Gardens and golf

Southern Living, Jun 2002 by Vanhooser, Cassandra M

Both sports fans and nature lovers will appreciate the newest riverfront attraction in Augusta, Georgia.

You see him immediately when you step inside the gates at Augusta Golf & Gardens...Home of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame. Wrapped in a ghostly mist, Arnold Palmer waits. He gazes across a shallow lake as if contemplating his next shot.

It takes a moment to shake the feeling that Arnie might be here. This is Augusta, after all, where he won four Green Jackets and made his 48th appearance at the Masters Tournament in April. It's what people expect to see when they visit this sleepy town.

Unfortunately, most people never walk the hallowed grounds of the Augusta National. The golf club is intensely private, and a ticket to the Masters Tournament rates among the most prized in all of sports. But with the opening of Augusta Golf & Gardens, the city has for the first time an attraction that offers guests a glimpse of Augusta's storied golf heritage.

In many ways, the riverfront garden spot has the look and feel of a golf course. The Grand Lawn, which resembles a long, emerald fairway, runs the length of the 8-acre plot. On one side, a tee box stands ready for demonstrations.

A series of small display gardens planted along the perimeter of the lawn showcase an intriguing plant collection. The Butterfly Garden reflects the actual shape of a winged beauty, and a garden displays the newest in turf grasses. In the Rose Garden, more than 800 miniatures provide a burst of summer color.

"We wanted to have lots of color," says landscape architect Roger Davis. "We designed it so that there's a floral display from February to frost."

Residents and visitors alike have quickly shown an affinity for the new gardens. While attendance peaks in April when the Masters is played, a steady stream of visitors picnic and stroll among the flowers. The property is also much in demand as a venue for outdoor events.

Organizers continue raising money for the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame, but for now, it seems perfectly natural to find golf greats hidden in the garden. In addition to Palmer, there are larger-than-life bronze sculptures of Byron Nelson, Raymond Floyd, Bobby Jones, and Ben Hogan.

And then there's Jack Nicklaus. Devotees to the game of golf can't help but smile when they find him frozen in time on the 17th green at the 1986 Masters, his putter raised in celebration after sinking the birdie putt as he rallied back to claim the title.

CASSANDRA M. VANHOOSER

Augusta Golf & Gardens...Home of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame: 1 12th Street, Augusta, GA 30901; (706) 724-4443, 1-888-874-4443, or www.gghf.org.