The Soon To Be Death of Willowick

[Tommy_Naccarato]

1924 Billy Bell about to become a Hard Rock Cafe Park or Fotbol field for Chivas soccer club.

Willowick is usually filled every weekday and weekend and is a much valued source of affordable public in golf-starved Orange County. According to this morning's OC Register, The City of Garden Grove sees it as a perfect opportunity for redevelopment.

How nice......

Surely Willowick isn't the most challenging golf course ever built, but it certainly has some valuable charms like the horseshoe shaped 3rd green; the Eden 4th and the 7th, which maybe one of the best golf holes in Orange County. I look forward to each and every round I play there, knowing what once was and could still be.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/park-chivas-santa-1919698-golf-course

[Tony Ristola]

Conditions in the photo look much improved since 1985... the last time I played there. It was the first course I played in SoCal, and with my brother.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

They have improved rather quite dramatically.

Willowick was originally a 12 hole course, and much of it's original holes are all still there. Even more interesting is to see the movement in the middle of the driving range which used to be a golf hole.

[Adam Clayman]

Tommy,
 Thanks for sharing the article. There is a hint that the city is aware of the GC's importance and would only sell-out if the price is right.

If the course is truly worthy of saving and the tee sheet is packed, my advice would be to start a petition declaring the priceless nature of the golf course.

Affordble golf in Socal should be placed on some sort of endangered species list.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Adam,
At the very least, in Orange County.

[Jon Spaulding]

Sounds like a good trade .....a lame sport or another average amusement park in North OC to wipe out one of our last remaining threads to classic design.

Should we expect anything less than a perfectly redeveloped county? On the bright side, we should be gaining a decent course @ El Toro at some point.

[W.H. Cosgrove]

Sounds like a tax dollar move, however, when the open space is gone, it ain't never comin back.  

Really stupid if they go through with this.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

At one time, part of the creek flowed through some of the holes. It  created some measure of strategy which of course no longer exists with the advent of wall-to-wall turf. One of the most affected holes being the par 3, 4th, which I feel was somewhat of a Eden-like hole with the creek running alongside and to the back of the putting surface.

Willowick #4 2007


Willowick #4 1938 (As what is seen  in the 1938 aerial)