Augusta National issues update on Masters course after hurricane damage

With the 89th Masters due to take place in April, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley has revealed the extent of the damage following Hurricane Helene

With less than 100 days to go until the Masters, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley has eased any fears of the tournament being affected by the storms that swept through Georgia in September.

Drone footage taken at the time showed the extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, which devastated large parts of the south-east United States late last summer, had on the home of the Masters, including a number of fallen trees and extensive damage to Magnolia Lane.

That sparked rumours that the 89th playing for the Green Jacket, in a worst-case scenario, might not be able to go ahead.

But speaking during a press conference at the Latin America Amateur Championship in Argentina on Thursday, Chairman Ridley said the course ended up suffering just “minor damage”.

“As far as the impact, the long-term impact, we have not quite as many trees as we did a year ago,” he explained. “As far as the golf course goes, it’s in spectacular condition.

“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.”

In the wake of the hurricane, Augusta National donated $5 million to help the local community get back on its feet.

“Hurricane Helene was really a devastating event for the Augusta community and for a number of communities in the southeast, particularly in western North Carolina,” Ridley added. “We suffered a fair amount of impact from the hurricane as did the entire community.”

He added: “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. 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.

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

The 2025 Masters will take place from April 10-13.

About the Author

Alex Perry – News Editor

Alex has been in the golf industry since 2007 and has helped shape a number of publications in that time. He also spent several years at ESPN and joined Today’s Golfer in January 2025 to lead the brand’s news division.

He is a keen golfer playing off 12 and enjoys traveling the world to try new courses. His three favorites, though, are all in the UK: Royal North Devon, the Old Course at St Andrews, and Royal Portrush – with special mentions for his home clubs, Okehampton and Bude & North Cornwall, where he first fell in love with the game.