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Augusta National is now the proud owner of a Wendy’s fast-food restaurant. No, the club didn’t spend $3.4 million to receive some sort of deal on baconators or spicy nuggets, instead, the club bought it because it’s an opportunity for it to have more control around the Masters.
Despite the fact that Augusta National may be the finest plot of land and the closest thing to heaven on earth there is, it’s still a golf course surrounded by strip malls, fast-food restaurants, and grocery stores. This purchase shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that has kept up with the Masters and Augusta National over the years as the club has, just to name a few things, bought a Publix, a Hooters, a church and a large number of homes that now serves as a field where patrons can park for free.
On top of recently buying the Wendy’s, Augusta National also bought six homes, which according to Augusta Chronicle will be added to the more than $200 million in west Augusta land the club has acquired over the last 20 years as it expands its boundaries.
Just about every year there is news of Augusta National buying nearby property and for those that have ever been to the Masters more than once certainly know how things have changed in the surrounding area.
The first time I went to the Masters most of the homes nearby one of the entrance gates were still there and you paid to park in the home owner’s lawn. The next time I went, 99% of those homes were gone, we were parking for free on the grass where the homes stood and there was a brand new, massive state of the art practice area on the property.
As the Chronicle points out, the club doesn’t comment on purchases as a matter of longstanding policy, instead, it slowly but surely buys everything up and keeps things as quiet as possible.
Before it’s all said and done, Augusta National will likely own all of both Berckmans and Washington Road bordering the golf course.
Let’s just hope it doesn’t buy Rhinehart’s or Tbonz in the near future, those places must remain pure.