Augusta National Golf Club has agreed with the city of Augusta to take on the lease of Augusta Municipal Golf Course and selected Tom Fazio and Beau Welling to oversee a renovation of the Georgia course, known locally as The Patch.
This story was originally reported by Golf Course Architecture magazine.
The agreement was announced by Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National on the eve of the 2024 Masters Tournament and follows last year’s news of the partnership between Augusta National, Augusta Municipal, Augusta Technical College and the First Tee of Augusta, with the parties working together to elevate public golf in the local area.
“It’s really a confluence of a lot of different elements of the game that can really be a great thing for Augusta,” said Ridley. “So, while planning is still in process – we’ll have more details next year – I think it’s just going to be fantastic.”
The course was originally built in 1928 and is five miles south of Augusta National, adjacent to the First Tee facility and near Daniel Field, Augusta’s private airport.
“The project aims to create affordable pathways to discover the game of golf, as well as to develop tomorrow’s leaders within the business and workforce of our game,” said Ridley. “It has almost unlimited potential. For example, there won’t be a new clubhouse, but we hopefully can make it nicer and freshen it up.
“The main thing we’re going to do is really provide a great golf course and practice area, possibly a short course. We hired Tom and Beau to help us with that.
“I see it as a hub for junior and high school golf. One aspect I am really excited about is the golf management programme that Augusta Tech has. It will be a confluence of a lot of elements that will be a great thing for Augusta.”
Augusta National expects renovation of The Patch to begin in January 2025, when the club takes on the lease, and to be complete by April 2026.