Did Augusta National Suffer Damage From Hurricane Helene? Rumors Are Flying

Based Hurricane Helene damage reports  from Augusta, GA, today, it is practically impossible that Augusta National Golf Course was spared from high winds and floodwaters raging through Rae's Creek. 

Rumors of heavy damage at the course are flying around the Internet, but what we know for sure is that one of Augusta National's parking lots for The Masters tournament did suffer tree loss. 

Longtime Augusta National observer David Dobbins of Eureka Earth gave the Internet its first look this afternoon at the damage. 

This is a view of one of the Masters parking lots off Berckmans Road: 

Yes, there are rumors flying around and it might be 100 trees down or it might be 200 down. What's clear from past storms that have raged through the course is that members will do everything in their power to make sure you don't know a storm hit this place when they open the gates in April. 

In 1990, Augusta received "several inches in less than 12 hours" which caused incredible devastation to Amen Corner, specifically the 11th green and a tee box on No. 13, according to a report from the Augusta Chronicle. 

"(A) flood of epic proportions hit Augusta. A pair of tropical storms, Marco and Klaus, converged over the Augusta area and dumped nearly 15 inches of rain. Four people were killed, and the region was declared a national disaster area after the floods caused an estimated $150 million in damages to property and crops.

The Corps of Engineers said it was a 200-year rainfall at the time. 

The course was ready for play by Thanksgiving Day and by the spring of 1991, patrons had no idea Amen Corner had been destroyed. 

Here's something to consider for what happened with today's storm. The Chronicle says that the 11th green was raised "two feet and the pond guarding the green was raised a foot. Rae’s Creek was widened that year behind the green, and a dam now controls the water and is covered by a wooden structure."

But was that enough to save Amen Corner in 2024? We may find out one of these days, if Augusta National wants us to know. 

Here's what it looks like around Augusta: