By Tom Weiskopf
GolfWeb staff

So I hear they'll have rough at Augusta National this year. Sorry to hear it.

Augusta National has become like the cadavers used to teach medical students. If they keep cutting that poor course, there won't be much left to recognize.

I really don't understand. Why do they keep making changes? If the club truly has this great love for Bobby Jones, bring out the documents and show how they want to protect his legacy. I don't think he would be very happy with what has happened.

Aren't you always going to have a winner at Augusta National? Who cares what the score is? Ten or 15 years from now we'll be sitting at a bar talking about the 15th hole and we won't recognize it.

The biggest problem is the committees. I truly believe they are the ruination of golf. Why do they decide to plant a tree here, change a green there, or build a new tee? I'll tell you why: Everybody wants to leave their mark. It's human nature.

Other than improving the 14th green, I don't agree with the changes that have been made. It's not because Augusta doesn't have rough. It's because they know how good these guys are and they're trying to stifle them.

Take the 13th green. The changes to that green are ridiculous. I know, because I played in the tournament many times and sat in a tower behind the green for 10 years.

Most people don't know this story, but I was there when Jack Nicklaus, who was assigned by the club to renovate the 13th green, came to inspect the finished product. When I saw the result, I was shocked. I went back to the clubhouse and said, "Jack, jump in the cart. You gotta see this."

It's nearly impossible to get up and down on the 13th green.(Allsport)

When we got there, Jack stepped over Rae's Creek, threw up his arms and said, "I can't believe this. This isn't what I approved. This isn't what I told them to do."

I said, "Jack, you mean to tell me you were never here one time, to tell them what to do?" He said, " No. I have capable people."

Needless to say, I was dumbfounded. That green doesn't look anything like any of the other greens on the course. It's a shame. Why fool with one of the great par-5s in the world?

The green is so severe left and behind, it's almost impossible to get up and down. The only way to hold the green in two is by hitting a high, long iron.

I think it's become a psychological hole. People used think if you didn't make a birdie, you lost a stroke or two to the field. Not anymore.

Was there any need to change the 13th hole at Augusta? I don't think so. I guess that gives us as license to change the 16th hole at Cypress Point and the 18th at Pebble Beach. Had I been asked to make a major change at Augusta National, I would have been there from start to finish.

In my opinion, there is no need for rough at Augusta. There is no need to make any changes. They never come with the real reason, which is that the golf ball goes too far. They keep missing the whole thing.

They have the luxury of time of comparing how each player has played each hole during the years. That's part of the excitement of the tournament and what makes Augusta so special. Why ruin it?

What about the third hole? What about what Jack did there? Does that look anything like what Alister Mackenzie would do? I don't think so.

The "Augusta Syndrome'' has caused a lot of problems. For some reason they think the entire golf course has to be emerald green, even if it means using fake flowers or putting green dye in the ponds. I just don't get it.

Don't get me wrong. Most committees mean well. But unless you get the right people, most suggestions are ego-satisfying, knee-jerk reactions.

I still say the biggest problem is the golf ball. If the USGA would take a stand, it would eliminate most of the problems.

When I first played Augusta, the greens were so much slower, and they were Bermuda-seeded. They were about nine on the stimpmeter. Now, they're about 13-plus. The ball didn't go that far. Now, they compensate by increasing the speed of the greens.

If I was going make a change at Augusta, I would go with Bermuda greens, make them quicker and harder. With those contours, you can get them almost as fast as bent greens and a helluva lot firmer.

Plus, if you had Bermuda greens, you wouldn't have to close the course all summer. The only reason they close Augusta is because bent grass greens can't survive the heat. It's so hypocritical.

I think honestly believe the best solution is going back to Bermuda greens.

Editor's note: Architecture columnist Tom Weiskopf is a regular contributor to GolfWeb.