Golf and Gardens?
More like golf and jungle.
The growing season is here, and with the city no longer expending resources on maintaining state-owned property, the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame Botanical Gardens looks like a scene from the History Channel's Life After People , the documentary showing what might happen if humans disappeared.
The once-lush grounds have become a landscape of brown and dull green. Ivy is overtaking arbors and pergolas. Vine canopies are lumpy and lopsided, like heads in need of haircuts. Sapling- and shrub-sized weeds have popped up across the mini course and around benches and the sculpted birds beside the pond.
The spot where the bronze Jack Nicklaus statue stood is covered by knee-high grass, unrecognizable as a golf green save what's left of the sand traps. Weeds have sprouted in cracks in the brick surface between the two clock towers, and the towers are accumulating black grit.
In the midst of it all are intermittent red flowers and white magnolia blossoms, reminders of what once was.
Mayor Deke Copenhaver said the state of the golf gardens doesn't surprise him.
"This was always my concern of what would happen," he said, "that we would have a vacant, 17-acre, weed-infested piece of property producing no tax revenue."
Last month, he took a barrage of criticism after announcing with Augusta GreenJackets owner Cal Ripken Jr. that ground could be broken this fall on a new $38.7 million baseball stadium, which would incorporate the gardens in a public-private, multiuse development. The two had been encouraged by a conference call with Gov. Sonny Perdue, but their plan stalled when they learned transferring the land from the state to the city would take an act of the legislature, which doesn't meet again until 2010.
With Augusta commissioners now at odds over the funding of the downtown trade, exhibit and event center on a site a few blocks away -- a controversy threatening to sink the $184.7 million special-purpose sales tax package before voters -- Mr. Copenhaver said he won't be bringing his stadium proposal back up anytime soon.
Meanwhile, vines spread. Grass grows. Weeds proliferate.
Once envisioned to become one of the city's finest and most popular attractions, the golf gardens opened in 2001 and ate up $13 million in public funds -- $6 million of it sales tax money -- plus millions more in private donations, including $1 million from the Augusta National Golf Course. A 55,000-square-foot building to house the hall of fame never materialized, hurting visitor numbers and revenues. A crippling blow came two years ago this month when the governor vetoed a $633,685 appropriation, calling it unreasonable.
In June 2007, the golf hall closed the site, and the plants soon withered in the midst of a drought. Later that year, the board approved an agreement for the city to take over maintenance, and the property was kept in sufficient shape to hold the 2008 Mayor's Masters Reception there.
The city spent $112,170 on upkeep before giving it up in December, one of several cost-cutting measures that helped balance the 2009 budget to avoid a tax rate increase.
The property remains the responsibility of the Hall of Fame, because two bills that would have undone that failed in the General Assembly this year. One, drafted by Sen. Ed Tarver, would have dissolved the board and transferred the land and the six bronze golfer statues to the city. The other would have privatized the golf hall, taking the property out of its purview but keeping it state-owned.
Marketing Director Robyn Jarrett said the golf hall doesn't have funds to maintain the grounds. Realizing this, the First Saturday Crew, volunteers who spend weekends cleaning up the Augusta Canal, offered to take over a few months ago.
Organizer and radio station WGAC-FM (93.1) reporter Scott Hudson said he talked to the mayor, then Ms. Jarrett, about getting access to the property, but gave up because he felt he was being made to jump through hoops.
"We just finally said at that point, we're not going through this mess, not to cut grass," Mr. Hudson said.
Ms. Jarrett said she only asked Mr. Hudson to submit a request in writing so she could take it to the board, but he never did.
First Saturday volunteer and former Augusta commissioner Andy Cheek said at one point the group considered breaking a lock and doing the work anyway, just to make a statement. They decided against it, seeing as how two of the volunteers are sitting commissioners Joe Bowles and Joe Jackson.
Mr. Cheek said the Hall of Fame board has "demonstrated selfishness to a whole new level."
"Every member of that board, to me, ought to be criminally prosecuted for violation of the public trust," he said.
Mr. Copenhaver maintains that the baseball stadium is still the best hope for reviving the property. Last year, the state put out a request for proposals for other uses for it, and other than the stadium idea submitted by the city, Ripken Baseball and developer Jacoby Group, the only others were for a job training center by Goodwill Industries and an assisted-living complex.
Now, Mr. Perdue is "very enthusiastic" about the plan, the mayor says, and willing to shepherd the land transfer through the state bureaucracy so long as it's for building a stadium.
"There is no alternative," Mr. Copenhaver said. "I've said for the past three years that if anyone has any better ideas, I'm willing to listen. But nobody's come to me with a better proposal."
Reach Johnny Edwards at (706) 823-3225 or johnny.edwards@augustachronicle.com.
TIMELINE
1982: The concept of a golf hall of fame in Augusta is first discussed by city officials.
1987: About 17 acres are acquired along Reynolds Street for the project from 12 landowners that included Easter Seals and Johannsen's Sporting Goods.
NOVEMBER 1998: Augusta National Golf Club donates $1 million to Fore! Augusta, a fundraising arm of the Hall of Fame project.
JANUARY 1999: Construction begins.
MARCH 2001: The Hall of Fame's temporary building and botanical gardens open, with projected visitation of 300,000 people annually.
OCTOBER 2004: Hall of Fame officials court private development interest in hopes of getting a permanent building on the site through a public-private partnership. It never materialized.
MAY 2007: Gov. Sonny Perdue vetoes a planned $633,685 appropriation for the hall and gardens.
JUNE 2007: The Hall of Fame closes the botanical gardens because of a lack of operating funds.
