Staff WriterThe Forest Hills Golf Course had been gearing up for a triumphant October reopening when Hurricane Helene barrelled through Augusta, Georgia — a brutal blow the community won’t forget anytime soon. The storm left devastation in every direction, and Forest Hills Golf Course took its own share of punishment.
The old Donald Ross layout, owned by Augusta University and beloved for its Bobby Jones legacy, had shut its gates in June 2024 for a greens renovation that had locals buzzing. But just days before the big reveal, Helene tore through and ripped down at least 1,500 trees, scattering debris across fairways like confetti from the world’s worst parade.
Course staff — many dealing with damage to their own homes — got straight to work. With two tree companies on site and a mountain of wreckage to clear, they pushed through the chaos. Six weeks later, the gates swung back open. Today, with only a few lingering projects, the place is alive again.
“The entire team pulled together to get the job done,” says Joshua Deal, Vice President of Operations at Bobby Jones Links, and President of the Georgia Section PGA of America. “It was a collaborative effort. First and foremost, the team at the facility immediately got in contractors to assess the damage, particularly with the tree cleanup.
That was the biggest hurdle and to make sure we could eventually reopen to members and guests when it was safe. Priority one was cleaning up debris, hangers and widow makers that were all over the course.
Then we could turn our attention to the outlying areas and aesthetics. As you can imagine, the cleanup in those areas surrounding the course was about a six-month process.”
And as if the hurricane hadn’t done enough, the heavy machinery needed to clear the wreckage left its own scars. Cart paths cracked, soil compacted, and irrigation piping took a beating — not that anyone noticed through the winter. When spring rolled around, the superintendent found leaks popping up like a carnival game. As Deal puts it, the crew had to play “whack-a-mole” to get everything patched.
But through it all, the locals stood behind the course.
“On the positive side, the community was incredibly supportive and happy to get Forest Hills back open and experience some normalcy of being out there and playing,” says Deal. “They love the new greens, and the course reopened in absolutely fantastic condition.
We’ve had great feedback from both guests and members, and that’s helped provide a little spark of momentum as we continue to clean up from what was a scary situation. It was great to hear members of the community say they’re just so happy this place is back open and in great shape.”
The timing mattered. Masters week is pivotal for the club’s annual revenue, and every blade of grass is judged with the eye of an Augusta National patron. Add to that the pressure of hosting Augusta University’s top-flight golf team — back-to-back NCAA national champions in 2010 and 2011 — plus a major collegiate event each April, and the stakes couldn’t have been higher.
Yet the course delivered.
Forest Hills Golf Course isn’t just another track in Georgia. It opened in 1926 — three years before Augusta National even existed — and carries nearly a century of stories with it. Deal puts it plainly: a storm like Helene might shake it, but it’s not going anywhere.
The fairways are full again, the greens are rolling, and the community has its course back. After a year nobody asked for, the comeback is unmistakable.
Forest Hills didn’t just survive. It stood its ground — the way great courses always do.
