Augusta National Pays Augusta CC $20 Million for Land to Extend Tee

[mvmac]

Saw this on IG. As we know Augusta spends a lot of money on the course every year, I've even heard that they re-build the greens every year. I actually like the 13th the way it is, players have to work it the corner and there's the possibility of an eagle with a great approach shot. That kind of what the Masters is all about, being able to hit great shots and move up the leaderboard.

Yes it was very "accommodating" of Augusta CC 

 

[iacas]

You have to wonder if Augusta CC wasn't just holding out for a long time… I wonder how much their annual revenues are, and how far $20M will go for them… a decade?

[CarlSpackler]

Forget the $20M. I would have gone for a reciprocity deal. Can you imagine how many new members would join Augusta CC?

I doubt Augusta National would consider that though. 

[RussUK]

I read this last month and cant help but think its a crazy idea. Isnt the land they are buying part of the neighbouring golf course?

It just seems that golf course owners/designers think that the solution to reigning in the long hitters is to throw money at the problem and make the course longer. I agree with Jack Niclaus, he said in an interview a while back that the ball needs to be changed fron the pro game and that it would be cheaper to modify a £20k mold than keep changing courses. Rant over....i'll go and calm down a bit.

[newtogolf]

45 minutes ago, RussUK said:

I read this last month and cant help but think its a crazy idea. Isnt the land they are buying part of the neighbouring golf course?

It just seems that golf course owners/designers think that the solution to reigning in the long hitters is to throw money at the problem and make the course longer. I agree with Jack Niclaus, he said in an interview a while back that the ball needs to be changed fron the pro game and that it would be cheaper to modify a £20k mold than keep changing courses. Rant over....i'll go and calm down a bit.

Most are against this line of thinking because they like that golf is a game that we all can play on the same courses (almost), using the same equipment (almost) and same rules.  Once any sort of bifurcation is introduced, the game changes from what we play to what the pro's play.  

There really is no impact on us average golfers or most of the courses we play.  The courses that wish to host Pro Tour events have to continue to evolve with the game to be considered by the Tours.  Those courses that can't or refuse to evolve, will still be great courses but will no longer host Pro Tour level events.  

[RussUK]

5 minutes ago, newtogolf said:

Most are against this line of thinking because they like that golf is a game that we all can play on the same courses (almost), using the same equipment (almost) and same rules.  Once any sort of bifurcation is introduced, the game changes from what we play to what the pro's play.  

There really is no impact on us average golfers or most of the courses we play.  The courses that wish to host Pro Tour events have to continue to evolve with the game to be considered by the Tours.  Those courses that can't or refuse to evolve, will still be great courses but will no longer host Pro Tour level events.  

That is a fair point, but if a course (one that is open to all golfers) decides to lengthen its holes, that obvioulsy costs money so surely the customer still suffers in the way of increased green fees or memberships?

Augusta obvously doesnt really count in the above as us mere mortals will likely never play it.

[upndown21]

I have a non-resident membership at Augusta CC and two clients that are members of Augusta National. ACC has been doing better than other privates but still is in a not so great position. This will ensure our private status for a very very long time.

 

Additionally AN came and did my home course greens when they redid the par 3 course. It is amazing as the similarities. 

The funny thing is AN is probably the second or third best course in the state if you take out the history factor.

 

Ps all private clubs financials can be seen if you google their form 990. 

Edited November 3, 2016 by upndown21

[iacas]

4 hours ago, RussUK said:

I read this last month and cant help but think its a crazy idea. Isnt the land they are buying part of the neighbouring golf course?

Yeah. It butts up against Augusta National.

4 hours ago, RussUK said:

It just seems that golf course owners/designers think that the solution to reigning in the long hitters is to throw money at the problem and make the course longer. I agree with Jack Niclaus, he said in an interview a while back that the ball needs to be changed fron the pro game and that it would be cheaper to modify a £20k mold than keep changing courses. Rant over....i'll go and calm down a bit.

