Not your father's, or Jack's, Augusta anymore

When Bobby Jones saw the young Jack Nicklaus, he said the Golden Bear played "a game with which I am not familiar."
If Jones came back from the grave this week for the Masters, he might say Augusta National Golf Club is a course with which he is not familiar ... and he, along with legendary designer Alistair MacKenzie, created the jewel in the Georgia pines.
The Green Jackets at Augusta National have twice lengthened the course in the last five years in an effort to keep up with technology and the strength of the modern golfer.
"I know what Augusta is trying to do," Nicklaus told reporters a few weeks ago. "Whether they've gone overboard, I'm not sure. But they've eliminated a lot of guys. ...
"Could Tiger (Woods) do (what it will take to win on the revamped course)? Or Ernie Els or Vijay Singh? Yes. Could Mike Weir or Jose Maria Olazabal -- one of those guys of moderate length -- could they do that? Probably not.
"That's the change at Augusta I have a hard time with."
When told at the Bay Hill Invitational of those comments and that Nicklaus believes only 10 or 12 players are capable of winning the Masters on the longer course, Woods said: "I agree."
Since Augusta lengthened the course by almost 300 yards in 2002, Woods has won twice, including last year, and Phil Mickelson claimed the title in 2004.
Weir, who won in 2003, showed a medium-length hitter could still win, but that was before 155 more yards were added on six holes -- this time without the previous changes having had a chance to be truly evaluated.
Augusta National will measure 7,445 yards this week, the second longest in major championship history behind only the 7,536-yard test at Whistling Straits in the 2004 PGA Championship, won by Vijay Singh.
As soon as the changes were announced, there was a dissenting voice. And it wasn't Martha Burk's.
"We have yet to have it hard and dry and fast for the entire week (since the 2002 changes)," Woods said, adding that the speed and subtleties of the greens, not to mention difficult pin positions, are plenty of defense for the course. "If we do, with these new tee locations, it's more likely over par will win.
"We used to see all the old footage of guys making shoulder turns on four-footers. Nowadays, you just need to breathe on it and it's going to roll quite a bit. I don't quite understand it because since they changed it in 2002, we have yet to have a dry week."
If it rains again, that plays even more into the sluggers' hands.
In addition to Woods, count the rest of the Big Five — Singh, Els, Mickelson and Retief Goosen — among those on Nicklaus' short list of title contenders.
Others, based on length off the tee and resume, would probably include Davis Love III, Sergio Garcia, Fred Couples, John Daly, Adam Scott, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke.
A long shot would be up-and-coming Henrik Stenson of Sweden.
Woods, who could move to within one of Nicklaus' record of six Masters titles with a victory this week, was serious when he said he might skip the tournament if his father's battle with cancer dictates.
However, expect the best player on the planet to drive down Magnolia Lane unless Earl Woods' condition takes a turn for the worse.
When Tiger showed up in California on the eve of the Players Championship, the former Green Beret lieutenant colonel barked at his son, "What the hell are you doing here?"
Remember, the old man started priming him for this when Tiger was a cub.
"We're taking it day-by-day," Woods said after the Players Championship, adding that he would not make another trip to Augusta before the Masters. "I've already been up there, so I don't have to worry about it. I've already prepared, seen it."
What he saw was that Augusta National is altering three holes on each nine — Nos. 1, 4 and 7 on the front and Nos. 11, 15 and 17 on the back.
The par-3 fourth hole has been lengthened to about 240 yards, with the tee moved back 30 to 35 yards.
"That hole is already hard enough, so I don't know why they'd change it," Nicklaus said.
The 11th hole, the beginning of storied "Amen Corner," will become the first par-4 hole in Masters history that will play longer than 500 yards. With the tee moved back 10 to 15 yards, the hole measures about 505.
The other changes include:
Moving the tee on No. 1 back 15 to 20 yards, stretching the par-4 hole to 455 yards. In addition, trees have been added to the left side of the fairway to require more accuracy with the driver.
The seventh hole was lengthened by 35 to 40 yards, making the par 4 play to 450 yards. Additionally, the green has been altered to create a possible right-rear pin position, while trees were added along both sides of the fairway.
Said Nicklaus of the alteration at No. 7: "That green is not made to accept three- or five-iron approaches. It's made to accept a wedge."
The par-5 15th hole was lengthened to 530 yards by a new tee 25 to 30 yards farther back and approximately 20 yards to the left.
The tee box on No. 17, once a breather coming home, has been moved back 10 to 15 yards, lengthening the par-four hole to about 440.
"They've changed the nature of the golf course," Nicklaus said. "Bobby Jones wanted a second-shot golf course. He loved St. Andrews and that style of golfing, second-shot golf courses. I think the concept of (Augusta) has changed greatly. It's looking more like a U.S. Open golf course than a Masters golf course.
"I love Augusta. Don't get me wrong. All I want is for Augusta to be Augusta, because it's such a great tournament. But when you take a golf course and limit the number of people that have the ability to win ...
"Their intention is not to do that. But they're doing that."
Masters officials would like Arnold Palmer, who won four titles at Augusta, to become an honorary starter the way Gene Sazazen, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson were for years.
As of yet, Palmer has not accepted, and perhaps the changing nature of the course has something to do with it. He also weighed in on the subject recently, and he sides with Nicklaus.
"I love the place, but now I'm not so sure," Palmer said. "There are some things that are taking the realistic Augusta away. It's changed dramatically from the course I've known the last 50 years."
No disrespect intended toward the classic courses that host the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship, but the Masters and Augusta National are supposed to be unique.
It seems they are trying to make Augusta into Whistling Straits or Bethpage Black.