Challenges Augusta National Golf Club Challenge 2022

[samhardy]

The Augusta National Golf Club Challenge

The greenkeepers have finally finished preparing the course and the ultimate marathon of a challenge returns for FMM22. @FuddledFox held on to the Vibe green jacket last year after @broodje kip, @George Traistă and @Rich went home forgetting to play the playoff after finishing the tournament on -9.

 

The golf club at Augusta is one of the most famous sporting venues in the world, and has played host to the Masters every year since 1934. Containing 18 holes of extreme toughness, some a lot longer and more challenging than others, I couldn't help but link it to a potential challenge FMM wise. I acknowledge that a vast majority of the site will not be remotely interested in golf, however this 22 season long marathon will put your managerial ability to the test, no matter how skillful you think you are. Before I start introducing the challenge, let me establish a few pointers that will be important for the duration of it:

• You start, and stay, as the manager of a Champions/Europa League team, in a league which contains 38 games. Yes I'm that fussy.
• There will be 18 seperate challenges set during the save that all relate to the holes at Augusta. All the holes that have a par score of 3 will be a half season challenge, a par score of 4 will be a season long challenge and a Par 5 will be a two season long challenge.
• During the challenge you will see the following terms:

 

1. Par - Every golfer manager will start with a score of 0. If you par a hole then you stay on 0.
2. Birdie - A birdie is something you receive if you do better than par on that hole. You will then be 1 under par for the round (-1).
3. Eagle - 2 under par for the round (-2)
4. Bogey - A bogey is something you receive if you fail to reach the target (par) for that hole. You will then be 1 over par overall (+1)
5. Double Bogey - 2 over par for the round (+2)

Let’s get on with the (slightly revamped) challenge then. It should be even more challenging than usual this year.

One thing to clear up before starting is that for the purposes of this challenge Australia is classed as Asian due to the Asian Football Confederation being the governing body in Australia.

 

Holes 1-9

Spoiler

Hole 1 - Tea Olive (Par 4)

So you've picked your team and are ready to start on this mammoth journey. What? Tea Olive? Yes, every hole at Augusta is named after the flower or tree that grows on that particular hole. Anyway, it's a flower native to Asia and is a fairly tricky hole to start off with. A birdie is very much achievable however it may be wise to just accept the par for the first hole, keep your score at 0 and move on. After all nobody likes dropping a shot straight from the off.

Challenge - Buy an Asian GK and ensure he concedes as few league goals as possible. He must play every league game in full but you can buy a backup in case he’s unavailable.

Birdie - 0-7 conceded

Par - 8-20 conceded

Bogey - 21-30 conceded

Double Bogey - 31+ conceded

Hole 2 - Pink Dogwood (Par 5)

This is your chance to make up some early ground and get ahead of the game before the more challenging holes start. It really is a case of risk versus reward, however, in seasons 2 and 3.

Challenge - Buy a striker from a club that wears pink (away kits and 3rd kits are allowed). In the first season, your striker must score as many as possible in all comps. The first season total enables what you can aim for in season 2 (example - 70 goals in season 1 means you will earn birdie if you beat it in season 2, but you couldn’t go for eagle). Failure to beat your season 1 target will result in a double bogey.

Eagle - 95+ scored

Birdie - 70-94 scored

Par - 50-69 scored

Bogey - 30-49 scored

Double Bogey - Under 30 scored

Hole 3 - Flowering Peach (Par 4)

Another fairly kind hole early on, however looks can be deceiving. Tread carefully here or risk dropping shots, however it's one you should be fine on given you have the whole season to do it.

Challenge - Get as many players as possible to score 4 or more goals in a game as possible. All competitions.

Birdie - 8+ players

Par - 5-7 players

Bogey - 4 players

Double Bogey - 3 or less players

Hole 4 - Flowering Crab Apple (Par 3)

The first Par 3 on the course meaning the first half season challenge for you to tackle. This is a hole that requires precision and accuracy, and one that is a lot more challenging than originally meets the eye.

Challenge - In half a season (19 league games) you must get as close to the GD of +70, as possible.

Birdie - Within 10

Par - Within 25

Bogey - More than 26 away

Hole 5 - Magnolia (Par 4)

This picturesque hole is covered in the flower of Magnolia, native to the United States. A birdie on this hole is definitely possible but might be hard to get.

Challenge - Buy two American wing backs. They must get as many combined assists as possible in one season and can't play any higher up the field than DML/R. All competitions.

Birdie - 65+ assists

Par - 40-64 assists

Bogey - 20-39 assists

Double Bogey - Less than 20 assists

Hole 6 - Juniper (Par 3)

So you're through 5 holes on the course and will have completed 6 seasons in total. If everything is going to plan you'll be under par and cruising at this point. However this short, snappy half season challenge can be a bit of a brute without the right preparation. Juniper has tripped up many world class golfers in the past.

