Masters poll: What’s the hardest thing about Augusta’s greens?

Over the years, GOLF has polled PGA Tour pros and our ultra-savvy readers about the quirks, extraordinary challenges and outright awesomeness of Augusta National. But when it comes to the Masters, there’s always more to learn. So, who better to school us than GOLF’s Top 100 Teachers in America? Their syllabus is below.

What’s the hardest thing about Augusta’s greens?

“The magnitude of slopes makes flat areas on greens appear flatter than they truly are.” — Kevin Kirk

“Learning to match your speed and line so that putts don’t get away from you is crucial. Understand there are some putts you can’t make but can leave in an easy spot for the next putt.” — Tony Ruggiero

“Matching speed with lines that can break many feet is challenging. When playing greens of this slope and speed you are always on the defense as to not run putts way by and three-putt. It takes imagination and a greater degree of touch to play these type of greens. Most all putts are dying into the hole, so aggressive putters have to putt differently on these greens.” — Mike Bender

“At Augusta, a player can successfully putt uphill or downhill, but not sidehill. On a sidehill putt, the ball already has momentum when it starts to break. Nearly impossible to control. The approach shot should leave the player either uphill or downhill.” — Mike Shannon