Augusta National in ‘spectacular condition’ after Hurricane Helene damage, chairman says

Augusta National Golf Course is in “spectacular condition” after Hurricane Helene heavily damaged the Augusta area in September.

Chairman Fred Ridley spoke to reporters in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the Latin America Amateur Championship is being played, and provided an update on the course ahead of the 2025 Masters Tournament, which will take place April 10-13.

“As far as the impact, the long-term impact, we have not quite as many trees as we did a year ago,” Ridley told reporters, according to ESPN. “As far as the golf course goes, it’s in spectacular condition. I think we had minor damage to the course, the playing surfaces themselves, but we were able to get that back in shape, but I don’t think you’re going to see any difference in the condition for the Masters this year.”

While the course has not disclosed the extent of damage from the hurricane, many reports and drone imagery indicated that a number of trees were downed.

The region saw extensive flooding and damage from winds. At the time, the Richmond County coroner described the area as “a chaotic mess.”

“I think what I’m the most proud of is the response of our entire organization to that natural disaster, which is really what it was,” Ridley told reporters. “And not only what they did to get Augusta National back in shape, but as importantly, how they pitched in with the Augusta community and really helped out because there were many, many people, many of our people were out of their homes for a number of weeks. No electricity. The community didn’t have water for a while.

“So, I’m just really proud of how our entire organization responded to that.”