David Hoffmann has hired architect Rees Jones to design the course, as part of the developer’s vision to turn Augusta, Mo., a small Missouri River town known for its collection of wineries, into a national destination on par with Napa Valley. Additional plans call for a dairy to make cheese to pair with the wine, and an antique car museum. A 250-passenger riverboat is expected to start excursions in 30 days.
David Hoffmann and his firm, Hoffmann Family of Cos., are leading the revamp of Augusta, Mo., a quiet town on the Missouri River known for its collection of wineries, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Hoffmann is aiming to turn Augusta into a national destination that could match California’s famed Napa Valley. He already has acquired five wineries — revenue at Balducci Vineyards has grown 78% from 2019, he said—a slew of commercial buildings, and hundreds of acres of land.
On September 22, Hoffmann introduced golf course architect Rees Jones, the Post-Dispatch reported.
“We’re excited for our next phase of development,” Hoffmann said, in his first press event at the property.
Jones, who renovated Bellerive Country Club in Town and Country, Mo., will design a 12-hole public golf course—a “new model to speed up the game,” he said—built into the forested hills north of Balducci, the Post-Dispatch reported.
Hoffmann imagines that golfers visiting the course would enjoy sipping wine as well, the Post-Dispatch reported.
“We think most golfers do, especially their wives,” Hoffmann said.
While they said they’re open to expanding the course, for now Jones and Hoffmann are sticking with 12 holes, the Post-Dispatch reported. A six-hole loop could be played three times for those who want 18 holes. Jones will design long and short par holes, he said.
“You can see the quality. It’s something special,” Jones said of the property. “The natural site gives us a golf course that everyone can enjoy.”
Hoffmann’s ideas to maximize the Augusta experience are seemingly endless: A dairy to make cheese to pair with the wine. An antique car museum. An annual golf championship to bring in visitors from all over the world, the Post-Dispatch reported. So far, his crews have repainted many of the buildings. He’s scattered throughout town several bronze statues of Native Americans, including one of an indigenous girl holding an American flag, an homage to the Lewis & Clark Trail’s path through town, staff said.
His emporium has opened, offering local wines, beer and candy, and his trolleys escort an average of 500 to 1,000 people a weekend to and from his properties, the Post-Dispatch reported. This week, Hoffmann is shipping the first 60,000 bottles of Augusta wine, with varietals like Norton and sauvignon blanc, to Hoffmann’s businesses in Florida. The 250-passenger riverboat, Miss Augusta, is expected to start excursions in 30 days, Hoffmann said.
“As a company, we don’t like long drawn-out projects,” he said. “We’re anxious to get this up as much as the town.”
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