Home rentals up for Masters week

AUGUSTA, Ga (WJBF)- All eyes are on the CSRA as it will be immersed in golf for the next 2 weeks.

Tuesday morning, it’s the practice round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur tournament in Columbia County.

As usual, most people who live here head out of town and many of them rent their homes to golf patrons from all over the world. And good news, rentals are up for the first time since the pandemic ended.

Rental companies like Airbnb and Vrbo are becoming a more popular option for golf patrons. However, Susan Parr, president of the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce, said local rental bureaus have something the other companies don’t.

“We find that the customer service that all our local rental bureaus provide is really beneficial for both the renter and the homeowner,” she explained. “Because sometimes homeowners aren’t sure what to rent for, sometimes renters are looking for very specific types of properties, especially groupings of properties, and we really need that customer service to help them find that.”

Jane Devine has been renting her home to Masters patrons for about a decade. She told NewsChannel 6 it’s a lot of work to prepare, but it’s worth it.

“We’ve been fortunate. People come in. They treat our house like it’s their own. We leave little things for them just to try to make them feel comfortable. you kind of treat it like an Airbnb, Vrbo sort of situation. We have not had anything to complain about,” said Devine.

For Tuesday’s ANWA practice round, gates are closed to patrons, but Wednesday the tournament begins. Gates at Champions Retreat open to badge holders around 7:30 a.m.

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