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Venerable creatures like Fenway Park and Wrigley Field, or the newer ones like Camden Yards or Pac Bell Park, might first come to mind.
But for this humble scribe's dollar, the most beautiful American sports field of dreams lies in a little nook in the heart of Georgia.
It might not cross people's minds when asked what is the most beautiful American sports venue, but for my money it's gotta be Augusta National, home of The Masters. And, more specifically, the three-hole stretch on the back nine that has become famous worldwide -- Amen Corner.
I've never been to Augusta, but through my years of devoted viewing of golf's best major tournament (sorry, Brits, this is it), I can easily access the picturesque view of all three holes in my mind's eye. (The only thing I had to look up were the yardages.)
The Corner begins on 11 -- a 455-yard par-4 that begins in disguise. The tee shot is pretty straight forward, as are most of the par-4s at Augusta. Keep it in the fairway, and you're in good shape for your second.
But that second shot, that's when the Corner's dangers officially begin. Water all along the left side of the green, as well as behind. The green is long and undulating, with a huge bailout area to the right for the faint of heart.
In the later rounds, the pin is always cut in the back left -- so shooting for the pin is a major flirt with disaster. And while the very lucky will score and card that precious birdie, most will get slammed with the proverbial drink and slap in the face.
So, you play it safe, and shoot for the right side of the green, and then have to make the very difficult two-putt to save par. (Last year, No. 11 was the toughest hole on the course.)
OK, well done -- and now you wanna take a breather?
Fuhgetaboutit, because here comes 12.
It's one of the few places in the world where size does not matter. No. 12 is one of the shortest par-3s in major championship golf -- just 155 yards -- yet still is widely proclaimed as one of its most difficult holes.
The view is simply majestic -- from an elevated tee box, looking down across Rae's Creek that flows in front of the wisp-thin green below. It's wide from left to right, but you're facing it at an angle, with the left front closer than the right. But it's nary a few yards deep.
So, judging distance is paramount -- with no room for error. If you're short, you're either in the front bunker or in the water. Rarely does a ball come up short and stop dead on the slippery slope in front of the creek (unless you're named Fred Couples). If you're long, you're either in a deep back bunker or even deeper rough.
And with hardly any room to work with coming out of the sand -- no matter what trap you're in -- you're looking at another bogey.
Oh, forgot to mention one thing -- the wind up at the tee box is usually different than what's swirling down below around the green. So club selection is sometimes near impossible. (From the official Masters Web site, it can range from a 9-iron all the way up to a 4-iron.)
Fun stuff, eh?
The interesting days are when the pin is cut in the back right, so you have to traverse practically the entire length of the creek and over that front bunker, and land the ball in an area about five feet circumference.
Go ahead and try that.
So, say you shoot for the safe left side of the green, and make another two-putt for par. OK, great job.
And now comes the ultimate test of mettle -- the 455-yard par-5 13th that is there for the taking, for the brave of heart.
It's a dogleg left, and a perfect draw off the tee will hit the down slope in front of the trees along the right side of the fairway and roll dozens of yards more. Now comes the challenge -- go for the green in two, or lay up. If club selection on the 12th tee is the most difficult decision of the day, this is a close second.
Because there is, again, no margin for error. The green is protected in front with the remnants of Rae's Creek -- which by the way runs down the entire left side of the hole, before cutting across just in front of the green. So, if you're short or left, it's bath time.
The green is tiered, with a taller level in the back right. It's large enough to land a wood and keep it there, and it's especially doable when the pin is cut atop that tier. But, of course, for the final round it's always cut in the front left -- right beside the water.
And if you're long, there are bunkers and deep rough on a downward slope awaiting you there.
But, because the big hitters usually do get there in two, birdie practically becomes a must for someone in the running. So, you have to go if you have the chance -- which just adds to the drama.
The old saying about Amen Corner is you can't win the tournament there, but you can lose it. Well, I partially agree with that, as I've seen so many balls go into the water on those holes that kill contenders right then and there.
But I've also seen people win the tournament on those holes. Who can forget Larry Mize's amazing playoff chip on 11 to stun Greg Norman back in '87? And while everyone remembers Tiger Woods' record performance in posting his first major victory back in 1997, most people forget that was he was in rough shape after his first 11 holes.
What turned that first round around? He chipped in from the back rough for an amazing birdie on 12. And from there, he was on his way.
Just check out the first page of the leaderboard come Sunday, and the key stat among all of them is how well they played Amen Corner.
Its sheer beauty, as well as its importance -- no place in American sports holds as much esteem and awe as Amen Corner. It's what makes the Masters so special every year.
Mike Biglin is a National Sports Editor based out of Boston. E-mail him at mbiglin@thebostonchannel.com.
Copyright 2000 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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