Austin’s Daily Commentary – The Kick Off Of Golf Tournament Coverage

Austin: John and Mary Liz have done a great job kicking off tournament coverage this week, and, yes, we do actually get into, I guess, our tournament excitement coverage. You consider the Ladies' Amateur and Drive, Chip, and Putt part of the incredible collection of events that we have over the course of the next two weeks. But here's my suggestion, something that you may not have done if you're not directly connected to the tournament or, you know, are fortunate enough to have a ticket to go. Drive around Augusta National, the neighborhood over there, in the next four or five days before the actual traffic hits Augusta National. And, of course, that would be Saturday with the finale of the ladies' invitational.

But drive around Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, pretty much everything is set as it's going to be. If you haven't seen the changes at Augusta National around New Berkmans Road in the last year or two, the devastation from Hurricane Helene certainly had an effect on the landscape, but it really is an amazing layout, the entire scenario. I'm talking about from the lower end of Washington Road right on up through I-twenty, the corridor. It really is amazing what goes on in that area during this particular time. Again, if you haven't seen it lately, you haven't seen it, particularly with the changes to the big hospitality hub over in the old JB Weitz building at National Hill Shopping Center.

It's quite amazing, breathtaking, actually, to see the changes that have taken place. I don't wanna get into the specifics, but make sure that you make the National Hills neighborhood part of your drive through. And, again, lower end of Washington Road from the very beginning of the Augusta National Complex right on up through the I 20 Interchange. It'll take your breath away. And and by the way, in a good way, I know that change has been difficult for some folks, but the combination of innovations made by the club concerning traffic and the way that everything's set up over there and the hurricane Helene devastation that has now, of course, all been cleaned up.

It really is something to see, and hats off to all of those who participated in that reclamation and the, actually, the entire reinvention of that end of Washington Road. It's gonna be a fun couple of weeks. Stay tuned, and that's the comment. I'm Austin Rhodes. 95.1 FM News Talk, WGAC.