GREENSBORO, Ga.—Golf architect Tom Fazio was 81 miles from Augusta National Golf Club Thursday afternoon at the grand opening of his spectacular new Richland golf course at Reynolds Lake Oconee, but clearly had the site of the annual Masters golf tournament on his mind.
Fazio, the longtime architect consultant for Augusta National and the Masters, said the club suffered major, but certainly fixable damage to the course during the recent Hurricane which struck the city and others on the East Coast.
“They (Augusta National) have the resources and the abilities to adjust to the conditions there. I would imagine you won’t know anything happened by April,”
Masters chairman Fred Ridley has already announced the 2025 tournament would commence on schedule, April 7-13.
Fazio said the most extensive damage at the club came on the famous par-3 16th hole where several large hardwoods fell on the multi-tiered green.
🚨📸⛳️ #PHOTOS — Drone imagery captured on September 28th shows the damage done to Augusta National Golf Club in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene (via @ed_bodenhamer) pic.twitter.com/ynCNrN4XLp
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) October 17, 2024
“Having trees fall on your green, what does that mean? You pick up the trees, you fill in the divots and holes they left. Then you re-sod and you’re ready to go.
“But people have lost their homes and lost their lives. Lost their cars and their possessions and that is what is important. A putting green at Augusta or anywhere can always be fixed.”
Fazio said he has not personally been at the course since the hurricane struck earlier this month and wasn’t going to make it on this trip either, leaving late Thursday afternoon to return to his home in Hendersonville, North Carolina.
He added he will be making a trip to Augusta National later this fall to assess the conditions, but said he thought the club would open for members this weekend, two weeks later than normal.
“Right now it’s basically a cleanup phase there.”
Fazio and architect Beau Welling were hired in April to restore the public golf course in Augusta known as The Patch and he would spend time their working on the effort, supported and partially funded by Augusta National.
“It’s going to be really good, but we’ve gotten a little sideways there because they had a bunch of damage as well.”
While Fazio has designed and worked on courses all over the U.S., he arrived for the grand opening wearing a Pine Valley Golf Club sweater before changing in a Reynolds golf shirt, he said he has a special feeling for Augusta National and the Masters because his uncle George played it multiple times, once finishing in the top 15.
“It’s such a special place and special feeling to me and my family. I’m honored and privileged to be working. I never take it for granted and always work hard because nothing is automatic ,” he says.
Despite whatever hurricanes, floods, or any other natural or manmade disaster befall the iconic golf venture, founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, Fazio said he had little doubts Augusta National and the Masters would always survived and thrive.
“I think it will stand the test of time no matter what happens.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Augusta's Longtime Architect Consultant Says Hurricane Damage Won't Affect 2025 Masters.
