Augusta National was hit hard by Hurricane Helene in September, but we had no idea just how bad it was until now.
The home of the Masters stood in the path of the destructive weather system that ravaged the southeastern United States near the end of last month. Helene, one of the worst hurricanes to hit the U.S. in recent memory, left devastation in its wake as it caused millions in damage and left several dead.
Augusta was one of the venues hit by the 130mph winds, and it’s still a mess weeks later, though there are plans to have it restored to pristine condition ahead of the next Masters tournament.
Photos taken from an overhead drone have finally revealed the extent of the damage, showing several fallen trees, some of which lie on the course’s iconic fairways.
Augusta’s 16th hole, famous for Tiger Woods’ 2005 chip-in, is completely ruined. The Par-3 has been described as “wrecked” as two fallen trees lie across Redbud’s sloping green.
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Augusta National Plans To Host The Masters On The Scheduled Dates
Augusta chairman Fred Ridley said they were assessing the damage after photos went into circulation immediately after the hurricane.
“The Masters will be held, [and] it will be on the dates it’s scheduled to be held,” he declared, via PGATour.com.
“We’ve had literally dozens of people working at the club and what I really have been most proud of is, while everyone certainly is focused on getting us up, back and running, our employees have been so focused on the community at large.”
The tourney is scheduled for April 10-13, when Scottie Scheffler, the current World No. 1, will defend his title.
The course should have reopened this month after closing for its annual summer break in May. But given the extent of the devastation, it is impossible to tell when it will.
