Master of Disguise

Sure, it’s pretty, with all those flowers and stately trees and that gently meandering creek. But appearances are often deceiving at Augusta National Golf Club for the Masters tournament, when the trees start getting in the way of golf balls, the creek claims a few more of them and the greens are so diabolically fast that no one has time to see the flowers anyway.

It’s one of the most impressive pieces of real estate in golf, and maybe this is the week at the Masters we’ll finally see how tough the place really is.

At stake is, simply, a reputation. This is the third Masters tournament since major changes were made to Augusta National in 2002, adding 285 yards and altering seven of the course’s par-four holes, plus two of the par-fives.

A longer, meaner Augusta National was the idea, a plan to keep the course from being trampled by advances in golf club and golf ball technology.

Only it hasn’t worked out that way.

The reason is simple. Rain. Wet conditions the last two Masters tournaments mean that the full effect of all the course changes has not been felt.

If it’s dry this week, then we’ll see how hard Augusta National is intended to be. Or have we already seen it play its most difficult?

That’s the debate: Dry or wet, which is tougher?

“I think the course will play harder if it’s dry,” said Hootie Johnson, the club chairman. “When the course is firm, placement of your tee shot and second shot is more exacting. The movement on the fairway and the contours of the greens demand greater accuracy.

“In wet conditions, the margin of error is greater. Last year’s conditions were very wet, yet players you typically consider long hitters did not win.”

Mike Weir, who ranked 68th on the PGA Tour in driving distance last year, wound up winning with a bogey-free final round of 67 and became the first winner to play the fourth round without a bogey since Doug Ford in 1957.

Johnson, of course, is the architect behind the changes at Augusta National, which this year include a new wrinkle -- 36 fully grown trees on the right side of the 11th fairway to take away an easier angle to the green.

Meanwhile, the architect who carried out the changes agrees with Johnson that a dry course is a tougher challenge. Or, that’s the theory, at least.

“That’s what people are wondering about,” Tom Fazio said. “It’s an unknown.”

Fazio did say that the true nature of Augusta National hasn’t been revealed because of rain in 2002, when Tiger Woods won, and again last year.

“Even though the course has been lengthened, soft conditions obviously, change things. Length is not the major issue for today’s tournament players. It’ll be a different tournament this year, assuming it’s dry.

“There are a lot of hard golf holes out there, but why shouldn’t there be? It’s a major.”

Weir lines up on the other side of the debate. Only 5 feet 9 and 155 pounds, he said he’d rather play a dry Augusta National than a wet one, despite what happened last year.

“I think it would help a little bit because I wouldn’t be hitting so many long irons into these par-fours. Again, the golf course was really soft, so even though I was hitting some longer irons in, I was able to stop them.

“But I think if I can get some run on the ball, I’ve always been a player that when I play a firmer golf course, I can even get it out there with the longer hitters. I can’t carry it as far as they can, and on a wet golf course, that’s where they can maybe get a big advantage.

“But on a firm golf course, my ball play, I can get it out there pretty far. I think it would help my game. I’d love to see it play firm and fast and just see how I can handle it.”

In the wet-dry debate, Jack Nicklaus cuts right to the chase. Nicklaus, who won the Masters a record six times, says there is no question in his mind.

“Augusta is easy when it’s wet,” he said. “It’s long, and that part, length, to most of these guys means nothing. It does hinder the 40% of the guys that can’t hit the ball very far.”

Woods said there is no question that Augusta National will play much differently if it’s not wet, but he isn’t concerned about how much more difficult it may be. Perhaps his confidence is up because he’s a three-time Masters champion.

“I’m curious to see if it’s actually going to be dry, because we have yet to play Augusta since they lengthened the golf course,” he said. “If it gets dry and fast, it’s going to be one heck of a test.”The bottom line at Augusta National is that whether it’s dry or wet, the keys to winning remain unchanged. Players must drive the ball in the correct position on the fairway to get a good line to the green, then get the ball to stop on the correct side of the green, then be able to roll the ball into the hole as quickly as possible.

That’s what the champions know and regardless of the conditions, how a player performs on the greens probably will decide the Masters once again.

“If you don’t make putts, you’re not going to win,” Weir said.

“It was putting that won me that tournament. I made three birdies on the last three holes, and it was pretty good short irons, but mainly putting.”

So if things are different beginning Thursday at the Masters, and the place dries out and firms up, the players had better be ready for the first real test of the longer, meaner Augusta National. Chances are, there won’t be a dry eye in the house.

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The Facts

* What: The 68th Masters tournament.

* When: Thursday-Sunday.

* Where: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Ga.

* Course: 7,290 yards, par 72.

* Format: 72 holes of stroke play, sudden-death playoff if necessary.

* Defending champion: Mike Weir.

HOW THE COURSE HAS CHANGED

* No. 1: Tees moved back 20-25 yards. Reshaped fairway bunker, extending 10-15 yards toward the green, creating a 300-yard carry. Length increased from 410 yards to 435 yards.

* No. 7: Tees moved back 40-45 yards. Length increased from 365 yards to 410 yards.

* No. 8: tees moved back 15-20 yards and shifted 10 yards to the golfers’ right. Reshaped and nearly doubled the size of the fairway bunker, creating carry of about 305 yards. Length increased from 550 yards to 570 yards.

* No. 9: Tees moved back 25-30 yards. Length increased from 430 yards to 460 yards.

* No. 10: Tees moved back 5-10 yards and five yards to the golfers’ left. Length increased from 485 yards to 495 yards.

* No. 11: Tees moved back 30-35 yards and five yards to golfers’ right. Length increased from 455 yards to 490 yards.

* No. 13: Tees moved back 20-25 yards. Length increased from 485 yards to 510 yards.

* No. 14: Tees moved back 30-35 yards. Length increased from 405 yards to 440 yards.

* No. 18: Tees moved back 55-60 yards and five yards to golfers’ right. Bunker complex adjusted by making them approximately 10% larger, creating carry of about 320 yards. Trees added left of fairway bunkers. Green regressed and expanded to recover lost edges. New pin position established at right rear of green. Length increased from 405 yards to 465 yards.

2003 CHANGES

* No. 5: Tee moved back, fairway bunkers extended 80 yards toward green, fairway and bunker’s shifted to right. Hole re-measured at 455 yards.

2004 CHANGES

* No. 11: Thirty-six trees added on right side of fairway.

* No. 13: Rebuilt green after adding heating and cooling system underneath.