June 29, 2020 | BY AAGD STAFF
The road leading to August Municipal Golf Course, Augusta, Ga., has a new name. On January 20, 2020, city commissioners approved renaming the road in honor of professional golfer Jim Dent.
The Garden City golfing great, Dent grew up in Augusta and attended Paine College on a football scholarship. However, a year later his urge to play golf lead him to spend the next seven years learning the game, while waiting tables, caddying at local clubs, and playing in events hosted by the United Golfers Association (UGA) before turning pro in 1966.
Overcoming segregation, He made it to the PGA Tour in 1970, nine years after it had been desegregated. Dent won 4 PGA tournaments and 12 times on the PGA Senior Tour. His 40-year career earnings were $9,583,989, almost all of it after he turned 50.
Known as “The Patch” the land the course sits on has a long history of being used as a garden to grow cabbages. Today, Dent’s son, James, serves as the Head Pro for the course and golf is a big part of the Dents’ household. “This means everything to our family. He grew up here in Augusta, and now, it’s Augusta showing him how proud of him they are,” said James to WJBH-TV in Augusta.
The sign unveiling was scheduled to be held during the April 2020 Masters, however, with the Covid-19 pandemic and the rescheduling of the Masters tournament, the unveiling took place several months later, on June 27, 2020.
The tall, gentle, 6 ft 3 in golf legend, born May 9, 1939, will have his legacy live on at “The Patch” and those who pass by the course will be able to share in the glorious recognition for years to come.
In attendance for the unveiling were Dents’ family along with many friends and colleagues who admire what he means to golf in Augusta.
“We want to make sure that people understand his commitment to the community his commitment to not only sports leadership through the game of golf but to Augusta’s future,” said Augusta’s Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr. to the Augusta Chronicle.
“Great feeling! You don’t know how great and honored I feel,” said Dent.
