That includes trying to putt and chip to them, especially off the tightly mown turf that surrounds most greens. There is little margin for error, so if a player’s execution is less than perfect, he will hit plenty of fat or thin shots, either skulling a lot of short shots through greens or having them come back to his feet. The smart play will be to putt whenever possible.

Which may not necessarily yield better results. Jones designed the greens with plenty of undulation to reward smart, well-executed approach shots. Even in his day, when the greens were slower and seeded with coarser Bermuda grass, they were difficult to negotiate. Today, the bentgrass putting surfaces are among the scariest in golf—during the Masters, there is reason to believe they measure well above 13 on the Stimpmeter. (Greens at most courses measure 8 or 9.)

At Augusta, reaching the green will be relatively simple compared with the task of getting the ball in the hole. This is where the strokes will add up and demonstrate the biggest difference between the way pros and amateurs play the game today. “People would be amazed at the number of putts they would take,” says architect Jim Hardy, also a noted swing teacher and former tour player. “The average 16 playing to tournament hole locations, with Sunday green speeds, could easily take 55 putts at Augusta.”

Contrast that with the Masters putting stats. Last year, Woods took just 115 putts, fewer than 29 per round. Chris DiMarco, who lost the playoff against Woods, averaged 27.5 putts, less than what some experts estimate an amateur would take for nine holes.

Despite their overall prowess, even the best putters in the world have looked foolish at times on the greens, so how the average player would fare would hinge on how well (or poorly) he can putt. “If he’s a good putter, I believe he might break 100,” says Doak. “If you can’t putt on fast greens, well, remember how Tiger putted into the water on 13 last year? A poor putter could do that on four different holes!”

Final Words
Billy Casper may be 74 now, but in his prime, he was one of the best players in the world and arguably the best putter. Last year, the 1970 Masters champion made unwanted news by shooting 105 in the first round. “And he can still play,” Tomasi points out. “He’s a lot better than a 16.”

Still, Casper’s game, along with those of fellow past champions, provides the best perspective about how an amateur would play Augusta National. “I don’t have the length you need to play that course,” he says. “Even a good player would have trouble. A 16 would shoot 95 normally, and it could be 15 to 20 shots higher, another putt on every green. Easily. Could be as much as 25 to 30 shots higher if he played poorly.”

Put it all together and a score of 120 is the over/under, with our experts on both sides of the number. “I think it would come down to needing to two-putt from 35 feet above the hole on 18,” says Norman. “And with that tricky left pin, I don’t think it’s likely—he’ll knock the first one six feet past the hole, miss the putt coming back, tap in and begrudgingly sign for a 121. But he’ll still be happy.”

Why?

“Because he played Augusta.”