Tiger Woods to design short course at historic Augusta muni

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Tiger Woods has won five green jackets at Augusta National Golf Club.

He will soon design a golf course just down the road.

Woods has been commissioned by Augusta National to design a nine-hole short course on property at Augusta Municipal Golf Course, commonly referred to as “The Patch,” which is located about 5 miles from the home of the Masters Tournament, Masters chairman Fred Ridley announced on Monday. The par-3 layout will be called, “The Loop,” in homage to the caddies who for decades used the course as a gathering spot.

The Patch, which received a substantial investment from Augusta National two years ago, closed last Dec. 29 to undergo an extensive renovation by architects Tom Fazio and Beau Welling. The nearly-100-year-old, 18-hole course will measure around 6,800 yards and is slated to reopen in 2026, in time for next year’s Masters, along with the unveiling of The Loop.

Woods’ past design projects include Bluejack National, El Cardonal at Diamante, Payne’s Valley and The Hay, a redesign of Pebble Beach’s nine-hole, par-3 course.

The news coincided with an announcement of plans to bring a TGR Learning Lab to Augusta in 2028. The learning center, which will operate out of a refurbished Lamar Elementary School building, will serve over 23,000 Richmond County students with a STEAM curriculum that complements the county’s public school system.

“To have the ability to be able to design something that’s going to impact the community, and something that I truly believe in with education and STEAM and giving back to the underserved, and be able to do this with Augusta National, man, what an honor,” Woods said via a recorded message.

Added Ridley: “It really focuses on three things: academic achievement, health and well-being, and college and career opportunities."

Ridley said the idea for Woods to design The Patch’s short course and plant a learning lab in the city stemmed from a round of golf they played together shortly before last year’s Masters.

“I thought I would mention The Patch project, which I think we were formally announcing that week at the tournament,” Ridley said. “It was clear when I shared the concept that it sort of piqued his interest, and that was sort of the beginning of a conversation, a dialogue that took place between our organizations, and after that a few meetings took place, and the idea just sort of grew from what we were doing to how Tiger and TGR could be involved. … We also recognize the importance of deepening Tiger's legacy in Augusta and with the Masters, and this we felt was an enduring way that we could be forever connected with Tiger and all he's done at the Masters and now all that he's going to be doing in this community.”