Eisenhower Tree
The Eisenhower Tree was a famous pine on the 17th hole of Augusta National, named after US President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The tree is one of the best-known individual trees in the golf world. It stood left of the 17th hole, around 200 metres from the tee, and reached far into the ideal line of flight. Eisenhower, a member of Augusta National, hit the tree so often that in 1956 he seriously proposed removing it. The club refused, and the name was born. The pine became a hazard of its own in the sport's collective memory — a tree with a biography of its own. After severe damage from an ice storm, it was removed in 2014.
For play on the hole, the tree was tactically relevant for decades. An example: the ideal Drive on the 17th moves slightly from right to left. If the ball drew too flat or too early, it landed in the pine's branches, often with no chance of reaching the green. Players had to set their line higher or further right. Landmarks like these shape the strategy of a hole more than any bunker design.
The transferable lesson applies to every course: a single tree can define a hole. Many golfers know a tree on their home course that guards the ideal line. The mistake is trying to blast over it with brute force. The smarter play is to plan the ball flight around the obstacle — for example with a controlled Draw or fade. Anyone who accepts the line of the course instead of fighting it plays such holes far more relaxed.
FAQ
Does the Eisenhower Tree still exist today?
No, the pine has been gone since 2014. A severe ice storm had damaged the tree so badly that Augusta National had to remove it. But the name lives on — as a byword for a tree that guards the ideal line of a hole and completely dictates the tactics.
What is the best way to play a hole with a tree in the ideal line?
Do not try to blast over it; plan around the obstacle instead. Set the ball flight higher or further out, for example with a controlled fade or draw. Anyone who accepts the line of the course instead of fighting it avoids the expensive outliers that a single tree otherwise produces.
Why is the tree called the Eisenhower Tree in the first place?
US President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a member of Augusta National and hit the pine on the 17th hole so often that in 1956 he officially requested its removal. The club refused, and from then on the president's name stuck to the tree. That is how a nuisance became the most famous pine in golf.