Television viewers with 3-D capabilities will be able to fully appreciate Augusta National Golf Club's changes in elevation and the undulations on its greens this year.

The 2010 Masters Tournament will be produced and broadcast live in 3-D for the first time, Augusta National and Masters Chairman Billy Payne announced Monday. Special equipment will allow the television program to be projected into a realistic three-dimensional field.

It is the first time a golf telecast will be shown in 3-D; multiple 3-D cameras will be placed strategically throughout the course, the club said.

The innovation will let golf fans see the course in perspectives never seen at Augusta National. The course is famous for its sloping greens, but most fans who have never attended the tournament are usually surprised by the course's steep hills and changes in elevation.

"Utilizing this technology marks another important milestone in allowing our at-home patrons to better experience the beauty of our course and excitement of our tournament," Payne said in a prepared statement.

The production will primarily focus on the second nine of Augusta National and will be distributed live to those in the U.S. with television sets and computers that are 3-D capable.

Special 3-D glasses will be required to watch the television broadcast.

Two hours of live afternoon 3-D coverage will be available each day beginning during the Par-3 Contest on April 7 and continuing through the four tournament rounds, April 8-11.

Sony Electronics will sponsor the 3-D telecast and also will use the latest advances in equipment.

Comcast will join in the production effort and provide the distribution channels necessary to deliver the content free to its households throughout the U.S. Comcast and IBM, the tournament's technology partner, will combine efforts to offer the 3-D feed via www.masters.com.

Reach John Boyette at (706) 823-3337 or john.boyette@augustachronicle.com.