Mary Ann Anderson | Tribune News Service
AUGUSTA, Ga.—Since Bobby Jones organized the first Masters at Augusta National in 1934, the international tournament has become very important for every golfer wanting to play on its famous links or at least get a coveted ticket to walk the 18-hole course with great players like Woods, Mickelson, Scheffler, McIlroy and Fowler.
Georgia’s contribution to the golfing world is the Masters, and the Masters certainly helped make Augusta famous. Also, some famous people from this city of 202,000, including James Brown, Amy Grant, Jessye Norman, Laurence Fishburne, Hulk Hogan, and Danielle Brooks, the Oscar nominee for her performance in the movie remake of “The Color Purple” helped put it on the map.
With Masters week coming up — it's from April 8-14 — it’s good to know there’s more to Augusta than golf and a celebrity or two.
Among the interesting facts about the Garden City, as Augusta is known because of its many private gardens and stunning spring flowers, is that it was named after Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, wife of Frederick, Prince of Wales, who is now held by Prince William. The princess was the mother of King George III, and James Oglethorpe, who established Georgia in 1736, tried to win royal favor by naming the former trading post after her.
Augusta was also the second capital of Georgia, sharing that honor with Savannah, Louisville, Milledgeville and Atlanta, the now permanent home of state government. The Medical College of Georgia, the state’s first medical school, is in the Garden City, and although it has changed names several times over the past few years, it is now and will always be affectionately known to Georgians simply as MCG.
While it may not be politically correct to write of such things, at least 10 Confederate generals, including Maj. Gen. Joe Wheeler and Lt. Gen. James Augustus Longstreet, were either born, once lived in or are interred in Augusta. Additionally, two of the three Georgians who signed the Declaration of Independence, George Walton and Lyman Hall, are buried downtown on Greene Street. The third, Button Gwinnett, is buried in Savannah.
Quick hits: The Augusta Chronicle, first published in 1785, is not only the oldest newspaper in Georgia, but also in the South. Actress Jayne Mansfield lived in Augusta, as her husband Lt. Paul Mansfield, was stationed at Camp Gordon, later to become Fort Gordon. North Augusta is not in Georgia but over the Savannah River in South Carolina. And golfer Larry Mize is the only Augustan to ever win the Masters.
Ty Cobb, who was born in Georgia and was the first player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, began his professional career in 1904 playing for the Augusta Tourists of the South Atlantic League. He continued to live in Augusta even while playing for Detroit in 1905 until 1932 because his first wife, Charlotte “Charlie” Lombard, was from Augusta and four of their five children were born there.
Some interesting facts about the city contribute to its unique character, including the fact that brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright established one of the first commercial flight schools near what is now Daniel Field, one of Augusta’s two airports, where most golfers park their jets while playing Amen Corner at Augusta National. Peter Carnes, who conducted the first hot-air balloon flight in America in 1784 in Philadelphia, resided in and flew hot-air balloons in Augusta.
That’s enough trivia to stimulate your interest in visiting Augusta, whether during the Masters or any time of the year. But once you're here, you must know where to dine and stay while discovering more details about the marvelous city.
Cuisine and beverages, Augusta-style
Augusta is known for its variety of Southern cuisine, from grits and gravy to pecan pie, soul food shacks, and fine dining. For a fantastic selection of charcuterie and Georgia specialties such as boiled peanuts, Vidalia onion dip, or shrimp and grits, consider trying Finch and Fifth for brunch, lunch, dinner, and happy hour. If you're interested in unique dishes like fried pickled okra, smoked chopped brisket, or chili garlic shrimp, then you should check out Noble Jones, also known as NoJo, which requires reservations.
Frog Hollow Tavern, described as a “modern restaurant meets bar,” is situated downtown on Broad Street and offers dishes made with regionally grown ingredients, including buttermilk-fried quail or braised Berkshire pork shoulder with collards and mac-and-cheese. Laziza Mediterranean Grill provides an international menu of Mediterranean-inspired treats like gyros, kebabs, and baklava.
For dining and drinks with a view, consider visiting Edgar’s Above Broad, a stylish rooftop restaurant in downtown where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They offer Southern palate showstoppers such as deviled eggs, pimento cheese dip, blue crab dip, and pulled pork nachos.
Beck’s on King’s Way in the heart of Augusta is popular for its seafood, including raw and baked oysters with ingredients like jalapeno, Parmesan, and Asiago cheeses, and herb butter. You can also savor Scottish salmon, blackened grouper, or a shrimp burger, all accompanied by the perfect side of pimento-cheese hush puppies.
The first meal of the day is crucial, so consider starting your day at Brunch House of Augusta with biscuits smothered in pork or turkey sausage gravy, chicken and waffles, or the Garden City breakfast bowl with an omelet over stone-ground grits. For lunch, you can choose from salads, burgers, and pasta, but you can also indulge in French toast stuffed with Dutch apples, strawberries, or blueberries.
Stays, Augusta-style
In Augusta, old is considered trendy, and you can choose from historic hotels and inns to spend the night. The original Partridge Inn Augusta, managed by Curio Collection by Hilton, was built in 1836 and has been carefully restored. It has served as a hotel for the past 100 years and has hosted presidents, famous people, and Masters golfers. Located on the gently sloping, green hills of the Summerville neighborhood, the hotel also features the 8595 Restaurant and Bar that is known for its lavish Sunday brunch with Southern cuisine.
Located in Olde Town, the Olde Town Inn has only five rooms and is situated in Georgia’s oldest neighborhood. Each room is decorated with period furnishings and comes with a full bath and fireplace. The inn, built in 1896, is charming and filled with character. A hidden gem is the Fox’s Lair, an intimate underground bar with live music, located in the basement.
Another small bed-and-breakfast, the Queen Anne Inn, is a Victorian-style home constructed in 1894. With its wide porch, balconies, and tall chimney and turret, it's a peaceful place to step back in time and relax. The downtown inn is close to restaurants, museums, and attractions, allowing guests to park their cars and explore on foot.
If historic inns are not your preference, there are numerous chain hotels located in or near Augusta, such as the Augusta Marriott, the Hyatt House Downtown Augusta, and Crowne Plaza North Augusta.
Now that you have some insight into Augusta's history, legends, and lore, whether you are going to the city to play or watch the Masters, April is a fantastic time to visit. The city is adorned with countless azalea, dogwood, and magnolia blossoms, welcoming spring in a spectacular display of nature, much like the Masters – another of Georgia’s gifts to the world best experienced in person.
If you go
To plan your trip to Augusta, visit the Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau website at www.visitaugusta.com or call (706) 724-4067.
For more information about the Masters Tournament, visit www.masters.com.
The Augusta Regional Airport is served by two major airlines, Delta Air Lines (www.delta.com or (800) 221-1212), which offers flights to Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and American Airlines (www.aa.com or (800) 433-7300), which provides flights to Charlotte, Washington-Reagan, and Dallas Fort-Worth.
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