The Hooters Next To Augusta National Has Been Torn Down Because Nothing Is Sacred

Earlier this year, John Daly and countless golf fans who’ve made the pilgrimage to The Masters suffered a blow after the Hooters located down the street from Augusta National ceased operations. Now, that landmark is gone for good after being torn down in the wake of its closure.

Every year, millions of golf fans throw their hat in the ring in the hopes of landing a ticket that gives them the chance to walk the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club during The Masters. However, there was another place in the vicinity of that legendary course that has long been surrounded by a similar amount of mystique: the Hooters next to it.

John Daly is largely responsible for transforming that location at 2834 Washington Road into a mecca, as he spent close to three decades posting up in an RV in the parking lot when The Masters came to town (while making a killing by selling merch and signing autographs) after setting up shop for the first time in 1997.

However, the good times came to an end when the branch became one of the casualties of the restaurant chain’s bankruptcy filing, and I regret to inform you that it is no longer standing.

The Hooters in Augusta, Georgia was demolished months after closing its doors

The first Hooters location opened for business in Clearwater, Florida in 1983, and the chain operated more than 400 restaurants around the globe before filing for bankruptcy earlier this year.

That development led to dozens of outposts shutting down for good as the brand attempted to restructure. In July, the restaurant in Augusta joined the list of shuttered establishments, which meant Daly would have to find a new place to call home during The Masters after gracing it with his presence for more than 25 years.

It seemed like there was a chance a new restaurant could end up moving into the space that was vacated, but according to WRDW, that will not be the case after a construction crew was dispatched to the site on Monday to tear the building down.

The Augusta Chronicle also dispatched a photographer to, well, chronicle the proceedings, and if you were lucky enough to experience it in all its wonder before the razing, you may want to prepare yourself for the emotions you’ll likely find yourself grappling with when you take a look at the photos.

It’s currently unclear what will be going up in its place, but it’s hard to imagine it will be an improvement.