Generally speaking, when the Augusta National announces an expansion or new project that will impact the community, the timeline between the announcement and the unveiling seems to be less than a fortnight.
The city of Augusta has produced more master plans than than the average file cabinet can hold with nary a shovel of dirt turned; meanwhile, whether it is a tunnel under Washington Road or the entire corridor from National Hills to Midtown, the Augusta National seem to simply snap their fingers and presto! the job is done.
Thanks to the Augusta National, the commute from Alexander Drive through Berckmans Road is lovely and scenic as if travelling through a large park, in fact, the entire area of Washington Road near the course looks less of a concrete jungle thanks to efforts by the storied club. Yes, the taxpayers bankrolled the Berckmans Road project, but when was the last time the city managed to redesign a streetscape and have it all designed and finished under budget and ahead of schedule without mindless delays and construction headaches.
Few other communities across America benefit as much having a wealthy and generous neighbor as the does the CSRA.
Since 1997, the Greater Augusta area has been the beneficiary of $23.4 million in grants from the Community Foundation of the CSRA in the support of vital non-profits such as Cancer Support Services, Family Connection of Columbia County, Heritage Academy, Prevent Blindness Georgia, Project Refresh and The Senior Citizens Council of Greater Augusta, to name only a few.
Almost every attempt by the Augusta National to grow the game of golf comes with a direct community benefit and the multi-million dollar renovation of the Augusta Municipal Golf Course is no different.
“The Patch,” Augusta National’s redesigned golfing complex is the latest gift to the taxpayers of Augusta and beyond.
The main 18-hole course promises to provide a world-class golf experience for young duffers, dilettantes and scratchers and the small 9-hole links carries the star power of America’s most famous golfer, Tiger Woods behind it.
Behind the scenes, the gardeners, golf course maintenance staff and culinary apprentices at “The Patch” are training through Augusta Technical College to become the next generation of agricultural engineers, chefs, landscape architects and golf pros.
We hope that more and more people see the example of the Augusta National as a proof that capitalistic success and community enrichment can go hand-in-hand, they have certainly set the benchmark.
