Blasted by Hurricane Helene like the rest of the region, the golf courses that make up much of the Augusta area’s identity continue to slowly dig out from the damage caused by the storm.
Thousands of tall pines, oaks and other hardwoods that once lined fairways and greens now lie toppled over or have been cut up and stacked like cordwood in huge piles.
But in several locations, courses have reopened and golfers are back on the links.
A sample of how the Augusta area’s golf courses fared include an estimated 300 trees downed at the Augusta Municipal Golf Course. Other courses also were victims of the 80 mph-plus winds that slammed the area on Sept. 27. Forest Hills Golf Club had an estimated 2,000 trees damaged. West Lake Country Club cleared out some 1,100 trees, while Goshen Plantation Golf Club had more 300 trees blown over or damaged.
Even Augusta National Golf Club, the course that put Augusta on the golfing map, suffered serious damage. During a news conference in Japan earlier this month, club Chairman Fred Ridley said the course was seriously damaged by the hurricane.
“Our Augusta community has suffered catastrophic and historic impact from Hurricane Helene. We currently are assessing the effects at Augusta National Golf Club,” wrote club Chairman Fred Ridley. “In the meantime, our focus and efforts are foremost with our staff, neighbors and business owners in Augusta. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as well as everyone throughout Georgia and the Southeast who have been affected.”
He added that the club will be up and running “sooner rather than later.” Augusta National officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Goshen owner Spike Kelley said after Helene blew through Augusta his crew got busy cleaning up the mess, breaking out the chain saws and putting heavy equipment to work pushing trees off the fairways and into the rough.
Goshen had nine holes open within a week of the storm and the remaining nine within the following seven days.
Coverage from the Augusta Chronicle:
A large tree was split in half outside the clubhouse for the Augusta Municipal Golf Course “The Patch” due to Hurricane Helene a few weeks ago in Augusta, Ga. on Oct. 19, 2024.
Sam Upshaw Jr./The Augusta Chronicle/Gannett/Imagn Images
“We started in the middle of the fairway and pushed the debris and everything to the side of the fairway. They pushed that to the rough and into the extreme rough. And once we got the hole playable, then…
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