Hurricane Helen tore through Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas in late September, leaving nothing but a wasteland of devastation in its wake.
Its path included Augusta, Georgia, which saw countless homes, buildings and essential pieces of infrastructure sustain significant damage. This also included Augusta National, perhaps the holiest venue in golf.
Despite this, Augusta National President Fred Ridley, at a press conference at the Latin American Amateur Championship in Argentina, provided an update on how the course fared during the storm.
“[The golf course is] “In amazing shape,” Ridley said.
“We had a little damage to the court, the playing surfaces themselves, but we were able to get that back in shape, but I don’t think you’ll see any difference in the condition of the Masters this year.”
Ridley also noted that the course was missing some trees.
But the club’s focus has always been on who needs help outside the club’s gates rather than what needs to be addressed inside.
“Hurricane Helen was a truly devastating event for the Augusta community and for a number of communities in the Southeast, especially in western North Carolina, which I know you may have read about,” Ridley added.
“What I’m most proud of is our entire organization’s response to that natural disaster, which it was. And not just what they did to get Augusta National back into shape, but more importantly, how they collaborated with the Augusta community and really helped because there were many, many people, and it was “A lot of our people have been out of their homes for a number of weeks. The community hasn’t had water for a while. So, I’m really proud of the way our entire organization has responded to that.”
On October 3, the club announced this Pledged $5 million to the Hurricane Helen Community Crisis Fund. The pledge came just days after the storm made landfall and swept through the region.
“I was in Augusta in the days immediately after the storm and witnessed first-hand its devastating impact,” Ridley said in a statement issued at the time.
“Our employees, neighbors, friends and business owners need and deserve immediate and meaningful help to overcome the hardships we face at this moment throughout Augusta.
“Both Augusta National and the Community Foundation take seriously our commitment to caring for our community. Our goal is to make a difference when it’s needed most, and we hope our gift will inspire others to help or ask how they can contribute to this critical mission.
Jack Melko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Play Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
