This Augusta-area muni is a must-play during Masters week

For one week every April, Augusta, Ga., becomes the center of the golf universe. This is, of course, thanks to the Masters. It’s the most prestigious tournament in golf — and the rendezvous for just about every stakeholder and fan in the game.

With so many golf nuts descending upon the town of 200,000, scoring a tee time can be tough. Augusta Country Club, which sits right next door to Augusta National, is a popular spot and its tee sheet stays jam-packed Sunday to Sunday. Augusta Municipal — a.k.a. The Patch — has its own charm (which will only grow with Augusta National’s future investment), but the conditions of its fairways and greens is a far cry from what might be considered major quality. Palmetto Golf Club (the home club of Kevin Kisner) in nearby Aiken, S.C., is another popular option, but without the right connections, you’ll be SOL. Fortunately, there’s another great option for Masters week golf — and it’s open to the public.

Enter Aiken Golf Club. This Donal Ross-designed muni is a par-70 that measures out to just shy of 5,800 yards from the tips. Best of all? It costs just $35 to walk during peak times. But don’t be fooled by the pint-sized yardage (and price tag!), this course packs a punch.

It’s the perfect course for schlepping your bag with its short yardage and compact layout, but it’s by no means a walk in the park. There’s some serious elevation change throughout the property that’ll have you sucking wind on a couple of the holes. For that reason, it’s a great place to get out a Sunday bag and bring about six clubs.

Travel

I got my first exposure to Aiken Golf Club during this year’s Masters week. I was in Augusta the week prior for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, and on Drive, Chip and Putt Sunday I was still in the Augusta area. A buddy of mine from a different publication had just flown in and was looking to play a little twilight golf.

“Ever been to Aiken?” he asked

It didn’t take long for me to agree to a late-afternoon tee time. And from the second I stepped on property, I was hooked.

Carolina pines frame just about every hole, and sandy dunes feature prominently in the routing. The course winds through the surrounding neighborhood, but the homes on the perimeter are far from intrusive. If you’re a fan of Pinehurst Resort, Aiken Golf Club will have you smitten.

The greens are tiny and undulating, while the fairways have tons of tilt. If you’e not comfortable hitting off uneven lies, this course will eat your lunch. Oh, and I hope you know how to hit off sandy lies. If you stray off line, you’re all but certain to be hitting out of a waste area.

Firm-and-fast fairways are everyday conditions at Aiken and grainy Bermuda greens make holing putts a tall task. But at the end of the day, there’s not much more fun you can have on a golf course than spending a walk among the long shadows at Aiken Golf Club.

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