Challenge - Team needs to score 3 or more goals every single game for half a season (up until Jan.15) in all competitions. Failing to do so:

Birdie - 0-1 times

Par - 2-3 times

Bogey - 4-5 times

Double Bogey - 6 or more times

Hole 7 - Pampas (Par 4)

With a middling level of difficulty, this hole has an air of Argentina about it, with it being distinctive for the Pampas grass growing on it. With it being native to Argentina, I'm sure you can guess where the challenge for season 8 will be going.

Challenge - Buy an Argentine winger who must play on the wing at all times. Get as many goals and assists combined from him in all competitions as possible.

Birdie - 85+ goals + assists

Par - 60-84 goals and assists

Bogey - 40-59 goals and assists

Double Bogey - 39 goals and assists or less

Hole 8 - Yellow Jasmine (Par 5)

A very long and drawn out hole, Yellow Jasmine is ideal for people looking to make up a couple of shots if they are falling down with their score. This two season challenge makes an eagle or a birdie the prime target for this hole.

Challenge - Buy a goalkeeper from a club that wears yellow (away kits and 3rd kits are allowed). He must be played up front, and score as many goals in all competitions in two seasons as possible.

Eagle - 60 goals

Birdie - 40-59 goals

Par - 30-39 goals

Bogey - 29 goals or less

Hole 9 - Carolina Cherry (Par 4)

Make the most of this hole because after this it really starts to get tricky. You may be expecting a straightforward birdie however be careful as if you underestimate it, you'll end up dropping back.

Challenge - Buy an MC from Bournemouth and you must play him in that position. Total up his goals and assists at the end of the season in all competitions. Then, if his average rating is above 7.75, add 7 to the total. If it's below 7.75, then remove 7 from the total.

Birdie - 70+ overall

Par - 50-69 overall

Bogey - 30-49 overall

Double Bogey - 29 or less overall

There. You've reached the end of the front 9. Halfway through. 11 seasons have passed, and hopefully you're currently under par and on the way to a good score. If you're over par then you're in serious trouble, as the next four holes are absolutely brutal and are known worldwide as some of the toughest challenges in the world of golf.

Hole 10

Spoiler

Hole 10 - Camellia (Par 4)

Widely accepted as the toughest hole on the course, this is a monstrous challenge for anyone of any skill level. At this stage a total squad revamp is required, having previously been able to have pretty much whichever players you want. Not anymore.

Challenge - You must start the season with a 30 man squad, ALL of which must be Asian or North American. On the 30th of every month, you must demote your 2 best performing players (Av.R wise) and never use them again. No transfers are allowed in January. Win as many trophies as possible.

Birdie - Win 6 trophies (5 if managing in a nation with only one domestic cup)

Par - Win 5 trophies (4)

Bogey - Win 3 or 4 trophies (2 or 3)

Double Bogey - Fail to win 3 (2) or more

Note - The Club World Championship is not included.

By now you would be forgiven for thinking "What have I let myself in for?" Sadly, it doesn't get any easier for the next 3 holes, in fact quite the opposite.

Amen Corner is the name given to holes 11, 12 and 13 at Augusta, due to the tricky nature of the holes, and usually where most of the drama has taken place in the past. Many golfers have seen their Masters dreams crushed during this section of the course. Let's hope you don't suffer the same fate, and come out relatively unscathed (not likely).

Amen Corner (Holes 11-13)

Spoiler

Hole 11 - White Dogwood (Par 4)

The start of Amen Corner, even the slightest of mistakes here will be costly. With water guarding the green on the left hand side, accuracy has to be perfect and whilst the challenge itself looks straightforward, achieving your aims is a different matter altogether especially since your squad will need some work from the depleted bunch that ended season 12.

Challenge - You must not spend more than £5M on a player this season OR use a player that cost you more than £5M in the past. Team must keep as many league clean sheets as possible in one season.

Birdie - 35+ clean sheets

Par - 26-34 clean sheets

Bogey - 16-25 clean sheets

Double Bogey - 15 or less clean sheets

Hole 12- Golden Bell (Par 3)

 

Here we go then - the hole which sees more meltdowns than the Stadium of Light sees every season. This nightmare of a hole is guarded by a lake and several bunkers around it, as well as a sloped green, and when the wind is howling most players are pleased to keep the damage down to a minimum. So as you'll now expect, the challenge that awaits you is not particularly pleasant, even if it is just for half a season.

