Next door to the Masters: The Patch makes golf affordable
The fun starts at 10 dollars. That’s the green fee if a child or teenager wants to play a round on the 9-hole course The Loop at The Patch in Augusta. Even if an Augusta resident wants to switch to the 18-hole course, The Patch, golf remains affordable at $25 on weekdays. “Fundamental to The Patch Project is delivering an accessible and affordable public golf experience for the Augusta community,” say the project partners in a press statement, explaining the aim of the public facility.
The partners are Augusta Technical College, The First Tee of Augusta and the charity segment of the Masters Tournament. As part of a 16-month renovation by golf course designers Tom Fazio and Beau Welling, the existing 18 holes were brought up to modern standards. The golf course is complemented by The Loop at The Patch, a nine-hole short course designed by Tiger Woods and his design company TGR Design.
Golf for everyone since 1928
The practice facility at The Patch is also state-of-the-art: It includes a Trackman Range as well as 20 covered tee boxes and a 12-hole putting course. Putting is completely free of charge. In order to give children and young people a better understanding of the work processes on a golf course, a separate training room has also been set up in the greenkeeping area.
Augusta will thus have a municipal golf course at its finest on April 15, the day The Patch reopens. The original golf course was opened on December 20, 1928 with nine holes and sand greens. However, the course was already so popular that it was extended to 18 holes just one year later. The sand greens were then converted into classic greens in 1936 and 1937.
The First Tee, a major US initiative to promote children’s and youth golf, opened its first training center at The Patch in 1999 and is still active on site today. The Masters Tournament announced in 2023 that it would use part of its charity funds to renovate The Patch and build a new 9-hole course, according to the current CEO of Augusta National GC, Fred Ridley.
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