COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – This week, as golf’s greatest are battling it out for the Green Jacket in Augusta, Georgia at the Masters tournament, an hour away, the prestigious event is a driving force for Columbia’s economy as well.
With its proximity to Augusta National, the annual tournament is one of the busiest weeks of the year for local restaurants, hotels, and golf courses as thousands flock to the area.
Oak Hills Golf Club off Fairfield Road was filled with tourists from all over the country and the world on Friday, teeing off during their stay in the Midlands for Masters week.
“It’s a no-brainer,” Eric Schaller, who was visiting from New Jersey, said. “Everyone’s here, hanging out, watching the Masters, trying to get in as many rounds as they can, and finding good places to go afterwards. So the area is beautiful. Everything seems easy to get to.”
Sprinkled across the green were tourists from Wisconsin, Ohio, Colorado, and even as far as London.
All of them said that staying in the Midlands for the Masters was an easy decision.
“I think it’s beautiful because the weather’s great, the golf courses are awesome, and we’re just here for camaraderie and having a good time,” Kevin Sweeney, a Colorado native who went to the Masters with some longtime friends, said. “It really doesn’t matter where you stay as long as you’re with friends that you love. That’s the important part.”
Among the reasons they cited are the Midlands’ golf clubs and Columbia’s offerings for families like the Riverbanks Zoo.
But at the top of their list was affordability.
“We just looked at the area, and it seemed like it made the most sense, especially we’re coming from New Jersey, so a little bit closer of a drive,” Schaller said. “A lot cheaper too, much cheaper.”
One golfer said he was able to rent a house on Lake Murray all week for the same price as a budget hotel right by Augusta National.
Leonard Harper, who works part-time at a local golf club and moved to the Midlands five years ago, said visitors to the Columbia area likely were treated to some Southern hospitality.
“They see a lot of good, friendly people,” he said. “They see a lot of people that are always willing to help. They see a lot of people that just want to get out and have a nice time because it’s springtime here in South Carolina.”
In downtown Columbia at Hotel Trundle, its owner, Marcus Muncy, says 85 percent of their guests this week are in town for the Masters.
“We generally see bookings about a year out, not getting completely full about a year out, but I’d say within a couple months we’re usually booked up pretty good for the Masters,” he said.
Many of the visitors WIS spoke with on Friday said that they have enjoyed their stay and would be interested in coming back to the Midlands for a future trip unrelated to the Masters.
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