AUGUSTA, Ga. – It all started during a round of golf at Augusta National Golf Club between Fred Ridley and Tiger Woods ahead of the 2024 Masters Tournament.

Ridley, the chairman of Augusta National, thought it would be a good idea to update Woods on the club’s plans to revitalize Augusta Municipal Golf Course on the other side of town, known as “The Patch.” Quickly, it became clear that Woods didn’t just want to learn about the project. He wanted to be a part of it.

Just over a year later, that conversation led to Monday’s announcement: Woods will design a nine-hole par-3 course on the property set be called, “The Loop at the Patch.”

“I know that this whole concept of a short course is something that's near and dear to Tiger's heart,” Ridley said Monday. “I know he's stated that he grew up playing on short courses, so I'm sure they're going to make it really interesting for these people, for everybody.”

The short course will be adjacent to the 18-hole Augusta Municipal Golf Course, which is currently being renovated by Tom Fazio and Beau Welling. The 18-hole course is expected to open ahead of the 2026 Masters. The name, “The Loop at the Patch,” is an ode to Augusta National caddies, who have used the course as a gathering spot for decades.

Additionally, Woods and his nonprofit, TGR Foundation, will construct a TGR Learning Lab in Augusta, Georgia, which will provide access to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education and opportunities for young people to prepare for their future. Ridley said the Learning Lab may impact up to 23,000 students in Richmond County. The TGR Learning Lab is expected to open in 2028.

“We also recognize the importance of deepening Tiger's legacy in Augusta and with the Masters, and this we felt was an enduring way that we could be forever connected with Tiger and all he's done at the Masters and now all that he's going to be doing in this community,” Ridley said.

Woods, a five-time Masters winner, was not in attendance for Monday’s press conference as he continues to recover from Achilles surgery. It’s the first time Woods has missed the Masters since 2021.