Challenge - No transfers in are allowed from the previous season apart from ones needed for the challenge. From the previous season you must sell your best GK, defender, midfielder and striker (Av.R wise) and replace them with a Chinese player. These Chinese players must play every game unless unavailable. If there aren't enough Chinese players on the database then an Asian player will suffice but only if there aren't enough Chinese. Must not lose any game in all competitions until Jan.31.

Birdie - 0 lost

Par - 1 or 2 lost

Bogey - 3 lost

Double Bogey - 4 or more lost

Hole 13 - Azalea (Par 5)

Azalea is a Par 5, and a realistic chance to make up some ground but like most of the Par 5s here it’s a case of risk vs reward. Thankfully for you though, this is the last hole before you regain full transfer control from this point onwards.

Challenge - First season you have to win as many trophies you can, but they must be retained the second season to count at the end. Failure to win one in the first season means you can't go for it the second season. If you win less trophies in the second season than the first, it’s a double bogey. The only additions allowed to your squad for this hole are loan signings.

Eagle - 7 trophies (6 if managing in a nation with only one domestic cup)

Birdie - 6 trophies (5)

Par - 4-5 trophies (3-4)

Bogey - 3 or less trophies (2 or less)

Well, you've reached the end of Amen Corner. Thankfully for you now, it doesn't get any worse. In fact, it gets quite a bit easier in the final 5 holes.

Holes 14-18

Spoiler

Hole 14 - Chinese Fir (Par 4)

A very attractive hole full of the originally Spanish turned Chinese flowers and one that is very possible to birdie providing the undulation of the green doesn’t trip you up. Just what is needed after a devilish experience in Amen Corner. It's a fairly kind challenge (really!) and shouldn't cause too much stress, but be careful at the end.

Challenge - Buy a strike force of a Spaniard and a Chinese player. Must *combined* score as many between them in all competitions as possible in one season.

Birdie - 100+ goals

Par - 75-99 goals

Bogey - 55-74 goals

Double Bogey - 40-54 goals

Triple Bogey - 39 or less goals

Hole 15 - Firethorn (Par 5)

Firethorn is one of the most famous holes at Augusta and is probably one of the easiest as well with the green makeable in 2 shots to almost every golfer. In FMM terms, this is a great opportunity to gain back some much needed “momentum” going into the final three seasons.

Challenge - Buy a North American AMC who must get as many assists in 2 seasons as possible in all competitions.

Eagle - 100+ assists

Birdie - 75-99 assists

Par - 50-74 assists

Bogey - 30-49 assists

Double Bogey - 29 or less assists

Hole 16 - Redbud (Par 3)

A very short hole but one that is played entirely over water. As long as you don't do anything daft then you should be in with a reasonable chance for a birdie, but don't under-estimate the challenge of the hole either otherwise you'll be falling back yet again. This is the hole on the course with the most realistic chance of the rarely spotted hole-in-one.

Challenge - In half a season (Jan.15) a centre back of your choice must score as many goals as possible in all competitions. He can NOT take any penalties and can NOT play as a striker.

Eagle (Hole In 1) - 30+ goals

Birdie - 20-29 goals

Par - 10-19 goals

Bogey - 5-9 goals

Double Bogey - 0-4 goals

Hole 17 - Nandina (Par 4)

Realistically, this will be the final chance to shape your score in a positive way because the final hole is a toughie. Typically this hole has been a mixed bag, it plays differently every year. How will you go about it as you start the beginning of the end of this wonderful journey?

Challenge - Must buy any player age 33+ and that player must win as many Man of the Match awards in the league only as possible in one season.

Birdie - 13+ MOTM

Par - 7-12 MOTM

Bogey - 6 or less MOTM

Hole 18 - Holly (Par 4)

This is it, the end of the journey. Hole 18. Season 22 (if you've managed to keep your job). There are no places to hide in the final hole, nothing really fancy to it. Just give your all and hope for the best.

Challenge - Every league game you fail to win will cost you.

Birdie - Win every game

Par - 1-3 failed to win

Bogey - 4-6 failed to win

Double Bogey - 7+ failed to win

Congratulations, you've reached the end of Augusta. Now it's time to total up your score. How did you finish? Were you over par in total or under par?

Rules

• Own formations only
• No unlockables, editors, or outside software
• Must stay at the same club throughout
• Either match engine - depends on which way you want to go about it
• If you get sacked you miss the cut and fail to record a score
• Have fun 

 

Leaderboard: (Completed Saves)

Leaderboard (Saves in Progress)
 

 

Reigning Champion - 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 FuddledFox

 

Can you master Augusta?

All pictures from www.masters.com

[Growcanine]

Dropped out of this challenge early in 2018 from a lost save file and a lack of determination 😞 Hope to participate once I get a hang of FM again!