SEPTEMBER 2007: The bronze statues of golf greats Jack Nicklaus, Bobby Jones, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan and Ray Floyd are put in storage in a maintenance building.
NOVEMBER 2007: The Hall of Fame agrees to let the city operate the gardens for six months for $1, with options to renew for two more six-month terms. The golf hall will also get a 25 percent cut of net operating profits.
DECEMBER 2008: The city, having spent $112,170 on maintenance, relinquishes the gardens as a budget-cutting measure.
APRIL 2009: Legislation to dissolve the Golf Hall of Fame board and transfer its land and statues to the city dies in the General Assembly, as does a separate bill that would have privatized the golf hall, relieving it of the botanical gardens but keeping them under state control. Later in the month, Mayor Deke Copenhaver and Augusta GreenJackets co-owner Cal Rikpen Jr. -- optimistic after a conference call with the governor -- announce that groundbreaking on a baseball stadium on the site could happen by fall. That plan stalls when they learn transferring the land to the city would take an act of the legislature, which doesn't meet again until early 2010.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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As a practical, temporary measure, I suggest the state keep the property clean. There are county ordinances that require such actions and they should be enforced. Possibly that will encourage the state to transfer the property without delay.
Two words. Jungle Golf. Hey, it seems to work for Myrtle Beach..
The government can't even manage a 17 acre parcel of empty property in a small town like Augusta. Just how well do you think they will do running Chrysler, GM and Ford???????
humbleopinion, They would do great..everyone who does not deserve a new car would get one free! They would build a auditorium the size of the New Orleans superdome. We would have 1 event a year in it, (a three ring circus). And it would only take 50 officials to manage it, along with 500 employees to keep it running. And it would only take property owners money and SPLOT tax's to operate it. Sounds like good economics to me!!!!
Such a simple task made so difficult.
Mayor Copenhaver should get with Ms Jarrett and put it in writeing to allow Mr Hudson and the First Saturday Crew to clean it up.Maybe also have plotts are certain areas that civic groups or churches agree to clean and maintain for a certain amount of time.Say one year to five.Allow certain areas to have vegtables and others flowers.All in writeing.Get the news channels and news paper involved.Keep the progress,clean up and people in the news who are doing the work for free.All work to be done by volunteers.Call it DONT LET THE HALL OF FAME GO,JUST LET US GROW.RICHMOND COUNTY.But we the taxpayers dont need a new stadium.WE have a good stadium already.We need to vote no on the splost.
Give me an area or plott to clean.I'll do it.Many more people in Augusta would do this also.ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE.
Ahhhh, realize there are ulterior motives in letting the gardens go to weeds. Some, including the Mayor, want the place to be an eyesore so it can be used for other purposes. It would not be that difficult to maintain the gardens especially with the volunteers. So Deke says Gov. Perdue will give it to us "so long at it's for building a stadium." Yeah, buddy, forces at work here to let the gardens deteriorate. The uglier the better.
Yes Riverman I think we all see whats going on.What you said is true.But I still like our mayor and did not wont to call him out on this one.But Deke do the right thing dont let Rikpen Or Gov.Perdue push this stadium down our throats.WE the taxpayers dont need it.Call an emergency meeting for a volunteer cleaning crew.I'll be there the news paper can email me and anybody who uses this site.Let the people show we dont wont Augusta to fall into ruins.We dont wont people to look down on us.Let the people clean up this mess.Let the people who clean and maintain it use it.Let it become a healing and growing garden.I'll be free to help for afew weeks.Deke let us clean.You could come let the people get to know you.Ask them in person what they really wont the property used for.I only met you once you seem like a very careing mayor.Come out to the cleaning let the people do this and get to know you.
Why not ask local Garden Clubs and Master Gardners to do the work as a community service IF permission can be obtained from owners ??
Why in the world would the State Legislature NOT meet before 2010??
Freedombelle, the legislature meets for 40 days starting in Jan. each year. Much of the actual work of governing is done in committees year round.
I LIKE the current look just fine. Overgrown with weeds, totally unkept, a public disgrace, and no known future because of no leadership. I think it truly represents Augusta well. Let the weeds grow so high that Betty Beard can see them from her Port Royal condo. She should have a clear view since the TEE center won't be in her way.
Well I don't !! I visited the gardens several times and it was so pretty & peaceful..some who worked close by were there having a sack lunch and enjoyed it too. It's a shame that people can make such a mess out of nature and things made by the Lord..I DO wish it could be maintained..
Get the prisoners out there to clean it up
rufus: why should the prisoners have to clean up the mess? Those who created this fiasco should be court ordered to clean up and maintain the gardens until the "officials" decide what should be done. Ms Jarrett needs to be assigned the task of spreading the manure fertilizer as a reminder of her her "importance."
Better yet, everyone on welfare grab a hoe. Not that ho.
As others have said, I'll do my part. I bet I can even round up some girls around the beer joint to come help and maybe even bring a case of beer. Even though I know Deke cares deeply about environmental issues because that's how I first started talking with him years ago, I haven't seen or heard of him coming out to help. But could it be that he is playing the Huey Long thing and only wearing a suit these days?
So did Scott Hudson make a reasonable attempt to get approval for the volunteer clean-up of the gardens or not? Someone is not telling the truth.
If it wasn't just one of those heat of the moment things where emotions overrule the facts, I tend to believe Scott. He is out there working for nothing, afterall. It's especially revealing when Scott contradicts Austin's version with matters so I have no doubt he is saying what actually happened here.
I see where Jose and Hose B are going to do it.
Augusta continues to be the joke of the south!!
another reason to vote no on SPLOST.
please vote no on splost..............thank you.