The championship retreat was a brand new look after Hurricane Helen.
Getty Images
Evans, Georgia – Today, there is a lot of talk about trees in northeastern Georgia. Specifically, trees are on the green fairways and towering green towers on the large golf courses in the area.
Of course, the most famous of them is the Augusta Country. The Lobley Pines on the perimeter line are curtains that separate the outside world from the club. The pine trees that live on the ground are the most famous of them. Heck, one of them is so prominent in its function that some former president (unsuccessfully) lobbied to remove it.
In recent years, those pine trees have been beaten. First, during the 2023 Masters, a storm system was rolled during the game and several pine trees fell down near the 17th tee. Recently, Hurricane Helen hit the Augusta area and uprooted more towering wood.
“Losing a few trees is definitely significant,” said four-time major champion Rory McIlroy.
Augusta National is not the only course in the region to reconcile with the loss of familiar leaves. The Champions Retreat is also dealing with Helen’s consequences at 15 miles of Washington Road near Evans, Georgia. In the first two rounds of this week’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur, with the ladies on property, the topic of trees is once again talking about the center stage.
“There must be a big difference in the trees disappearing,” said Bailey Shoemaker, 2024 Anwa runner-up. “It’s a little bit of an adjustment.”
Golf Mike Rymer’s championship retreat director said Helene rumbled through the Augusta area in late September and the result was “disastrous”. According to his estimates, thousands of trees were uprooted and in trouble after the storm. When he arrived shortly after Helene left town and came to investigate the losses, he estimated that the course would be closed for six months.
Thankfully, this estimate has not been proven to be accurate, and the course has been restored in time to host one of the most prestigious events in the amateur golf course. But that doesn’t mean the scars of the storm are hidden. Going on the route this week, there are still root balls and stumps tilting in the bushes around the property.
The champion also lost his most famous tree in the storm. Natural Oak has stood in the middle of the fourth fairway in the past, created as a “bruclide tree” and forced players to play around to see the green. But, due to Helene’s whipping wind, the oaks are no longer an obstacle to Anwa’s competitors.
“Hole 4, that huge tree is blocking it,” said 2022 Anwa champion Anna Davis. “I can say I’m happy about it. I know they may not be too happy about it, but that hole is hard.”
“The teenager sensational asterisk Talley agreed: “That’s the trees that make this route tough,” she said. “The course is so open now, and it’s more fun.” ”
Phil Mickelson tells an epic story about Augusta National Tree Cleanup
go through:
Sean Zak
Her competitors may agree. In the first round of this version of ANWA, the average score in this field was only 72.02. The mark is easier than the historic start average at the Championship Retreat than the historic start score and is 72.6 points last year.
“You can hit the driver more comfortably,” said Megha Ganne, who launched 63 rounds on Wednesday. “I think this course is easier at least in stroke.”
Although the championship retreat is indeed overall It’s much easier to play than the historical average, and the fourth hole (the former location of the broccoli tree) actually matches the historical average during the round 1.
In 2024, the last year of the Broccoli Tree era, the average score of the hole was 4.264, the second highest in the course. In 2023, it is 4.2, making it fourth in the course. The average scores were more inflated in previous years, but the holes were always one of the four most difficult holes in the course, indicating that the entire course was more difficult to set. On Wednesday, the average score was 4.23, ranking second highest in the course.
“This makes the hole easier,” said defending champion Lottie Woad. “The drive used to be very difficult. You had to knock it out, but now it’s so wide. So it’s definitely an easier hole.”
Maybe, Lottie, even on Wednesday it’s still hard. Time will prove. Like course records, trees can last for decades and fall immediately.
Now they will keep playing.
Zephyr Melton
Golf.comEdit
Zephyr Melton is an assistant editor at Golf.com, where he spent his days of blogging, making and editing. He participated in the University of Texas before joining the golf team, before stopping for the Texas Golf Association, Team USA, Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He assists with all mentoring, covering amateur and women’s golf. He can be contacted at zephyr_melton@golf.com.
