Augusta National is just one course in the region still picking up after Hurricane Helene's devastation

Blasted by Hurricane Helene for illustration nan remainder of nan region, nan play courses that dress up overmuch of nan Augusta area’s personality proceed to slow excavation retired from nan harm caused by nan storm.

Thousands of gangly pines, oaks and different hardwoods that erstwhile lined fairways and greens now dishonesty toppled complete aliases person been trim up and stacked for illustration cordwood successful immense piles.

But successful respective locations, courses person reopened and golfers are backmost connected nan links.

A sample of really nan Augusta area’s play courses fared see an estimated 300 trees downed astatine nan Augusta Municipal Golf Course. Other courses besides were victims of nan 80 mph-plus winds that slammed nan area connected Sept. 27. Forest Hills Golf Club had an estimated 2,000 trees damaged. West Lake Country Club cleared retired immoderate 1,100 trees, while Goshen Plantation Golf Club had much 300 trees blown complete aliases damaged.

Even Augusta National Golf Club, nan people that put Augusta connected nan golfing map, suffered superior damage. During a news convention successful Japan earlier this month, nine Chairman Fred Ridley said nan people was earnestly damaged by nan hurricane.

“Our Augusta organization has suffered catastrophic and historical effect from Hurricane Helene. We presently are assessing nan effects astatine Augusta National Golf Club,” wrote nine Chairman Fred Ridley. “In nan meantime, our attraction and efforts are foremost pinch our staff, neighbors and business owners successful Augusta. Our thoughts and prayers are pinch them arsenic good arsenic everyone passim Georgia and nan Southeast who person been affected.”

He added that nan nine will beryllium up and moving “sooner alternatively than later.” Augusta National officials could not instantly beryllium reached for comment.

Goshen proprietor Spike Kelley said aft Helene blew done Augusta his unit exchanged rings cleaning up nan mess, breaking retired nan concatenation saws and putting dense instrumentality to activity pushing trees disconnected nan fairways and into nan rough.

Goshen had 9 holes unfastened wrong a week of nan large wind and nan remaining 9 wrong nan pursuing 7 days.

Coverage from nan Augusta Chronicle:

• Here’s really Augusta area’s agrarian electrical companies are reconnecting customers aft Helene
• ‘All successful shock’: UGA fraternity brothers thrust eastbound to thief pinch Augusta clean-up efforts
• What will hap to nan fallen trees, limbs? One group is trying to support it retired of nan landfill
• ‘It’s a humanitarian crisis’: TikTok video of Augusta Helene harm amasses 1.5M views

“We started successful nan mediate of nan fairway and pushed nan debris and everything to nan broadside of nan fairway. They pushed that to nan unsmooth and into nan utmost rough. And erstwhile we sewage nan spread playable, past we could fto group play,” Kelly said Saturday.

Demarcus Lanham, adjunct pro astatine nan Augusta municipal course, said location were astir 55 group retired playing Saturday, astir half nan number usually playing during a weekend.

Because of downed trees still lying helter-skelter astir nan grounds, nan people was not yet wholly open. Golfers were constricted to playing only 9 holes this past weekend, Lanham said.

Vinny Brooks came retired to play a fewer rounds Saturday and bask nan sunshine astatine nan course, besides known arsenic The Patch. But he said it was affectional for him to spot nan wind-blown character damage.

Brooks said he has been playing astatine The Patch since 1979 pinch a group of friends known arsenic nan Irish Mafia. The harm from Hurricane Helene was nan worst he had ever seen successful nan Augusta area, moreover worse than nan demolition caused by nan crystal large wind that deed nan area immoderate 10 years ago.

The galore trees lying connected their sides pinch their guidelines balls exposed had turned a “pretty” people into a scenery that was not easy for Brooks to look at. And it had him emotion blue.

“When you spot this benignant of damage, and you’ve ne'er seen it earlier ― you ever perceive it, watch it connected TV ― it’s depressing erstwhile it happens to you. I can’t ideate really group successful Florida feel,” Brooks said of Florida residents who went done Hurricane Milton soon aft Helene raged done nan Augusta area.

“It was difficult for maine to travel retired present spot this people for illustration this. It’s ever been a beautiful course,” Brooks said.

Because of nan imaginable threat from damaged trees, Lanham and Kelley some said players astatine their courses were discouraged from going into nan unsmooth to shag a wandering ball. Until nan damaged trees were cleaned up, The Patch besides was closing early, astatine 5 p.m., for nan information of players.

Lanham said officials hoped to person crews travel retired to measure nan harm and statesman cleanup this week.

James Shulfer said he came retired to play Saturday to get distant from nan difficulties caused by nan hurricane and different issues weighing connected him.

“I travel present to recharge and to renew myself,” Shulfer said. “I tin conscionable travel and beryllium myself and conscionable relax, benignant of fto spell of each that. Yeah, you conscionable hide astir each that. Here you conscionable person to attraction connected 1 point ― to deed nan shot and find it and deed it again. And that’s your only goal.”

It was reliable for nan first 2 weeks aft Helene came done and nan municipal people was closed, Shulfer said. He wasn’t judge if would moreover reopen again.

“So I really came present and walked nan course, and I was devastated erstwhile I recovered those beautiful trees that I’ve grown to emotion and dislike astatine nan aforesaid clip were gone,” he said.

One large oak character that had for years slapped down nan balls he tried to deed complete and astir it was now gone, struck down by nan wind. But since he has returned to nan course, he misses his aged nemesis, which lies horizontal connected nan grass.

Also mislaid was nan communal shadiness character wherever nan Irish Mafia would stitchery aft a information of golf, Shulfer said.

“I emotion nan characteristic of this course. It’s a beautiful, walkable course. But now it’s wholly different. It’s been scarred. It’s almost for illustration I will ever spot those scars, moreover though they will replant trees. I will ever retrieve nan people nan measurement I first played it, and conscionable for illustration everyone has played it since 1928 erstwhile it was first opened,” Shulfer said.