The Augusta National Golf Club is expanding its massive grassy parking lot off Berckmans Road.

The club parked 7,000 cars on about 70 acres during April's Masters Tournament, according to senior tournament director Buzzy Johnson.

The Augusta-Richmond County Planning Commission granted today special exceptions allowing another 34 acres of residentially-zoned land to be used for patron parking one week per year.

Mr. Johnson said that opens up room for another 2,200 to 2,500 spaces. The club plans to clear the land in stages, bringing the total spaces to about 8,200 for the 2010 tournament and as many as 9,500 by 2011.

Attorney Pat Rice, speaking on behalf of the club's brokerage companies that own the property, told planning commission members the new lots will have the same "pastoral" appearance 51 weeks per year as the existing 70-acre lot.