Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley recently discussed the state of the golf course in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene with preparations for the 2025 Masters just six months away. Ridley confirmed the Masters will go on as scheduled from April 10-13 while holding a press conference at the 2024 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at which he discussed the state of damage from the Category 4 storm.
"As far as the golf course, it really was affected just as the rest of the community was … there was a lot of damage and we have a lot of people working hard to get us back up and running," Ridley explained. "We don't really know exactly what that's going to mean, but I can tell you … if it's humanly possible, we will be back in business sooner rather than later."
Augusta, Georgia, was one of many communities in the southeastern part of the United States devastated by Hurricane Helene. With sustained winds of 80 mph and gusts topping 100 mph, the storm took everything in its path -- toppling trees, destroying homes and leaving folks without power, electricity and WiFi.
Ridley previously released a statement last Saturday stating ANGC would help the Augusta community in the wake of the hurricane. The Washington Post reported Wednesday that, while the town's power was slowly getting restored, residential roads surrounding Augusta National remain an obstacle.
"We've had literally dozens of people working at the club, and what I really have been most proud of is while everyone certainly is focused on getting us up, back and running, our employees have been so focused on the community at large," Ridley said. "We've been able to take care of our employees, but we've also been focused on what the Red Cross and other organizations are doing in Augusta, and our employees really have been a big part of that, which I think really speaks for them and the culture at the club."
While golf remains far from the minds of locals, Ridley confirmed that ANGC will do whatever possible to ensure the 2025 Masters proceeds as scheduled.
"The Masters will be held, [and] it will be on the dates it's scheduled to be held," he said.