[Daryn Kagan, Cnn Anchor:] You're looking at sacred ground. A live picture from Augusta National. Practice rounds taking place there for the upcoming Masters Tournament, not your father's Augusta National however. The golf greats who are hoping to win the green jacket at Augusta National this weekend will have to master a longer redesigned course. It's considered the biggest overhaul in the 68 history of the Master's championship, and our Tom Rinaldi takes a look at that.
[Tom Rinaldi, Cnn Correspondent:] As eternal as an azalea's blossom, as dependable as the dogwood's bloom, as timeless as the bulldozer's ripping up the earth. No hard hats at Augusta this spring, just a much harder golf course.
[Unidentified Male:] It's more after challenge. The course is more difficult. I have played it a few times now. But I'm not concerned about it. It the same for everybody. I think what they are trying to do is make a better golf tournament, doing their best to keep up with the equipment and the age of the athlete now.
[Rinaldi:] Augusta National, site of the Masters, has been transformed into the fifth longest course in major championship history. Nine holes change, nearly 300 yards longer, tee boxes shifted, trees added, bunkers rebuilt, all adding up to an even greater test of accuracy amid today's power game.
[Unidentified Male:] Used to be go to the Masters and hit it as hard as can you off the tees. Now you really need focus on your tee shots and see where you need play and what you need to hit it with. It's going to be very difficult with the amount of long irons, I need, a player of my length, you know, the irons we will be hitting into the greens, it's going to be very difficult.
[Rinaldi:] Difficult and different. You don't give the "Mona Lisa" a facelift. You don't add on to the Parthenon. But evidently, you do renovate golf's masterpiece. Why? If the reason is Tiger Woods, and changes were designed to make the course more resistant to the defending champion's dominance, the redesign may help Woods more than hurt him.
[Unidentified Male:] I think any golf course they make longer, it plays into the hands of Tiger. I think Is he just smart, and you haven't heard him complaining about anything like that. So the longer they can make it, the better for you. It seems they want to say, originally everyone was saying they were trying to Tiger-proof the course, but most people agree that it probably only helps longer players.
[Rinaldi:] Augusta National, open since 1933, has been changed before. In fact, every hole has been altered from its initial design. Still, will this design change, meant to update a course that was designed to be timeless, ultimately work. Only time, and perhaps Tiger, will tell. At the Masters, I'm Tom Rinaldi.
[Kagan:] So how do the new changes look? Mark Love is quite familiar with Augusta National. He was his brother Davis Love III's caddie for 10 years and he has spent the morning checking out the new course. He is joining us live from Augusta National this morning. Mark, good morning.
[Mark Love, Former Caddie:] Good morning.
[Kagan:] You have been on the course. What do you think?
[Love:] I have been on it. The changes are great, I think. It certainly is going to make it a little more difficult, going to make it harder for the guys to score on the par 4's most importantly. But I think it looks great. Looks very natural, and I think it is going to be good for them there.
[Kagan:] Yes. I understand one of the things that is remarkable about it is how seamless the changes are. Of course, this is one of the most pristine courses in the world, and as I understand, you can't really see where the old stuff was and the new stuff begins.
[Love:] Right. No, you really can't. Fazio's group did a fantastic job with that. If you hadn't been here in a couple of years, and they didn't tell you they had made the changes, you wouldn't even know it. They just blend in, like they have been here all along. Looks great. It is amazing that they can actually get that kind of change done in such a short period of time, and get it looking the way it does for the tournament.
[Kagan:] As a golfer, as a caddie, as a designer of golf courses, when you are walking and looking to changes, which hole do you look at and go, I'm glad I will not be on that hole come this weekend?
[Love:] Mostly nine. Actually, nine green is kind of in the background here. Nine tee, you get up to the top of one here, and you kind have to go by nine tee on your way down two, and it's just way back there. It's kind of shocking how far back there it is, and you look down the little chute they are going to have to drive it out of. You think about the shot they are going to have to play into that green, and it's going to be really, really tough. Guys used to drive it all the way to the bottom of the hill, and hit, you know, nine irons and pitching wedges into that green, and now they are going to be up on the hill, trying to hit five and six irons into that green off a down hill lie, and it is going to be a whole new ball game.
