JIM NANTZ'S NEWEST BACKYARD GOLF HOLE IS A NOD TO AUGUSTA NATIONAL—AND LOOKS EVEN COOLER THAN HIS PEBBLE BEACH ONE
One of the biggest thrills of my life was getting to play Jim Nantz's backyard golf hole in Pebble Beach during the 2019 U.S. Open. With the legendary CBS announcer himself doing play-by-play on the replica of Pebble's iconic par-3 seventh. I didn't quite make an ace to get my name engraved on the rock Nantz has there like Phil Mickelson, Tony Romo, Nick Faldo, and others, but it was still awesome.
Here's a video about it in case you want to see what it's like—and, yes, so I can relive the experience.
Ah, good times. But apparently, Nantz had another backyard golf built at his Nashville home a few years back. And Golfweek's Adam Schupak has the early details on the setup that Nantz wrote about for an upcoming issue of Golf Digest. (The hole will also be featured in an upcoming episode of our "Backyard Greens" video series so keep an eye out for that.)
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The longtime Masters broadcaster paid homage to Augusta National's 13th hole this time with a variety of tee boxes that replicate the approach shot if you lay up on the famed par 5. According to Schupak, Nantz worked with architect Shane Whitcomb on the design that features five different tees and a variety of pin placements. Here are a couple of photos Nantz shared with Schupak:
Not too shabby, huh? One might say, "A win backyard hole for the ages!"
And no detail is spared with 15 magnolia trees, azaleas and pine straw, a Masters-like leaderboard, and other Augusta National signage around the property.
“I told you, it had to be over-the-top," Nantz told Schupak. "Come on, coming off the other one (at Pebble)? It had to be." Good point.
Nantz also told Schupak the longest shot is about 55-60 yards—it plays longer with the modified-distance golf balls he uses—and that there were plans to build another tee off the second-floor guest balcony, but that turned out to be "an engineering nightmare." Oh well, this is still amazing, Jim. I'll have to let you know the next time I'm in Nashville . . .
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