10 Courses that Resemble Augusta National
Dreaming of dogwoods and azaleas, but find that a tee time at Augusta National is out of reach? There’s a fistful of courses in the U.S. that embody many, though certainly not all, of the virtues of Augusta National. Some layouts approach the ambience, others the conditioning and design, and still others the floral displays.
SentryWorld, Stevens Point, Wis.
“Our design brief at the beginning of the project was to create an Augusta National of the North,” says Bruce Charlton, President and Chief Design Officer for Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects, the firm that designed SentryWorld in 1982. “It was meant to be a walk in the park—a park that happened to have really good golf holes in it.” Competitors at the 2023 U.S. Senior Open in late June will undoubtedly note the Augusta resemblances, from the graceful shaping to the tranquil ponds to the decision-provoking par fives. What will resonate most, however, is the 182-yard 12th hole, which mimics the feel of Augusta’s 12th and most notably the 202-yard par-three 16th, a.k.a. the “Flower Hole,” that delights with 30,000 to 50,000 multi-colored blooms every year.
