Augusta, GA
Augusta’s Ridley supports efforts to reduce driving distance
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley said Wednesday that the club supports governing bodies’ efforts to reduce elite driving distance, which he says are needed to protect golf’s integrity.
“My feeling on this subject is [that] failure’s not an option,” Ridley said during a news conference ahead of this week’s Masters. “I think we need to continue to work together to come to some agreement. Tough issues like this require compromise, and I think there has been some compromise to date.”
The United States Golf Association announced in March that it might not implement a new Overall Distance Standard, which would reduce elite driving distances by 15 yards, until 2030. The USGA and R&A had previously stated the new testing rules would apply to elite players in 2028 before affecting all golfers in 2030.
“I want to reemphasize that support and affirm our position as the USGA and R&A represent their collective obligation as custodians of the game,” Ridley said. “I also want to be clear that our position is grounded on much more than protecting the Augusta National golf course. We will continue to make modifications as are necessary to react to driving distances that in some cases exceed 350 yards.”
Ridley noted that amateur Jackson Herrington, who qualified for his first Masters as the 2025 U.S. Amateur runner-up, told him that he drove balls over the fairway bunkers on Nos. 1 and 5 during practice rounds this week
“About a 325-yard carry, and one was into the wind,” Ridley said.
The Masters tees on the par-4, 445-yard opening hole were pushed back 20 to 25 yards in 2002 and additional 15 to 20 yards four years later.
The par-4 fifth hole was lengthened to 445 yards in 2003 and extended by another 40 yards in 2019.
“I’ve said that we can make changes, but there’s not much we can do to make [additional] changes-unless we tear down the Eisenhower Cabin, and we’re not going to do that,” Ridley said of the iconic cabin near the 10th tee, which was built by the club for U.S. President Dwight E. Eisenhower and his wife in 1953.
“We’ll make changes when we can, but I think it’s time to really address this issue. It’s been talked about for a long time. There’s certainly commercial interests that are at play here, and we all know what those are.”
The USGA and R&A announced in January that they were seeking additional input on whether it would be more efficient to implement the rollback for all golfers on a single date instead of a staggered start. The input period ends April 16.
“Unfortunately, many courses, including some iconic venues, do not have that option,” Ridley said, about making course changes to accommodate increased length. “Until recent years, golf has been a game of imagination, creativity, and variety. The game has become much more one-dimensional.
Ridley argued the proposed equipment changes would be “immaterial” to recreational golfers.
“Regulation of the golf ball is not an attempt to turn back time or stifle progress,” he said. “It is an effort to preserve the essence of what makes golf the great game that it is.”
Also, Ridley said Augusta National Golf Club supported five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods’ decision to step away from competitive golf and his administrative roles with the PGA Tour to seek treatment, following his DUI arrest in Florida on March 27.
Woods was involved in redesigning the existing course and a new nine-hole short course at The Patch, which will open to the public on April 15.
Later this year, Augusta National Golf Club will break ground on a new TGR Learning Lab, a STEM learning facility that Woods and his TGR Foundation created more than two decades ago.
“I would like to add that we fully support Tiger’s recent decision to focus on his health and well-being,” Ridley said. “Our commitment to the TGR Foundation and to Tiger personally has not wavered. We wish him the very best.”
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Coastal Waste and Recycling has been collecting the city’s trash for nine months, and commissioners say service is picking up.
“I’ve been pleased with Coastal. Every time I’ve had a problem, my constituents had a problem, they’re contracted, they’re right there. I think any time you change over totally to a whole city, you’re going to have some hiccups,” said Commissioner Tina Slendak.
But when starting last year, mistakes were made and under the contact, that costs the company money, for things like missed pickups and delays delivering carts
Coastal racked up $144,000 in fines the first three months.
But on the recommendation of the city engineer, commissioners voted to waive all but $70,000 of the fines.
“Work with them and do what we can we should compromise with them I mean for me I used to have a lot of problems and a lot of calls but I’m not getting them,” said Commissioner Catherine Smith Rice.
The vote was 6-5 for the waiver and some commissioners saying it was a bad call because Coastal should not be missing stops
“That’s the due diligence that you do when you bid for a contact and one of those is find out what it all entails and when you’re talking about picking up waste, you need to make sure you know where it’s all at,” said Commissioner Lonnie Wimberly.
Commissioner Jordan Johnson raised an ethics question, since Coastal made a $2,000 dollar campaign contributions to the mayor and other commission candidates.
“I didn’t get any money from them. I mean, they gave to several people, not just people who are currently up there,” said Commissioner Slendak.
As commissioners give $70,000 worth of grace to Coastal’s early mistakes.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – More than half of voters in Richmond County approved another one-cent sales tax. SPLOST 9 will fund $375 million worth of capital projects over the next five years.
The largest portions of funding went to public safety, infrastructure and quality of life projects.
River residents await dock repairs
Jo Nash has lived on a houseboat at the marina on the Savannah River for four years.
“I love being out here on this water. It’s so relaxing. It’s so chilled. I mean, it makes me settle down and breathe, you know?” Nash said.
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Nash said the marina needs maintenance, including the dock she walks up and down every day.
Commissioners approved $2.8 million for a new boat dock at the marina in January as part of the SPLOST 9 project list.
“I would think that’s a great idea. I mean, I just hope it really happens,” Nash said.
Nash said she has been told projects would be completed before, but has not seen results.
“Just do what you say you’re gonna do,” Nash said.
Olive Road drainage concerns
Jerry Cooper is skeptical about the SPLOST 9 project list.
“And the water, when it’s raining, when it fills up, there’s no way to go,” Cooper said about drainage issues on Olive Road.
Commissioners approved $3.5 million to fix the drainage problem on Olive Road under SPLOST 9 engineering projects.
“I don’t believe a real fix is going to take place anytime soon because of a number of reasons,” Cooper said.
While SPLOST 9 will cover the cost of the projects, it does not cover the cost of the people needed to maintain the projects day to day. The city remains under a hiring freeze.
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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – This business owner is taking care of business, after winning a seat on the Augusta commission.
“So thankful and grateful to the voters and supporters of District 6, they trusted me and believed in me and given this opportunity to serve the community,” said Commissioner-Elect Tamika Bean
Tamika Bean, the former assistant to Mayor Garnett Johnson, surprised many by her upset victory over incumbent commissioner Tony Lewis getting nearly 60 percent of the vote.
“I was totally humbled and surprised by it,” said Bean.
Bean, the newcomer, joins a commission full of familiar faces, as incumbents Stacey Pulliam, Lonnie Wimberly, and Wayne Guilfoyle all won re-election.
And despite organized opposition to axe the tax, Guilfoyle was happy to see approval of the SPLOST and especially the new FLOST, the half-cent sales tax for property tax relief.
“It directly impacts every property owner in Augusta, it benefits us. The government doesn’t receive any thing out of it,” said Guilfoyle.
Following the election, some want to see more out of the city’s registered voters, where turnout was less than 30 percent.
Gayla Keesee of the league of Women Voters says those registered need to understand the importance getting out with the run-offs coming in June.
Whose mayor or who’s District 8 Commissioner and those are final elections those are the ones the league is trying to get Richmond County voters to understand.
Voters decide elections, something commissioner-elect Tamika Bean totally understands.
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