The Masters

[SiberianDVM]

or more accurately, the Augusta National.

I have lived here in Augusta most of my life. If you have never been here, you haven't missed much. This is truly a backwards, podunk city. City-county government is corrupt, stupid, and inefficient. With a pot of gold like the Masters here every single year, how is it possible that we have firefighters and policemen being laid off, potholes in the streets for years, crappy schools, wealthy people moving to adjacent counties, lawsuits against the city for hiring and firing fire chiefs, school superintendents, and civic center administrators?

Because money talks. And some of the wealthiest residents are members of Augusta National.

Here is a link to an article that talks about the buying of property around the Augusta National.

http://www.golfdigest.com/majors/mas...tasgrowth.html

It is visible now, if you ride along Berckman's Road. Where there were once nice houses are now large vacant lots. Eventually this will be parking, for the Masters. I wonder if the property tax on a vacant lot, used 1 week a year for parking, will be anywhere near what it was on a $300,000 house?

Yet, yesterday when I went to the Augusta muni to hit a bucket of balls, they had no balls to hit, because the ball picker is broken, and they don't know when they will get the money to get it fixed.

Pathetic.

[warbirdlover]

You could always move to Wisconsin....

[Sandpiper3]

That is just retarded, the revenue they must make from that ONE week a year, and yet the place is still the shits, with THAT course in the town and that much money coming in once a year, why they dont do anything is beyond me, ppl make me sad....

[Sandpiper3]

Soon theyre guna own the town itself....

[ualtim]

Originally Posted by Sandpiper3

Soon theyre guna own the town itself....

I believe that would be part of their plan. I think the whole Washington Road scene disgusts the members. It kind of encroached upon their Utopian slice of Georgia the same way it encroached upon Disneyland in California. Both did not have the money they needed to buy a buffer when they built, and both wish they had when they saw what moved in next door to siphon off from their business. Disney built a new place when it had more money, Augusta National can not build another as the tradition would be lost. Their only salvation lies within the systematic reclamation of adjoining properties now they have the power and influence to do something about it.

I am not saying that it is right or wrong, or that I agree with it; but that is what it appears to look like from my perspective.

[demon]

If they were smart they would buy up the surrounding property and open a public course to bring in some serious money. This in turn would boost local economy.

Kind of like Pumpkin Ridge did.

[SiberianDVM]

Originally Posted by demon

If they were smart they would buy up the surrounding property and open a public course to bring in some serious money. This in turn would boost local economy.

Kind of like Pumpkin Ridge did.

300 wealthiest men in the world. I think they already have plenty of money and are planning on keeping it.

The best thing they could do for the local economy would be to go back to the old days of no tour caddies. A lot of local caddies would be extremely happy and rich.

[demon]

Originally Posted by SiberianDVM

300 wealthiest men in the world. I think they already have plenty of money and are planning on keeping it.

The best thing they could do for the local economy would be to go back to the old days of no tour caddies. A lot of local caddies would be extremely happy and rich.

That is not going to happen.

[EDSGolf]

As the old saying goes, money talks and BS walks.

[warbirdlover]

I thought it was "if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with BS"!!

[Bravo]

Great article...the last two times I've gone to the tournament, I've parked along Berckman's Road.

From their standpoint, it makes sense to do what they are doing. It will provide a buffer on Washington as you approach from the front and they certainly DO need the parking very badly.

Looks like property owners are making out pretty well on their sales. Getting more than the average price...so nobody can be faulted on any of that.

It's hard for all of us "common men" to relate to the world these people live in...they are just so completely loaded. And of course, nothing talks like money.

But I will say that the guy in my high school class who is an AGNC member is really a great guy. He understands very well how lucky he is to be born into it all and is quite level headed. He does not send his kids to private schools....they go to our public system. He is on the school board and the school foundation and really spends a lot of time doing good things throughout our town and our city...

I think one thing that makes AGNC such an anomaly is the fact that it is located in a small community. If you look at the top 100 private courses in the U.S., the vast majority are in major metro areas where Local members with local $$ built them....

It's just a strange story of how AGNC got going...with Bobby Jones buying a plant nursery in Augusta and deciding to put the course there.

Remember that the club struggled mightily during the 30's and Solicited members pretty hard....it was truly only after the war started (and the economy recovered) that the place got so exclusive....In the meantime, older clubs like Shinnecock and Merion were already much more powerful, stable and exclusive than AGNC....

It was the vision of Jones to start the club, design a course specifically for championships and hold a top notch Private tournament that catapulted it to where it is today.

[Scotty01292]

Originally Posted by warbirdlover

You could always move to Wisconsin....

Give up golf and get a career as an ice skater!!!


JK, WBL!

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by Bravo

Great article...the last two times I've gone to the tournament, I've parked along Berckman's Road.

From their standpoint, it makes sense to do what they are doing. It will provide a buffer on Washington as you approach from the front and they certainly DO need the parking very badly.

Looks like property owners are making out pretty well on their sales. Getting more than the average price...so nobody can be faulted on any of that.

It's hard for all of us "common men" to relate to the world these people live in...they are just so completely loaded. And of course, nothing talks like money.

But I will say that the guy in my high school class who is an AGNC member is really a great guy. He understands very well how lucky he is to be born into it all and is quite level headed. He does not send his kids to private schools....they go to our public system. He is on the school board and the school foundation and really spends a lot of time doing good things throughout our town and our city...

I think one thing that makes AGNC such an anomaly is the fact that it is located in a small community. If you look at the top 100 private courses in the U.S., the vast majority are in major metro areas where Local members with local $$ built them....

It's just a strange story of how AGNC got going...with Bobby Jones buying a plant nursery in Augusta and deciding to put the course there.

Remember that the club struggled mightily during the 30's and Solicited members pretty hard....it was truly only after the war started (and the economy recovered) that the place got so exclusive....In the meantime, older clubs like Shinnecock and Merion were already much more powerful, stable and exclusive than AGNC....

It was the vision of Jones to start the club, design a course specifically for championships and hold a top notch Private tournament that catapulted it to where it is today.

Good post Bravo. I myself am guilty from time to time of categorizing wealthy people as uncaring, greedy bastards. The fact is that many, if not most of them, worked hard for what they have, and are basically good people. They live differently than I do, but who among us can say we wouldn't if we had their wealth? Your friend sounds like a decent man.

[mont86]

Have you told them you're a moderator on ST.? That might carry some influence.

[SiberianDVM]

Originally Posted by mont86

Have you told them you're a moderator on ST.? That might carry some influence.

I've thought about wearing a Shottalk sandwich sign and walking up and down in front of the main gate.

What do you think my chances would be of getting invited in?