‘Augusta has stayed true to its roots.’ An inside look at the city that hosts the Masters

The first full week in April sees the entire world converge on Augusta, Georgia, for The Masters, the first major championship of the year.

When cameras are rolling during the day, spectators at home see the massive crowds lined up and down the course as the best golfers in the world compete for a chance to etch their names among the greats.

But what happens once the last ball is sunk and players head off the course before another day of competition?

“This is the pinnacle of the golf world for nine days. Everybody who is anybody wants to be here,” said Ricky Raman, chief operating officer of PeachState Hospitality.

The service industry, specifically restaurants and hotels, seems to do exceptionally well during this time, Raman, a Warner Robins native and Mercer graduate, said. His company operates three hotels in the Augusta market with a fourth planned in the near future.

“If you are in the hospitality or service business, that is always going to thrive. This entire thing is going to take that over,” he said. “If you are in the niche market of a particularly poignant service you might struggle . . . you can plan around it.”

Wifesaver, a local chicken staple, sees a bit of increase in business during this time but view the week as an opportunity to make repeat customers for years to come, Josh Graulty, a manager at Wifesaver, said.

“The same out-of-towners will come back every year,” Graulty said. “The Masters has definitely given Wifesaver a name outside of Augusta. It definitely positively impacts our business.”

The Masters is certainly a big event on its own, but Raman said he attributes some of the success to Augusta’s ability to evolve with the tournament instead of changing its entire identity for it.

“Did Augusta change because of the Masters? Absolutely not,” he said. “I think what makes the Masters what it is, is because Augusta has stayed true to their roots. Small town feel with a big pride and big tradition that it holds. We don’t think it’s changed — it’s evolved.”

Part of that evolution involves giving locals a chance to get out of town. Richmond County schools schedule spring break for Masters week, allowing residents to decide whether to stay and battle traffic, or head out of town on vacation.

Graulty said some locals who choose to stay enjoy hanging out with those in town for the Masters, particularly the Washington Road area, or end up going themselves.

Those who choose to leave have turned to AirBnb, a website that allows users to rent out their homes to guests who need places to stay and helps the locals in the area get a piece of the profit that the Masters brings, Raman said.

“There is profitability in being local to the Masters,” he said. “We have heard from some… ‘We don’t deal with the rush. It is going to take me 45 minutes to get a gallon of milk. I am going to AirBnB my house or give it to family and get out.’”

Entire homes, apartments and even individual rooms are going for well above $1,000 per night with some homes going for nearly $15,000 for the four day event.

Hotels in the area offer similar prices. The Fairfield Inn currently shows no rooms available for the full four days of the event while others have prices in the $800-$1400 range.

The entire world’s eyes are collectively watching what happens on the course at Augusta while the businesses and locals deal with the influx of people on the city with a small town feel.

“You’re not going to find any real Augustian who is going to say I hate the Masters. It is such a pride thing,” Raman said. “Do they want to be here because of traffic? That is a different, personal, objective choice.”

This story was originally published April 12, 2019 at 5:00 AM.