Popularity of The Masters spurs golf development around Augusta, Georgia

The tiny town of Augusta, Ga., becomes the center of the golf universe every April.

The golf world's obsession surrounding The Masters at Augusta National has grown exponentially over the past decade as the Drive, Chip and Putt national finals (launched in 2014) and the Augusta National Women's Amateur (launched in 2019) have transformed golf's first and most beloved major into a 10-day celebration of the game. Both the ANWA and DCP will be televised by Golf Channel, along with much-anticipated "Live From" broadcasts during tournament week.

It shouldn't be a surprise that the ongoing popularity of The Masters and the rising tide of the game following the pandemic has spurred new golf development nearby. In fact, it's actually more surprising it took this long, considering how much the 90-hole Reynolds Lake Oconee and 27-hole Champions Retreat, a private club that allows stay and plays during Masters week, profit from the tournament.

The three new private club projects in South Carolina - one done, one nearing completion and one just getting started - are also hoping to piggyback off their proximity to one of golf's most coveted addresses in Magnolia Lane.

The recent online reveals of the new Cypress Shoals community being developed in North Augusta, S.C.; the ongoing construction of Old Barnwell near Aiken, S.C.; and the completion of The Tree Farm in New Holland, S.C., are three more examples of just how influential Augusta National really is. The website for Cypress Shoals touts itself as being “Augusta, Reimagined” and “America’s Next Great Masterpiece".

PGA Tour pro Zac Blair, the man behind The Tree Farm, told a local TV station that he's pleased to be in a community that appreciates golf. "It’s been awesome to see how I would say the locals in Aiken have been excited about the project,” Blair said, adding that during the Masters: “That’s a cool time of the year, there’s a bunch of golf fans in from around the world, so we’ll see how it goes.”

There's even talk of Augusta building a second course. Here's a closer look at the three new projects in South Carolina:

Old Barnwell, a 575-acre development on sandy soil and rolling hills, is scheduled to complete its golf course co-designed by Brian Schneider and Blake Conant, this fall. The website shares a vision of community and camaraderie centered around "A clubhouse with library, bar, restaurant, locker rooms and guest suites, along with a host of designed spaces for gathering both indoors and out."

Even though it is across state lines and the Savannah River, this new planned community in North Augusta, S.C., is less than five miles from Augusta National. The community will eventually feature luxury condominiums, villas and estate lots, with a private golf course by Tom Watson and a second one by a designer to be named later, plus a boutique inn that will allow stay-and-play access.

Watson, of course, is both a legend at Augusta, winning multiple green jackets, and a pretty darn good, if underrated, architect. His courses at Reunion Resort (the Watson Course) and Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa (The Conservatory) are the best at their respective Florida resorts. The Cassique Course at the exclusive Kiawah Island Club is the second-best course in a loaded golf destination, and he famously collaborated with Sandy Tatum and Robert Trent Jones Jr. on the Links at Spanish Bay. Watson hasn't done much design work lately, so it's likely he's been hired to be a friendly bridge between Cypress Shoals and the powers that be at Augusta. Smart move on their part.

It's been a winding road bringing Blair's dream of owning a golf course to life. Blair, a golf architecture junkie, had originally planned to build a new course in Utah called the Buck Club with Rob Collins and Tad King. When he shifted his focus east upon an old tree farm in South Carolina less than 40 miles from Augusta, Blair brought in Tom Doak and Kye Goalby in 2021 to design and build his playground. The private course is currently in preview-play mode, so there isn't much information out there other than what Blair is releasing on his Instagram. The long-range vision includes lodging and the possibility of some sort of limited public access.

Brett Hochstein, an architect who helped grass the course toward the end of construction, said he thinks The Tree Farm will have "good lasting power" in a competitive market that also includes Aiken Golf Club and Palmetto Golf Club.

"What I like, stylistically, is it looks a bit like a Harry Colt/London-heathland type of course, which is rare in this country," he said. "It's a really good site for that too, sandy and scrubby. It's in a strong golf neighborhood, but it fits right in — a nice rustic companion to those other famous neighbors."