[Kagan:] Well, a lot of people think it is a new ball game because of Tiger Woods, and you heard the piece before you or at least have heard the discussion that some people say this is about the Tiger factor, and yet, as piece also alluded to, it actually might help Tiger, and not just Tiger, but the other 20-somethings that can hit the ball a lot further than the guys that are a little bit have been on the course a little bit longer, let's just say.
[Love:] Yeah. You know, certainly equipment is a big factor. The guys who don't hit it as far it has always been the same story, power versus finesse, and this is a golf course where the greens are extremely important, how you perform around the greens is really where you win this golf tournament. I'm not good on statistics, but the year Tiger won, he only had one three put, I think. So yes, it is longer. The long hitters have always had a benefit of playing shorter clubs into the greens, but you are still going to have to do the same things around the greens to score, so in my estimation, it is going to continue the tradition here of bringing out the complete player, the guy who has got his whole game together for that week, and the guy with experience who can stay patient and deal with the things that go wrong from time to time, and they are going to happen here.
[Kagan:] Well you bring up some key elements of debate in the golf world right now. Number one, technology and where that is going, and the different kind of equipment, but also tradition. A lot of traditionalists out there that say that the changes really shouldn't be coming on the golf courses necessarily, but you need curb the kind of golf balls that are allowed to be used, and also and more restrictions on the kind of clubs.
[Love:] Right. Well, I think eventually you may need to do some curbing of the equipment. But, you know, talking with different guys, like the folks from Titleist and even Davis and the things that he says about the changes recently, you know, guys are in much better shape, there is bigger, stronger athletes out here now. So there is a lot of things that are different in addition to the equipment. So it is not all about the equipment. And then as far as adjusting the golf course, you know, that is something that has happened. I mean, the old course in St. Andrews where they still host, you know, British Opens, has been changed over the years. It has to. It has to grow, as you know, as the game changes. You know, Fazio's group did a wonderful job here of keeping the elements that are important about this golf course, but yet updating it so that it is a real test for these guys, and will produce a true champion.
[Kagan:] Well, let's look at these guys. These guys include your brother, Davis Love III, has had some mild success you might say. How is he feeling going into this tournament, and who else do you like?
[Love:] He is feeling pretty good, I think. He hadn't had real good finishes lately, but he feels good about his golf swing, and he is making some puts, making some birdies, so I think he feels like if he can kind of eliminate the kind of eliminate the mistakes, he is doing enough good things to be competitive. He is certainly excited about being here. Who else do I like? I like Phil Mickelson.
[Kagan:] You do?
[Love:] He is just playing great. Golf course suits his game so well. Certainly Tiger has got to be in there, and you know, I just think it is an open field...
[Kagan:] What about the South Africans? What about the South Africans? Retief Goosen just won here in Atlanta last weekend, Erne Els looking pretty good.
[Love:] Sure, both of those guys, great players. I think it is wide open. There is even some guys, the Mike Weirs and some guys that are good short game players, that I think can sneak up and do some good things here.
[Kagan:] And where will you be watching from?
[Love:] I will be following Davis around.
[Kagan:] But not carrying his clubs.
[Love:] Looking forward to spectating for a change. Yes, yes, it is different for me. This is only the second year that I have come out as a spectator. I caddied for about eight years, enjoyed that part of it, but it is neat looking from the other side. You just can't see as much is the only problem.
[Kagan:] Well, I have had the chance to go down there the last couple of years, and you do get see an incredible amount. Not like you are the caddie, but it is a wonderful weekend of golf. Mark Love, thanks so much for joining us.
[Love:] Yes, sure.
[Kagan:] Good luck to Davis and enjoy the tournament.
[Love:] All right, I will. Thanks a bunch. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com Longer Course