AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Tiger Woods' legacy in Augusta, Georgia, will include more than the five green jackets he won at the Masters in his career.
Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley announced Monday that Woods and his TGR Design firm are designing a new nine-hole short course at The Patch, the former Augusta Municipal Golf Course, which is where many of the caddies who worked the Masters learned to play golf.
Additionally, Woods' TGR Foundation will open its fourth TGR Learning Lab in Augusta, which will provide access to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education and other opportunities for students in Richmond County. Augusta National will provide funding for construction and ongoing operations of the learning lab.
"We 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," Ridley said in a news conference Monday announcing the partnership.
Ridley said he was playing golf with Woods at Augusta National before the 2024 Masters when he first told him about the club's plan to renovate The Patch.
"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," Ridley said. "He then sort of moved into discussing the big idea of the TGR Learning Lab, which to me is just very exciting."
Woods, who last won the Masters in 2019, announced on May 11 that he had surgery after rupturing his left Achilles tendon while ramping up training and practice at home to play in the Masters. It would have been his 27th start in the Masters.
"Partnering with Augusta National Golf Club to serve its surrounding community is truly special," Woods said in a statement. "My passion for education and golf dates back a long time, as does my relationship with Augusta National and the city of Augusta. This is a transformational opportunity to empower the next generation and deliver meaningful educational programming and access to fun and affordable golf. I am excited to work alongside Augusta National and see both projects become a reality."
Augusta National Golf Club hired architects Tom Fazio and Beau Welling to re-design the 18-hole course at The Patch, which first opened in 1928. The new club's logo will include a head of cabbage; locals fondly called the course The Patch because longtime course manager Red Douglas had a vegetable garden planted behind the 14th green and later near the 10th tee. The new layout will pay homage to 11 original holes.
The Patch renovation has already started and will include a new driving range, short game facility, clubhouse, outdoor pavilion space and classroom space for educational programs.
Woods' nine-hole course, The Loop at The Patch, will also be on the property, which is located on the newly named Jim Dent Way. Dent was a caddie at Augusta National and won 12 times on the Senior PGA Tour in the 1980s and 1990s.
"The caddies at Augusta are part of our legacy, and we certainly intend to continue to honor them at The Patch," Ridley said. "They've been a big part of that history. I know that those that are still around are very excited about the project."
Augusta National hopes to open The Patch to the public around next year's Masters, while the TGR Learning Lab is scheduled to open at the site of a closed elementary school in 2028.
