Golf statues getting up for Masters

Jack, Bobby, Byron, Arnold, Ben and Ray stood upright for the first time in almost three years today at Augusta Museum of History.
"I wanted to get these statues up in time for the Masters," museum director Nancy Glaser said.
The larger-than-life bronze statues, commissioned by mostly local donors for display at the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame, have remained in storage since September 2007, when the Golf Hall ran out of money.
Costing an average of $100,000 and weighing 700-1,200 pounds each, the statues were hoisted by forklift into a truck and driven slowly to the museum, where they were lifted out and turned upright onto pedestals in the museum's rotunda.
Key to moving heavy works of art is "taking your time," said Mike Downing of Goldmech and Augusta Crane and Rigging.
The statues of Jack Nicklaus, Bobby Jones, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan and Ray Floyd will return to public view Friday in conjunction with the opening of a permanent golf exhibit.
The exhibit has been entirely funded through grants and donations, including a $4,000 gift from Bank of America for the cost of installing the statues, Glaser said.
While the future of the state-owned Golf Hall real estate remains undetermined, the museum seeks to become the long-term home of the statues.
Glaser signed a temporary agreement with the Golf Hall today to display the statues through June, but said she's working to get a 15-year lease finalized.

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Jackie Ricciardi/ Staff

A statue depicting the golf classic swing of Bobby Jones is moved into the Augusta Museum of History this morning.

Reach Susan McCord at (706) 724-0851
or susan.mccord@augustachronicle.com.