At the outset of the 2025 Masters, Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, announced that the club will partner with five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods to enrich access to high-quality educational programming and affordable golf in Augusta, Georgia.
The club and Woods’ nonprofit, TGR Foundation, will construct a TGR Learning Lab in Augusta that will provide access to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education and opportunities for young people to prepare for their future. Additionally, Woods and his course architecture firm, TGR Design, will a design a new, nine-hole short course as part of the renovation of the Augusta Municipal Golf Course, commonly known as “The Patch,” for the community to enjoy and learn the game of golf.
Ridley said the announcement marks “an important milestone for Augusta and deepens the connection our community has with one of our greatest Masters champions, Tiger Woods.
‘“At the heart of our effort at The Patch is a commitment to create an affordable and inviting golf experience. Equal importance will be placed on creating opportunities to learn and fall in love with the game as well as developing a pipeline for employment in the golf industry.”
TGR Design has created a fistful of acclaimed short courses, including The Hay at Pebble Beach, the Oasis at Diamante in Mexico and the Playgrounds at Bluejack National in Texas. The new nine-hole course at Augusta Municipal will be similar in scope, a walkable layout that can be played quickly. To be called The Loop at The Patch, the course will feature artificial turf tees and will be located on the high point of the property, in the northwest corner. Ridley opined that it would utilize the topography and the elevation of the property very well.
“Partnering with Augusta National Golf Club to serve its surrounding community is truly special,” Woods said. “My passion for education and golf dates back a long time, as does my relationship with Augusta National and the city of Augusta. This is a transformational opportunity to empower the next generation and deliver meaningful educational programming and access to fun and affordable golf. I am excited to work alongside Augusta National and see both projects become a reality.”
Both the 18-hole championship course, currently being renovated by Tom Fazio and Beau Welling, and Woods’ nine-hole layout, The Loop at the Patch, are expected to be open for play in time for the 2026 Masters.
CURLEY-WAGNER EYE NEW PHILIPPINES PROJECT
Curley-Wagner, the design firm spearheaded by Brian Curley and Jim Wagner, has signed on to construct a new course in the Philippines on behalf of the Villar Group.
It will be the firm’s first design in the Philippines and the 26th different country the duo has worked in. The proposed 18-hole course will be located in Villar City, a planned 8,650-acre megalopolis that connects 13 cities and municipalities in metro Manila and Cavite and will feature five central business districts.
The 160-acre property features open meadows with areas of mature vegetation situated on rolling terrain with advantageous elevation changes and two natural stream systems flanking the eastern and western edges of the property.
"The site’s natural features and inspiring character will be integral in the creation of an extraordinary sequence of golf holes," Wagner said. "We are enthusiastic to immediately begin exploring the master planning and routing phase for the project."
The 18-hole golf course will be capable of hosting professional tournaments and will feature state-of-the-art practice facilities, along with a putting course and short game area component. Project master planning is expected to start immediately.
THE SOCIAL ASPECT
Royal Sydney GC ready to reopen after a 15-month Gil Hanse redesign. Go to @AusGolfPassport Instagram for a video of some of the most striking changes. pic.twitter.com/QGPLIHzwxi
— Scott Warren (@scott___warren) March 27, 2025
GROUND BREAKS AT PINE LAKE
Jeff Lawrence has broken ground on a renovation of Pine Lake Country Club outside of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Located between the towns of Matthews and Mint Hill, 18 miles southeast of Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Pine Lake dates to the 1960s, with its first nine designed by Gene Hamm and the second nine by Porter Gibson. John LaFoy did an extensive renovation in 1988, but the course has remained mostly untouched until now.
Lawrence, a former Tom Fazio associate, submitted a masterplan that was approved in May 2022 and primarily focused on rebuilding tee boxes, bunkers, greens and the irrigation system.
"Once the design documents were completed, a thorough review process was undertaken, including presentations, panel discussions and Q&A sessions, followed by a vote by the club’s membership," Lawrence told GolfCourseArchitecture.net. "I was thrilled by the club’s openness to my recommendations and the enthusiastic embrace of the vision laid out by the masterplan. The club made the strategic decision to complete the renovation in one phase for greater efficiency and less long-term impacts to members."
Contractor Aspen Golf is helming the rebuilding effort in conjunction with Lawrence’s plans.
"The primary goal of this renovation was to preserve the core design characteristics of the golf course while introducing a fresh, creative vision that would elevate both its strategic complexity and visual appeal," Lawrence said.
High on the list of goals to accomplish with this project is the makeover of the putting surfaces.
"The general location and elevation of most greens have been preserved but by expanding the greens we are able to create more strategic variety and accommodate a greater range of hole locations," Lawrence said. "Alongside these functional improvements, visual aesthetics will play a key role to enhance the overall appeal while providing exceptional playing conditions."
Transforming the greens from bentgrass to TifEagle Bermuda is an important aspect of the remodeling project together with enhancements to the green surrounds.
"The integration of creative bunkering, defined low mow collection areas and imaginative shaping will further highlight the new green complexes, elevating their impact on the course’s design," Lawrence said. "The addition of sand-capped approaches and low mow areas will ensure firm playing conditions which is a creative byproduct of repurposing the old green’s mix."
Among the other improvements taking place are selective tree removal, re-grading fairways at holes four, eight and 13, new forward and back tees and the addition and removal of bunkers. The renovation is scheduled to be completed this summer with an anticipated reopening in fall 2025.