I disagree.

3 hours ago, RussUK said:

That is a fair point, but if a course (one that is open to all golfers) decides to lengthen its holes, that obvioulsy costs money so surely the customer still suffers in the way of increased green fees or memberships?

Augusta obvously doesnt really count in the above as us mere mortals will likely never play it.

I don't think many local golf courses are making a habit of adding new tees very often. I've rated many, in fact, and rarely have to account for new tees.

[RussUK]

38 minutes ago, iacas said:

 

I disagree.

 

How so?

Just interested in your point of view

[jsgolfer]

1 hour ago, upndown21 said:

The funny thing is AN is probably the second or third best course in the state if you take out the history factor.

What two courses are better?

[upndown21]

1 minute ago, jsgolfer said:

What two courses are better?

Peachtree GC and perhaps even the Ocean Course at Kiawah 

[iacas]

16 minutes ago, RussUK said:

How so?

It would be off topic here.

4 minutes ago, upndown21 said:

Peachtree GC and perhaps even the Ocean Course at Kiawah 

That's not in Georgia.

[Hardspoon]

The GolfDigest Article from February (also reported in Forbes and other outlets) pegged the cost at closer to $27 million.

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/report-augusta-national-close-to-deal-to-lengthen-iconic-13th-hole

I can't find any up-to-date info on the exact cost; I'd be curious where it ended up.

 

 

[upndown21]

Wow your right Kiawah is in SC, duh. Only fly there or go by boat. So i'll change #2 to one of the many Reynolds Plantation courses.

Edited November 3, 2016 by upndown21

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, upndown21 said:

Wow your right Kiawah is in SC, duh. Only fly there or go by boat.

THIS JUST IN: Augusta National Now SECOND BEST course in Georgia!

---

I see this as unnecessary.

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2016/04/10/augusta-national-stats.html says it played to 4.726 strokes in 2016.

http://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/masters-2016-ranking-the-holes-at-augusta-from-hardest-to-easiest/ says "-0.16 strokes to par: The hardest of the par 5s. But the easiest for lefties?"

http://www.augusta.com/masters/coursetour/hole13 says 4.78 historical average.

I say… what's wrong with that?

[Hardspoon]

Here's a satellite view of the 13th tee, showing a 50-yard expansion.  It would protrude into what is now the fairway of the 9th hole at Augusta Country Club.

I wonder how much buffer area they are purchasing.

I was curious about the approximate value of the land.  Assume they need a 30-yard wide driving "alley", 50 yards deep, and then also purchase a 10-yard buffer on all (three) sides.  That's 50 yards by 60 yards...3,000 sq.yd, or about 0.6 acres.  If it's a $27 million dollar purchase, that equates to...

...$45 million per acre.

Yikes.

For comparison, I did some quick research on land prices in Downtown Manhattan.  I couldn't (quickly) find much current research, but there were studies pegging vacant land downtown at around $9 million/acre in 2006 (10 years ago).

The most expensive empty lot overall in New Jersey is $4 million/acre.  #2 on the list actually comes close at $44 million/acre (asking price), for a quarter-acre beachfront lot south of Atlantic City.

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/02/most_expensive_empty_lots_in_new_jersey_alpine.html

[iacas]

9 minutes ago, Hardspoon said:

...$45 million per acre.

I doubt they need 10 yards on all sides, or 30 yards width. So that's probably closer to $60M/acre or something. And they might not even use it more than two weeks per year?

[mvmac]

7 hours ago, CarlSpackler said:

Forget the $20M. I would have gone for a reciprocity deal. Can you imagine how many new members would join Augusta CC?

I doubt Augusta National would consider that though. 

I could be wrong but I think a lot of the local or semi-local members of Augusta National are also members at Augusta CC. AN is only open 4 or 5 months a year so they play ACC during the summer, fall and winter.