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EVANS, Ga. () – As Augusta gears up for its most bustling weeks of the year, anticipation is in the air.
This year’s 90th Masters Tournament is scheduled to run from April 6th to 12th, promising to increase traffic significantly along Washington Road.
In tandem, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur at Champions Retreat Golf Club is set to draw crowds, prompting businesses in the Riverwood Plantation vicinity to prepare for a surge in patrons.
Staff at popular local venues like Ironwood Tavern are bracing for extended working hours to accommodate the events.
These businesses also plan to reintroduce special menu offerings tailored for both the ANWA and the Masters.
“We’ve got the Birdie-on-the-Green Pizza again this year, which is a fan favorite and a cute name. We’ve got spinach artichoke dip, which is one of my personal favorites. We have our green jacket burger year-round, but it’s really perfect for this time of the year,” said Brinley Walden.
Patrons also come to the area for drinks, so Woody’s Spirits is stocking up on top liquor brands only sold during this time of the year.
“Lots of higher-end wine coming in. High Noon, Surfside, Sun Cruiser are all stocked up,” said Joshua Willis, the store manager.
It’s also an exciting time for the Riverwood Plantation area with new businesses coming in and more developments on the way.
New restaurants like Smoke and Barrels are looking forward to another boom in business in the coming days.
“A lot of locals tend to stay out, but we will have an influx of Masters patrons. Hopefully some of our regulars will be in as well. We had a really good year last year during ANWA, Masters was a little bit better, but we’re really looking forward to it,” said Aaron Howard, manager at Smoke and Barrels.
“It should be pretty good. We have a lot of walk-in traffic because I don’t have too many pre-orders coming in, so you never really know what it’s going to be,” Willis said.
Employees are getting ready for all hands on deck.
“I plan to be here pretty much all day every day just to make sure everything is fresh, and ready for everybody to enjoy,” said Walden.
The first round of this year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur is April 1st.
Businesses are expecting heavy foot traffic over the next two weeks.