Welcome to Visit Augusta GA blog

Guest blog submission by Michelle Naval, Augusta Sports Council

It’s no secret that I am a HUGE fan of Augusta State University Basketball!

I can still remember going to my first ASU basketball game during my freshman year all because a friend of mine was a cheerleader and wanted me and the rest of our friends to go to the game to watch her!  Little did I know that first game would get me hooked on ASU Basketball!  That was about 5 years ago and till this day I still get excited when October comes around because I know Jaguar basketball season is right around the corner! Everyone gets excited to watch some great basketball. 

I always arrive with my game day posters and my Jaguars team spirit in hand on game days!  

Besides the game there are a lot of other things that will keep just about anybody that comes happy.  The game day environment in Christenberry Field House is great! Fans of all ages come out every game to support the teams and to enjoy some really great basketball.  Plus it also doesn’t hurt ticket prices are affordable. There’s also the ASU Study Abroad sponsored concession stand where you can get just about any candy you can think of plus huge tubs of popcorn for snacks during the game.  Halftime is probably the busiest time at the concession stand and thankfully you don’t have to wait long to get your snacks and back to your seat before the 2nd half starts! 

 
So whether or not you’re an alumni, student, community supporter, kid or just a basketball fan in general, I highly recommend coming out to catch a game at Christenberry Field House because trust me there’s still plenty of chances for you to catch a game this season!  I promise you won’t be disappointed!

So remember Augusta is not only the home of the Masters but also the Augusta State Jaguars!  Go Jags! See you at the game!

Augusta State University
Christenberry Field House
3109 Wrightsboro Road
Augusta, GA 30909
(706) 737-1632

Three ladies from the ACVB participated as Team Visit Augusta in the ESi Ironman 70.3 in Augusta, Ga. We were so proud of them! Peggy (pictured above), the cyclist for the team, shares her experience from the triathlon along with some fun pictures from last year.

Watch Video

Make plans to go downtown on September 30th to watch this year’s Ironman 70.3 – it’s super inspiring!

Ironman Website

If you’re like me you probably get tired of the same routine of exercising at the gym. Cardio, strength training, cardio, strength training, again and again. It gets old, fast.

Well, you’re in luck because I am here to introduce you to a new way to both exercise and have fun at the same time! It’s called Disc Golf. You may have heard of it, or seen a group of people playing at your local park. If you haven’t, listen up…

Disc Golf is played much like the traditional game of “ball golf,” but instead of clubs, players use a flying disc and instead of a hole, there’s an elevated metal basket, or more formally called “the Pole Hole.” The sport was formalized in the 1970′s, according to the Professional Disc Golf Association and shares with ball golf the object of completing each hole in the fewest number of strokes, or in this case, throws and make Par.

The player tees off from the “Tee Pad.” As a player progresses down the fairway, he or she must make each consecutive shot from the spot where the previous throw landed. But, unlike ball golf, the terrain various. Often, a player must maneuver their disc around trees, shrubs and terrain changes located in and around the fairway. This provides challenging obstacles for the golfer.

Also like ball golf, which has various clubs, disc golf has various discs players use depending on the distance being played. There are drivers, mid-range/fairway drivers and putters. And a disc is far less expensive than a golf club.

And unlike ball golf, this game is often free! Rarely are there any green fees associated with the game. As a matter of fact, there are several courses in the Augusta area you can try free of charge, and what’s even better? You can play anytime you’d like, so you’re never stuck with a bad “tee time.”

Free Courses:

Lake Olmstead Park - 2200 Broad Street, Augusta, GA 30904 – (706)736-7889
Patriots Park - 5445 Columbia Road, Grovetown, GA 30813 – (706) 863-7523
Pendleton King Park - 1738 Pine Tree Road, Augusta, GA 30904-5068 – (706) 733-4176
Riverview Park - 100 Riverview Park Drive, North Augusta, SC 29841 - (803) 441-4300

Green Fee Courses:

Wildwood Park, located in Appling, GA is home to the IDGC (International Disc Golf Center and Hall of Fame) and also home to one of the most challenging disc golf courses in the area. This course is a paid course and monies are used for donation purposes.
3828 Dogwood Lane, Appling, GA 30802 – (706) 309-9017

For more information on disc golf, I recommend visiting the sites below…Hope to see you on the course!

Professional Disc Golf Association

Augusta Disc Golf Association

A few days ago, I met some friends for a leisurely paddle up the Savannah River.  Our route took us up river, then up Rae’s Creek to Aqueduct Park, back to the river, up around a few islands and back to a boat ramp in North Augusta where we began.  Starting just a few hundred yards up river from downtown Augusta, it looked like this:

The weather was beautiful and there’s nothing quite as nice as getting on the river on a warm summer evening.  We looked for fish, turtles, ducks and other wildlife while we paddled up Rae’s Creek towards Aqueduct Park and met a man Stand-Up Paddling.  It looks like something fun I’ll have to try!

Aqueduct Park is a great spot to cool off and a lot of folks were taking advantage of the cool water!

Coming back to the river, we paddled upstream passing small islands and beautiful Spanish-moss covered cypress trees. 

We struggled against the current a little ways up the shoals and were rewarded with a fun ride down some very small rapids.

If you’d like to kayak or canoe on the Savannah River, you can rent both from Broadway Bait & Tackle or rent canoes from the Riverwalk Marina.

Broadway Bait & Tackle

1730 Broad Street (at the canal)

Augusta, GA 30904

(706) 738-8848

http://www.broadwaytackle.com/servlet/the-697/CANOE-RENTAL-KAYAK-RENTAL/Detail

Riverwalk Marina

1 5th Street
Augusta, Georgia 30901
(706) 722-1388

The Augusta GreenJackets are back, and their fans could not be happier! Crowded gates are what you’ll encounter when you first walk up to Lake Olmstead Stadium, the home of Augusta’s minor league baseball team, but no worries, because the lines move very quickly.

When you enter the stadium your senses will be greeted by the sight of GreenJacket fans strolling around sporting their game attire, you’ll hear about the excitement of last games homerun by those in passing and you’ll smell fresh popcorn being popped and hotdogs being grilled.

The Augusta GreenJackets are a minor league baseball team that plays in Augusta, Georgia, as a Class A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Lake Olmstead Stadium has been the home of the GreenJackets since the 1995 season. The team is named in honor of The Masters golf tournament held in Augusta, where the winner receives a green jacket. The GreenJackets season begins in April and concludes in early September.

My first game of the season just happened to be the first of several “Thirsty Thursdays.” Each and every game played at home on a Thursday baseball patrons can enjoy dollar draft beer and fountain sodas! And that’s only one of several promotions offered.
Monday – dollar hotdogs
Tuesday – two-for-one
Wednesday – Baseball Bingo
Friday – alternating promotions
Saturday – fireworks
Sunday – kids eat free

Tickets are inexpensive and GreenJackets games are fun for the entire family. Individual game tickets can be purchased for as low as $7.00 for general seating. There are also several ticket packages depending on your needs, including season passes for you baseball enthusiasts! Do you have a large group? No problem! Lake Olmstead Stadium has the accommodations. Book their private party pavilion.

The Augusta GreenJackets play April through September, so there is still time for you to catch plenty of the action!

The Augusta GreenJackets
Lake Olmstead Stadium
78 Milledge Rd  Augusta GA 30904
(706) 736-7889