Augusta poised to enter a new golf-centered era

Public-private partnership buoyed by ATC and Augusta National are keys to plan

Augusta

The Augusta Municipal Golf Course, known as “The Patch,” has been the topic of reams of colorful news copy throughout the years. A host of characters, national and international have had their try and making it a viable enterprise. And now, recent announcements have created a great deal of optimism over the latest proposals for the public course.

The city and Augusta Technical College have proposed to create the nation’s first golf corridor of education. According to city officials, on January 1, 2025, the technical college will take over the operation and management of the golf course. The goal is to make the course a “national exemplar of collaboration between the technical college and Augusta, Georgia.”

Just this week, the Augusta National announced that it will be making significant investments in “The

Patch” along with Augusta’s First Tee Program.

Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, announced initiatives aimed to dramatically improve public golf opportunities in the city of Augusta.

Calling it “a new era for public golf in our city,” Ridley said that Augusta National Golf Club would partner with ATC, the First Tee of Augusta and The Patch. “We hope it will be a model for other communities,” Ridley said. “This initiative offers a unique opportunity to contribute to two areas of utmost importance to Augusta National’s mission, our community and golf development.”

Augusta National will be involved in the planning of renovation of both The Patch and The First Tee’s property on Damascus Road. It will bolster its current work with Augusta Tech and the Double Eagle program, which puts military veterans in position to learn about golf course maintenance and enter that workforce.

Augusta Tech will train college students how to manage a golf course –everything from the turf to clubhouse hospitality, making the historically humble patch of grass a cut above.

“The effort involving The Patch and First Tee will create an affordable and welcoming pathway for anyone who wants to play the game,” Ridley said.

“The resulting synergies will produce innovative programming, provide an affordable and welcoming pathway for anyone who wants to learn the game,” Ridley said. “And finally, we will assist in the master planning and renovation of both courses to present a public golf experience for residents and visitors to pursue a lifelong relationship with the game.”

“The importance of the community to Augusta National is founded in our mission statement,” Ridley said. “It’s one of our underlying principles. And so if we are true to that principle, then we will continue to look for opportunities to contribute back to the community.”

The announcement was made during Chairman Ridley’s annual press conference at the 2023 Masters Tournament, where representatives of The Patch, Augusta Tech, The First Tee, the City of Augusta and the State of Georgia were in attendance.

Future updates on the partnership and Augusta National’s support will be shared as more information is available.

First Tee - Augusta opened in 2001, on a 40-acre site west of downtown Augusta near Daniel Field Airport and features: 6 holes, a driving range, chipping area, putting green and clubhouse/teaching facility. Although First Tee - Augusta is open to the public youth programming is its first priority.