It was not the same as driving down Magnolia Lane but for Paul Lawrie driving into Augusta’s ‘other’ golf course during Masters week was as rewarding.
Augusta Municipal is about a public a golf course as you can get.
The course is located on Highland’s Ave and is only a five minute drive to Augusta Country Club and just a further few minutes to a sign saying ‘Augusta National Golf Club. Members Only’.
Augusta Municipal clubhouse. (Photo - www.golfbytourmiss.com)
There’s a World War 11 Sherman tank on one corner of Augusta Municipal and the expanse of Daniel Field Airport, with its constant stream of light aircraft taking off and landing, bordering the entire eastern side of the course.
Augusta Municipal is far removed from the likes of Turnberry, Gleneagles or even the new Trump Course close to Lawrie’s beloved Aberdeen.
Green fees are normally $19 a round and during Masters Week you can rent a set of clubs, have the use of a motorised cart and play 18 holes for just $33.
And unlike the superb green carpet fairways of Augusta National, the fairways of the course affectionately known as ‘The Patch’ are more akin to shaggy pile.
However Lawrie did not drive his gleaming silver Mercedes courtesy car to ‘The Patch’ for a game of golf.
Two of his closest friends from Aberdeen have taken over the running of Augusta Municipal.
Aberdeen businessman Brian Hendry was granted a 12-year lease on the course from the city of Augusta and he brought with him the affable Ronnie MacDonald who is the club’s head professional.
This follows an approach placed before the Augusta Commission’s Public Services Committee for the city to allow a $300,000 allocation of special purpose local-option sale-tax funds approved by voters in 2009 for the golf course to fund improvements.
The lease amendment indicated funds must be used for city owned golf course and clubhouse improvements or grounds equipment, and that all improvements must be approved by the city.
Bernie on Augusta Municipal's 18th. (Photo - www.golfbytourmiss.com)
So last year, the commission agreed to lease the course to ‘The Patch’ for $1,000 a month and with Hendry taking over on January 1st, bringing in his own staff and hiring some of the former employees who lost their jobs when course management was outsourced.
Before Hendry arrived the course designed by legendary Dr. Alistair McKenzie in 1927 who also designed Augusta National, had been losing $100,000 (£63,917) a year.
Hendry also leads The MacKenzie Club (TMC) group which had offered to invest £24m in upgrading the public course at Hazlehead in Aberdeen in return for a 99-year lease, while promising to maintain cheap access for residents.
Hendry and MacDonald are intent of ‘revitalising’ Augusta Municipal and already there’s a real Scottish flavour.
When Lawrie drove up to the course on Tuesday he saw a Scottish flag flying alongside the Stars and Stripes. There’s also another Saltire up one wall in the clubhouse while other walls are adorned with a number of black and white framed shots taken from the 1930s of competition Royal Aberdeen and the sixth oldest golf course in the world.
“Brian and Ronnie asked me to come up and have a look around,” Lawrie said after his round on Thursday.
“They are friends of mine from a long, long time ago.”
Lawrie first meet Hendry in the late 1980s when he was the assistant pro at Banchory, and he knew McDonald even before that.
Lawrie indicated he’s not involved in the venture but happily agreed to sign autographs and posed for photographs with a lot of surprised golfers.
He didn’t play ‘The Patch’ but did inspect a number of holes.
“I think it will take him a little bit of time to get it where he wants it,” said Lawrie.
“But it’s good. It’s a nice layout and the clubhouse is lovely. I’m sure they’ll do a good job.
“They’re also good lads. Hopefully, they’ll do well.”
Hendry has already banned card games from the clubhouse, but says he’s signed seventy members,.and, he says, he’s ready to start play at The Patch.
“We’ve been talking the talk for a year and a half, now we’re starting to walk the walk, put in some procedures, I think the people like them,” he said.
“We have new membership cards we’ve been issuing this week, we have five full-time grounds maintenance staff on the payroll, which are working on the course.”
