The Muni, Our Diamond in the... Fairway

In the Wilmington Municipal Golf Shop, above the cozy fireplace, hangs a portrait of a man who’s stamp on golf course design in the early twentieth century is second to none. A small and unassuming plaque underneath the painting of this revered man reads “Golf should be a pleasure, not a penance”.

This simple phrase was said by none other than Donald Ross, the architect of Wilmington Municipal. Mr. Ross, who was born in Scotland, came to the United States when he was 27 years old in 1899, and enjoyed the States so much, he would wind up sending most of his life here designing and/or redesigning over 600 golf courses.

Mr. Ross is widely known as a course designer who created challenging courses without affecting the natural landscape. He always tried to design holes from what mother-nature gave him as a canvas, and when you visit the Wilmington Municipal Golf Course, this is very apparent. Two examples of Mr. Ross’s minimalistic approach to course designing at the “Muni” as most locals call it can be seen on holes #3 and #4. Hole #3 is a 430 yard dogleg right which plays as one of the toughest holes on the course. It demands a precise tee shot to a blind fairway which slopes left to right. If you are lucky enough to find the fairway, you will find yourself looking up at an uphill approach to the green. Par is a good score on this hole. Once you finish hole #3 and reach the tee on #4, another challenge awaits you. #4 is a 184 yard par 3 where you better hit your tee shot solid or you will quickly find yourself putting for bogey or worse. With the green sitting atop a hill, its only defense are the severe slopes on all four sides as there are no bunkers on this hole. Visually, both holes can be very intimidating to the average golfer, but if you play the holes smart you will be rewarded with two good pars.

Another classic hole which demands accuracy is the par 5 #12. Measuring only 519 yards, an eagle can be had if you play the hole correctly. This hole begins with an intimidating tee shot. Your ball must clear 3 fairway bunkers which sit at an angle to the fairway. Once you relax a little after hitting the fairway, you will be faced with a decision to go for the green or lay up over the creek that crosses the fairway in just the perfect spot. If you decide to go for the green, you better hit it on the screws to reach the green which sits up on a small plateau. If by chance you happen to screw up the hole, don’t forget to look around and appreciate the design characteristics of one of the “masters “of golf course architecture.

Wilmington Municipal Golf Course is one of the gems of the city and should be enjoyed by all of its residents. Even though the golf course is considered a championship layout, it won’t “break the bank” when compared to other championship layouts in the area. On any given weekday you can walk 18 holes for $14 if you are a city resident ($22 for non-city residents). Tack on a dollar more to walk on the weekends. It almost seems like the rates have stayed the same since 1925 when Mr. Ross designed the course. David Donovan, Manager & Head Golf Professional, explained to me that in running a city owned golf course there is a different philosophy than most privately owned clubs. The golf course exists for the residents of Wilmington. It is not about trying to make as much money as possible but rather to give local golfers an affordable way to play golf. - Chris Miranda

For tee times or more information call:

(910) 791-0558 or visit the club’s website www.wilmingtonmuni.com.

-- Jesse Jones, CAPE FEAR SPORTS REPORT