As the golf world turns its eyes to Augusta National this spring, local golfers will find a newly renovated course in town, just a few miles from where the Masters is held. It will officially reopen to the public on the Wednesday after the Masters, and the rate for weekday residents will be hard to beat: $25 for 18 holes, and even less for seniors.
We are talking about the renovated Augusta Municipal Golf Course, which has long been known as ‘The Patch’. Augusta National stepped in three years ago to reimagine the course and its offerings — under a new 50-year lease with the city — with the goal of creating jobs while increasing the area’s public golf offering. To make all this possible, the club worked with Tiger Woods, Beau Welling and Tom Fazio, who were tasked with building something new while retaining some of the course’s original design.
Thanks to its affordability, The Patch has long been a home to Augusta’s public golfers, particularly black golfers who for years could not gain entry to the city’s most famous private club unless they wore a caddy bib. At any time over the past 40 years, you could show up at The Patch and spot Jim Dent – one of the best black golfers ever, who called Augusta home – or his son, Jim Dent. Jr., who served as head professional. (In 2020, the access road to The Patch was called Jim Dent Way.)
The Patch will reopen to the public on April 15, but will have limited playability via a soft launch starting next month. The 16-month renovation completely changed the route of the original course, moving the clubhouse to the corner of the property, adding a Woods-designed short course called “The Loop” and equipping the driving range with Trackman Range. There will also be a 12-hole putting course at The Patch, which will be free.
Renderings of the new route show that the new course will retain the design of five of the original holes, use parts of a further six and add seven new holes. (The original layout is at the bottom left and the new route is at the right.) Although the course has not yet released an official scorecard, it appears to be a par 73, with five par-5s, four par-3s and nine par-4s. The old driving range is now part of hole 15. The new driving range is located near the first tee of Augusta with practice holes for juniors.
Before and after.
Google Maps (left); Thanks to The Patch
The prices for the Patch are as follows:
Local resident 18 holes: $25 month-Thurs, $35 weekend Senior/Junior resident (60 years and older, 18 years and younger) 18 holes: $20 month-Thurs, $30 weekend Non-resident 18 holes: $85, $95 weekends
In other community partnerships, Augusta National partners with Augusta Tech’s golf course management program and the First Tee of Augusta to handle course operations. Another fun fact: according to the course’s website, the property’s two courses now resemble the shape of an elephant, which we’ve mapped below.
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