Apr. 9—AUGUSTA — As the golf world turns its collective eye to the Masters Tournament this week, only the most keen observers can tell that Augusta National Golf Club was hit by hurricane-force winds six months ago.
And that’s a testament to the hard work of the club’s workers, Augusta National and Masters Chairman Fred Ridley said April 9 at his annual “State of the Masters” address.
“I hope all of you will agree that our golf course and grounds are in magnificent condition. A colder-than-normal January has been conducive to a near-perfect early spring bloom of azaleas and other flowering ornamentals,” Ridley said. “One of our guests last week referred to the course as a beautiful painting, and I could not agree more.”
But when Hurricane Helene roared into the area Sept. 27, it left a trail of devastation throughout the Augusta-Aiken area.
“We’ve celebrated the natural beauty of this property for many years, but it is a commitment of our horticulture and agronomy teams and our entire Augusta National staff that we will never take for granted,” Ridley continued. “As we are here today, only six months after Hurricane Helene swept through our community, that sentiment has never meant more than it does at this moment.”
Not surprisingly, the club stepped up. Augusta National and the Masters, in partnership with the Community Foundation for the Central Savannah River Area, announced a joint $5 million donation to the Hurricane Helene Community Crisis Fund less than a week after the storm hit.
“The spirit of our entire Augusta National family throughout the challenges of the months that followed Helene will be a signature of the 89th Masters Tournament,” Ridley said. “For weeks, water, power, food, fuel and other basic necessities were either difficult or impossible to access. Nevertheless, our employees were out in the community distributing food, cleaning up debris and donating food and money to help others in their time of need.
“I thank each and every one of them, and to everyone in Augusta who made sacrifices to assist others, even when you were impacted yourself, we are deeply appreciative, and we will continue to do our best to support you and our community.”
Ridley also shared details on two projects that were completed before Helene landed.
“The hospitality offering across Washington Road that we’ve named Map & Flag is now fully open,” he said. “The popularity of this venue inspires us to consider what else may be possible in future years.”
Also, Phase I of the Players Services project — a private underground parking structure — is now complete.
Phase II, a players services building itself, “will feature state-of-the-art fitness, physio and locker rooms, as well as a dining room where a player can enjoy meals with their families and support teams,” Ridley said.
Located at the end of the old practice facility near Magnolia Lane, this building is on pace for a full opening in 2026 and “will offer the competitors in the Masters facilities from arrival until departure, unlike anything in sports,” Ridley said.
Ridley also addressed several topics in golf, including:
Distance: “Together, the R&A and the USGA have been deliberative and collaborative on their efforts on this topic to arrive at a decision which was, in fact, announced in 2023,” Ridley said. “Implementation is the next challenge, as we all knew it would be. It is critical for the good of the game that all stakeholders work together as this issue evolves. I’m encouraged by the constructive and positive discussions that are aimed at successfully implementing this important change.”
Pace of play: “Golf is a special game because it requires us to be considerate while also being competitive. Respecting other people’s time, including, importantly, the fans who support the game, is a fundamental courtesy,” Ridley said. “Therefore, I want to encourage continued dialogue on this topic, especially at the professional levels which serve as the most visible representation of our sport.”
Reunification with LIV Golf: “When I think about reunification, I think about the issue that you’ve just raised, and that is having more players — having all of the great players of the game playing against each other more than just a few times a year,” Ridley said. “So I’m going to continue to be saying that and encouraging the leaders of the organizations involved to try to work together to come up with a solution. But I think we all agree that four times a year is not enough to have the great players of the game together.”
AUGUSTA — As the golf world turns its collective eye to the Masters Tournament this week, only the most keen observers can tell that Augusta National Golf Club was hit by hurricane-force winds six months ago.
And that’s a testament to the hard work of the club’s workers, Augusta National and Masters Chairman Fred Ridley said April 9 at his annual “State of the Masters” address.
“I hope all of you will agree that our golf course and grounds are in magnificent condition. A colder-than-normal January has been conducive to a near-perfect early spring bloom of azaleas and other flowering ornamentals,” Ridley said. “One of our guests last week referred to the course as a beautiful painting, and I could not agree more.”
But when Hurricane Helene roared into the area Sept. 27, it left a trail of devastation throughout the Augusta-Aiken area.
“We’ve celebrated the natural beauty of this property for many years, but it is a commitment of our horticulture and agronomy teams and our entire Augusta National staff that we will never take for granted,” Ridley continued. “As we are here today, only six months after Hurricane Helene swept through our community, that sentiment has never meant more than it does at this moment.”
Not surprisingly, the club stepped up. Augusta National and the Masters, in partnership with the Community Foundation for the Central Savannah River Area, announced a joint $5 million donation to the Hurricane Helene Community Crisis Fund less than a week after the storm hit.
“The spirit of our entire Augusta National family throughout the challenges of the months that followed Helene will be a signature of the 89th Masters Tournament,” Ridley said. “For weeks, water, power, food, fuel and other basic necessities were either difficult or impossible to access. Nevertheless, our employees were out in the community distributing food, cleaning up debris and donating food and money to help others in their time of need.
“I thank each and every one of them, and to everyone in Augusta who made sacrifices to assist others, even when you were impacted yourself, we are deeply appreciative, and we will continue to do our best to support you and our community.”
Ridley also shared details on two projects that were completed before Helene landed.
“The hospitality offering across Washington Road that we’ve named Map & Flag is now fully open,” he said. “The popularity of this venue inspires us to consider what else may be possible in future years.”
Also, Phase I of the Players Services project – a private underground parking structure – is now complete.
Phase II, a players services building itself, “will feature state-of-the-art fitness, physio and locker rooms, as well as a dining room where a player can enjoy meals with their families and support teams,” Ridley said.
Located at the end of the old practice facility near Magnolia Lane, this building is on pace for a full opening in 2026 and “will offer the competitors in the Masters facilities from arrival until departure, unlike anything in sports,” Ridley said.
Ridley also addressed several topics in golf, including:
Distance: “Together, the R&A and the USGA have been deliberative and collaborative on their efforts on this topic to arrive at a decision which was, in fact, announced in 2023,” Ridley said. “Implementation is the next challenge, as we all knew it would be. It is critical for the good of the game that all stakeholders work together as this issue evolves. I’m encouraged by the constructive and positive discussions that are aimed at successfully implementing this important change.”
Pace of play: “Golf is a special game because it requires us to be considerate while also being competitive. Respecting other people’s time, including, importantly, the fans who support the game, is a fundamental courtesy,” Ridley said. “Therefore, I want to encourage continued dialogue on this topic, especially at the professional levels which serve as the most visible representation of our sport.”
Reunification with LIV Golf: “When I think about reunification, I think about the issue that you’ve just raised, and that is having more players – having all of the great players of the game playing against each other more than just a few times a year,” Ridley said. “So I’m going to continue to be saying that and encouraging the leaders of the organizations involved to try to work together to come up with a solution. But I think we all agree that four times a year is not enough to have the great players of the game together.”
