Augusta: Georgia's hole in one

Georgia will be on everyone's mind come April 6 when the 2010 Masters Tournament begins in Augusta. The big question for those attending the world's most famous golf tournament isn't whether Tiger Woods will be playing the links, but where to eat, sleep and play once they get to this gracious Old South city on the Georgia-South Carolina border.

I'll get to that, but first a little about Augusta's history is in order. It was established in 1736 by Gen. James Edward Oglethorpe, which makes it the second-oldest city in Georgia after Savannah. Augusta was important enough in its early days to twice be named capital of Georgia. In the late 1800s it was the winter playground of Northerners because the rail line ended here in this land of sunshiny days and moonlit nights perfumed with magnolias, dogwoods and azaleas.

Known as the "Garden City of the South" because of its numerous gardens, Augusta is home to the world-renowned Medical College of Georgia, the state's oldest medical school. And, no surprise here in the Bible Belt, the Southern Baptist Convention was started in Augusta. The population, including that of North Augusta, S.C., runs about 200,000.

Golf marvel Bobby Jones -- he remains the only golfer in history to win the Grand Slam of Golf in one year -- and his friend investment banker Clifford Roberts founded Augusta National, home of the Masters, in 1931. The first games were held in 1934 as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament. The name change to the Masters came in 1939.

If you want to play golf at Augusta National, you must be a member or a friend of a member. It's easier to get into a White House state dinner than it is to play at Augusta National (unless maybe your last name is Salahi -- ahem). Anyway, if you don't have the big bucks or the pedigree to get through those storied gates but still want the bragging rights to say, "Oh, I've played Augusta," then try one of dozens of public and semi-private courses scattered around the area, including Augusta Golf Course, Forest Hills Golf Club, First Tee Augusta, Goshen Plantation Country Club and Augusta Municipal Golf Course.

Where to sleep

Just about every major lodging chain for every budget is represented in Augusta -- Marriott, Hilton, Days Inn, Holiday Inn -- and plenty of locals skip town and rent out their homes during the tournament. But for the quintessential Augusta experience, no place is quite like the historic Partridge Inn. Wrapped with long verandas, quiet porches and venerable magnolias, the elegantly appointed inn is also home to the P.I. Bar & Grill, which features contemporary Southern cuisine and outside dining overlooking shady, quiet streets. A beloved landmark for more than 100 years, the Partridge Inn counts among its guest list celebrities and golf elites alike, including Bob Dylan, Crystal Gayle, Reba McEntire, Curtis Strange, Paul Azinger, Gary Player, Dennis Quaid and even Augusta's favorite son, the man himself, James Brown.

If you don't do another thing while you're in Augusta, you have to see the Riverwalk and Augusta Canal, Georgia's homespun version of Venice. The canal, a National Heritage Area, is a blend of history, recreation and unique experiences situated along almost 9 miles of towpaths and waterways on the Savannah River. Built in 1845, it is the nation's only intact industrial canal that is still in use for its original purpose of harnessing water and power from the river.

The canal was the site of the Confederate Powder Works and 19th-century textile mills. During Reconstruction, it was deepened and widened to meet the ever-changing needs of industry, especially textile manufacturing. The canal's interpretive center takes you from the canal's inception to today through a series of interactive exhibits.

While the canal, built in three levels, is essentially man-made, efforts were made to return many areas along its banks to a more natural state. It is now part of a beautiful aquatic ecosystem that includes egrets, herons, otters and other wildlife. Explore the canal and the city's history by hiking, bicycling, canoeing or kayaking its myriad trails or even enjoying a guided tour aboard a Petersburg replica canal cargo boat.

Where to learn

Next, visit the James Brown exhibit at the Augusta Museum of History. It's a whole lot of "I feel good" fun with music, memorabilia, family photos and interactive components. Kids can even take a dance lesson from the Godfather of Soul. And in March the museum will host "The Sport of Golf" exhibit that pays homage to the legacy of golf in the Augusta area.

Where to shop

When Augusta really began revitalization of its historic district and Broad Street in the 1990s, Artists' Row became a pet project. Now a favorite destination of visitors, with its myriad art galleries, working studios, specialty shops, restaurants and coffeehouses, it's the place to find locally and internationally inspired pottery, sculpture, paintings and specialty gifts. An arts and entertainment event held on the first Friday of every month is called, appropriately, First Friday.