Tiger Woods and the home of the Masters Tournament are partnering to promote golf in the Augusta community and educational opportunities to the area's underserved population.
Augusta National Golf Club announced plans for Woods' TGR Design firm to design a nine-hole, par-3 course at Augusta Municipal Golf Course, known commonly now as The Patch.
The golfer's TGR Foundation also is partnering with Augusta National to establish in Augusta the fourth TGR Learning Lab that will bring science, technology, engineering, arts and math education to students throughout the surrounding community.
"Today’s announcements mark an important milestone for Augusta and deepen the connection our community has with one of our greatest Masters champions, Tiger Woods," Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said in an address to the media. "We are thankful to partner with the TGR Foundation and jointly invest in the Augusta community. This partnership, in the TGR Learning Lab, reflects our shared interest in increasing access to high-quality programming and impacting the next generation in a tangible way."
The new course designed by Woods is part of a master plan at The Patch that includes a renovation by the team of Tom Fazio and Beau Welling that began in January. The new short course will be named The Loop at the Patch, in recognition of the caddies who have used the course as a gathering spot for decades.
"What an honor to be here and to have this moment to be able to be part of Augusta National but just in a different way," Woods, a 15-time major championship winner and five-time Masters champion, said in a video promoting the project. "I have the ability to be able to design something that is going to impact the community, something that I truly believe in, education and STEM and giving back to the underserved and to be able to do this with Augusta National, what an honor."
The project is expected to open around the time of next year's Masters. The STEM lab is scheduled to open in 2028 on the site of a closed Augusta elementary school.
"So much good will come from this project," Ridley said.
"With scheduled completion a year from now, this nine-hole, par-3 course will be great fun and serve all golfers, ranging from those being introduced to the game to the most avid players."