Reveal of brand-new Augusta course clarifies LIV rumors

There’s a new course coming to Augusta.

North Augusta, that is.

We should specify: North Augusta, South Carolina. Still, the point remains: there’s a new course in the works less than five miles from Augusta National.

Some sleuthing from Eureka Earth first uncovered the all-new website for Cypress Shoals, a 1,742-acre planned development self-identifying as “Augusta, Reimagined” and “America’s Next Great Masterpiece.”

The website emphasizes that Cypress Shoals will be a spot for “outdoor enthusiasts that enjoy active lifestyles.” But there’s a clear selling point highlighted by one line near the top:

4.5 MILES FROM THE AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB

That brings us to the golf. Cypress Shoals plans to eventually have two 18-hole courses, but we only know about one of ’em right now: the first course will be designed by Tom Watson.

Watson’s name carries weight in most golfing towns, but this one especially: Watson won the Masters in 1977 and 1981, two of his eight major championships. He played in his final Masters in 2016, but at last year’s Masters he joined Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus as Augusta National’s honorary starters. That connection is not lost on Cypress Shoals, which cites “the mind of the man with the magic touch” as well as his brand recognition.

“Adding Watson’s signature touch to Cypress Shoals not only broadens its appeal to golfers but also assures the value his name brings to enhancing a luxury lifestyle.”

The planned courses would mark significant additions to the area’s golf offerings, making it a particularly intriguing place to have access to during Masters Week. There are others, of course — Augusta Country Club sits next door to Augusta National, Champions Retreat is just a short drive away, Forest Hills is the home course to Augusta University, Aiken Golf Club is a hidden gem and The Patch is a beloved local muni — but nothing this close and this massive in scope.

They hammer that point home on the website: “Cypress Shoals’ close proximity to the Augusta National Golf Club allows it to be equally suited for guests that can take advantage of its hospitality offerings for conferences, conventions, and corporate retreats.

“For both interests, whether it be a resident or guest, we look for Cypress Shoals to be fertile ground for establishing lasting connections that create enduring legacies.”

There’s no clear timetable for Cypress Shoals’ development. Nor can we guarantee it will happen exactly as planned. But if it does…

THE RUMORS

Earlier this year, a series of rumors circulated around social media — and then in real life — that LIV had bought land in the Augusta area for a new golf course and potential tournament venue. “The rumor mill around Augusta is reaching a fever pitch,” tweeted one account, Tour Junkies, citing an alleged purchase on the other side of the Savannah River. An accompanying viral TikTok spawned a series of speculative blogs. The rumors involved a theoretical Coore and Crenshaw design.

But one landowner and then the North Augusta mayor, Britton Williams, each denied those. Ben Crenshaw denied it, too.

“Land is being bought. I think we all know that. I can assure you there’s nothing that I’ve heard of, know anything about LIV,” Williams said in a conversation with WJBF. “That is a rumor. That’s not happening.”

One possible reason for confusion? A company called “LIV Development” has a 280-unit community called Ironwood as part of its portfolio in North Augusta, just down the Savannah River from the proposed Cypress Shoals site. LIV Development is based in Birmingham, Ala. and is not related to the golf league. But Ironwood is just down the Savannah River from the new proposed development.

As for Cypress Shoals? It’s just across the Savannah River on the South Carolina side, bounded by the river on one side and West Martintown Road, and Interstate 20 on two others. The land is just 10-15 minutes from the front gates of Augusta National. Except during tournament week, of course. The whole town works differently during the second week of April.

THE CYPRESS SHOALS VISION

The vision for Cypress Shoals is expansive: a 1,742-acre mixed-use development with plenty of places to stay and play.

The “stay” include 200 residential lots, 60 “club condominiums,” 20 “golf cottages,” 40 “luxury cabins”, a conference hotel with 40 villas and a planned boutique riverfront inn.

The “play” includes the 36-hole golf vision, plus a nine-hole short course, golf swing suites and a learning and performance facility. Equestrian facilities are planned, too, to go with 30 miles of hiking trails as well as a 624-acre hunting and fishing preserve with private lodge, gunroom, and on-site gunsmith. The property borders both the Savannah River and Sumter National Forest.

There are also two islands intended for use as “private reserves.”

And, depending on time of the year, there might even be a high-profile golf tournament going on nearby.

You can read more here.