AUGUSTA — Two hotels, a 500-seat amphitheater, riverboat cruises and now a championship golf course at Balducci Vineyards.
Investor David Hoffmann’s $100 million plan to transform Augusta wine country keeps growing.
On Wednesday, Hoffmann introduced golf course architect Rees Jones — known as “The Open Doctor†for his redesigns and renovations of U.S. Open Championship courses.
“We’re excited for our next phase of development,†Hoffmann said, in his first press event at the property.
Hoffmann and his firm, Hoffmann Family of Cos., are leading the revamp of this quiet town on the Missouri River known for its collection of wineries. Hoffmann, a Washington, Missouri, native, says he aims to turn Augusta into a national destination that could match California’s famed Napa Valley. He already has acquired five wineries — revenue at Balducci has grown 78% from 2019, he said — a slew of commercial buildings, and hundreds of acres of land.
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His 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.
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. 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.â€
Jones, who renovated Bellerive Country Club in Town and Country, will design the 12-hole public golf course — a “new model to speed up the game,†he said — built into the forested hills north of Balducci.
Hoffmann imagines that golfers visiting the course would enjoy sipping wine as well.
“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. 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.â€
Construction on the course — as well as an accompanying 500-seat amphitheater — is likely to start in the spring once Hoffmann receives approvals from St. Charles County. He hopes to bring an annual championship after his new hotels open.
On Wednesday, crews started work on a 20-room hotel on the 50-acre Emmaus Homes Campus in Marthasville, northwest of Augusta. They’re also adding employee housing there, and Hoffmann said the first five employees are expected to move in in the next two weeks. Eventually, his plans are to house hundreds of employees there. Labor shortage is a concern, he said, but he believes offering free housing will give him a competitive edge.
He plans to add vineyards and a winery to Emmaus, which will have renovated stone chapels available for weddings.
A 40- to 60-room hotel called Hoffmann Lodge on Highway 94 South, between Church Road and Jackson Street, also is in the works. He wanted to build a private helipad there that would have welcomed Hoffmann and guests. But plans were grounded last month after residents complained and a St. Charles County board nixed the idea.
Hoffmann on Wednesday called the helipad a mistake and said he sent apology letters to residents. He said he’ll fly into the Washington airport or could build a helipad out further into the country.
To build the golf course, Hoffmann will have to cut down trees — a move that could vex locals.
He has already cleared his properties of so many trees, some more than 100 years old, the county required Hoffmann to leave the ones around his proposed hotel before approving it.
“People move out here, live out here because of the way it is,†said St. Charles County Councilman Joe Brazil, who represents Augusta and Defiance.
Brazil said Hoffmann isn’t keeping him posted on development plans, and he is frustrated by the lack of communication. Renovations to Hoffman’s properties were indeed “well needed,†Brazil said. But Hoffmann’s plan is too grandiose and moving too fast.
“People who live out here don’t want it to become Napa,†Brazil said. “There’s room for improvement but slow improvements.â€
Hoffmann, meanwhile, said tourists don’t want to see trees in wine country.
“If you fly from California to Augusta,†Hoffmann said, “you need to see vineyards.â€
Some locals are cautiously excited.
Barb Ferris was stringing fall decorations on her porch late Wednesday morning. She and her husband have lived in Augusta for more than 25 years. The town feels cleaner, she said.
“My grandkids and great-grandkids were here this past weekend and were blown away,†Ferris said. “They want to live here.â€
Massage therapist Mandy Brinker has worked at Halcyon Spa on Jackson Street for almost 18 years. Augusta has become duller over the years, she said. Stores have closed. She misses being able to walk to lunch.
But she also hopes Hoffmann doesn’t change the relaxing quiet that residents and visitors seek when they come to Augusta.
“He’s a dreamer for sure,†Brinker said. “We’ll see.â€