1. Augustans Love The Masters So Much They Leave Town When It Happens
For Augustans, Masters Week is spring break week. Everyone leaves town to let the rest of the world show up in droves. Why do they do this? Because they can make a small fortune renting their houses out.
Those who don't leave stay to rent their yards out as parking lots or find any other way they can to make money off the hordes who converge on town in early April.
2. They’re Georgialinans As Well As Augustans
Augusta is a state line border town and, as such, many residents spend their time in two states: South Carolina, as well as Georgia—hence the term Georgialina.
Even if a true Augustan doesn’t live or work across the Savannah river in North Augusta on the South Carolina side, he’ll gladly cross over to fill up the car because gas is so much cheaper in the Palmetto State.
But you won’t catch him dead referring to the lake as Lake Thurmond the way some South Carolinans do; it’s Clarks Hill Lake (no apostrophe ‘s’ on Clarks).
3. All Augustans Have A Picture Of Themselves With James Brown
Well, with James Brown’s memorial statue on Broad Street, anyway. The Godfather of Soul called the Augusta area home, and Augustans couldn’t be prouder.
If you come to visit, they’ll drag you to the life-sized statue so you can have your picture taken with it, maybe even leave some flowers.
And if they know where James Brown is buried, they're not telling anybody. Probably because it's outside the city limits on a private estate closed to the public and they'd rather you visit the statue and the Augusta Museum of History, which has an expansive permanent exhibit all about the late singer.
4. People Here Want You To Know There's More To Augusta Than Golf
The first question any Augustan is asked by an outsider is usually something about golf. Most of them don't even play golf, and the Masters is only one week out of the year.
They'd much rather talk about other things in town like the Augusta Canal National Heritage Area, their minor league baseball and hockey teams, the Riverwalk, the booming healthcare industry, a vibrant and walkable downtown or even James Brown. But enough with the golf already, except for…
5. Unless You’re Talking About Disc Golf, That Is
Augustans are disc golf junkies. The Augusta area (known as the CSRA—Central Savannah River Area) is a mecca for the burgeoning sport. The Professional Disc Golf Association and International Disc Golf Center are headquartered just north of town, and the city has numerous disc golf courses.
Locals play disc golf more than that other kind. And don't call it Frisbee golf!
6. Augustans Spend As Much Time On Bicycles And Boats As They Do In Cars
In the modern age, Augusta is becoming a pedalers’ and paddlers’ nirvana. Residents love their trail systems and waterways, and seeing bikes and kayaks on top of cars is a common sight.
Popular spots for riding include the former towpaths lining the Augusta Canal and, for world-class mountain biking, the Forks Area Trail System (FATS). You’ll see plenty of paddlers on the canal, as well as motor boats on the river, which has a marina downtown next to the Riverwalk.
7. People From Augusta Can Handle Any Smell You Send Their Way
Whether it comes from the paper mill, the cookie baking factory or the coffee roasting plant, Augusta is occasionally rife with a mixture of smells affecting different parts of town depending on which way the wind blows.
Augustans are used to it. They live in a city with a long, rich history as a mill town and center of industry. More commonly, though, there’s something called “the coastal smell,” an aroma that makes Augustans feel like they live in a seaport even though the city’s a couple of hours away from the coast. All the water and wetlands and Spanish moss hanging from the trees helps to complete the Southern seaport illusion.
8. And They’re Very Particular About Pronouncing “Martinez” Correctly
When everyone else in the world sees the name Martinez they naturally pronounce it like mar-TEE-nez. Not Augustans. They have a major suburban town called Martinez and pronounce it MARTIN-ez, like any southern-fried gringo would. You WILL be corrected if you try to say it the other way.
9. For Augustans, Pimento Cheese Might As Well Be Its Own Food Group
Augustans love pimento cheese. Two slices of white bread with some pimento cheese slathered in between and they’re good to go. It’s a traditional dish here, so much so that the Masters Tournament includes it on its menu every year. A local restaurant chain with a politically incorrect name—WifeSaver—sells it in bulk. And it’s damn good.
10. No, Seriously, They're Dying To Talk To You About Anything But Golf
In their minds, Augustans are thinking, "Please, Dear God, Don't Let Them Ask Me About Golf Anymore Because I'm Sick Of Talking About A Sport I Don't Really Play Or Care That Much About."
But they’ll always put on the plastic smile and happily chat with you about it anyway, because they’re Augustans.
Did we miss anything? Tell us what you think about Augusta in the comments below! 
