wide creek in front (155 yards). And hole 13 is a short, reachable, dog leg left par 5 with a narrow stream running down the left side of the fairway and crossing over over to the right, just short of the green (510 yards).
• Spectators and players can get a panoramic view of significant parts of all three holes from many points around the “bottom of the V.”
• They holes are basically in the middle of the round. Affording plenty of time to warm up and providing the ability to make a recovery if the player is only partially destroyed.
• Each hole is singular in it’s beauty and serenity. Each one landscaped like a work of art.

Arguably, it could be the greatest three consecutive holes ever placed on a golf course in the history of the world. If you’ve ever been there, you know it’s quite moving to see for the first time. I could not hold back the tears to be honest.

Here is the overhead shot from Google maps.

The tee on 11 is in the upper right corner back in the narrow shoot of trees. The 12 green and 13 tee are situated at the bottom center of the map, just below the brown, murky waters of Rae’s Creek (maybe they do color it for Masters week). The green on 13 is upper left, surrounded by bunkers left and long and the stream on the right. The holes peaking out below and bottom right are not part of Augusta National, they are actually part of the unaffiliated Augusta Country Club. Note that this shot was taken at least 24 months ago because Hootie and crew (Fazio I think) decided to plant a bunch of trees on the right side of 11 fairway which really toughens it up and makes it play more like a dog leg right.

So, given that build-up, do you have any ideas? I have proposed holes 11 to 13 at Prairie Landing as option before, but they’re not perfect. Submit an essay to chicagogolfcast@gmail.com with your Amen Corner. It has to be from a daily fee course in Chicago or the surrounding areas. I will pick a winner at the season’s end. The prize is a free round of golf for one paid for by the Chicago Golfcast valued at $75.