[PHOTO: David Paul Morris]
Masters chairman Fred Ridley acknowledged that what Augusta National Golf Club fans will see in April won’t have “quite as many trees as we did a year ago” but that any damage suffered last September when Hurricane Helene rolled through Georgia and the Carolinas won’t be an issue when the Masters is held in less than three months.
“As far as the golf course goes, it’s in spectacular condition,” Ridley said on Thursday during a press conference at Argentina’s Pilar Golf Club, site of this week’s Latin America Amateur Championship. “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.”
Ridley prefaced his response to the question about the course by acknowledging the devastating impact the storm has had overall on the Augusta community as well as other areas in America’s south-east. In turn, he said that Augusta National has focused its efforts in recent months on trying to support the community as it attempts to repair and rebuild. In the wake of the disaster, the club pledged $US5 million towards relief efforts in the community.
“I think what I’m the most proud of is the response of our entire organisation to that natural disaster, which is really what it was,” Ridley said. “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 organisation responded to that.”
Attending the 10th edition of the Latin America Amateur Championship, Ridley was on hand with USGA chief executive Mike Whan and R&A chairman Niall Farquharson when the trio announced the creation and launch of the first Latin America Amateur Championship Academies. The program will dedicate resources to education and instruction for players in Latin America, establishing four academy sites throughout the region. The program will mirror a similar one started nearly seven years ago in conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship on its 10th anniversary.
The first of the four LAAC academies will be located at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic.
“I think starting these academies is going to be a big factor in what we’ll be able to do over the next 10 years,” Ridley said. “We’ve seen the results of the academy structure in Asia, and we now have three academies in connection with the Asia‑Pacific Amateur Championship. We’re very appreciative that a wonderful venue like Casa de Campo would allow us to establish our first academy for the Latin America Amateur Championship there, and we just really are excited about the future and what that’s going to mean for this championship.”
Whan, Farquharson and Ridley all took turns addressing questions regarding the growth of the game in Latin America as well as around the world. Whan acknowledged the “different formats” that golf now comes in, including simulator golf presented to many in the form of the TGL, as ways to present the game in “different bite sizes” for different audiences.
“I think that’s exciting for the game. I think it’s exciting the game can come to you wherever you are both physically and interest‑wise in a way in which we can bring you into the game,” Whan said. “I think that’s not only an exciting idea for me personally, it’s proving itself to being great for the game in the on‑course participation.”
Ridley agreed with Whan, but did offer one word of caution about growing the game and the process by which that might occur.
“I couldn’t agree more because these other forms of golf, if you will, are creating fans, and golf needs more fans. Having said that, I think it’s important to remember to think about what makes golf so special,” Ridley said. “Why do we think all of us who love the game? Why do we think it’s the greatest sport, and it’s different than other sports? A lot of it has to do with the history and integrity of the game. You play by the rules. You call the rules on yourself. The honour of the game. The camaraderie that’s created by playing golf. I think as we try to expand the fan base we need to keep that north star in sight because we don’t want golf to become like every other sport. I think that’s a really important thing to think about.”
