[Jason Mandel]

I played in the GAP matches yesterday against Wilmington Country Club.  While I played at home I played with a member who said the club was seriously considering a restoration of the South course at Wilmington and that he thought it was going to happen.

According to the member, Keith Foster would do the work and it would involve tree clearing as well as getting the poa off the course and possibly adding some of the bunkers that had been taken out over the years.

This member also said that the USGA invited them to have the US Amateur after successfully holding the Mid-AM a few years ago but that things were on hold until the potential work on the course had been decided upon.

I've only walked Wilmington a few times during the Mid-Am and I found it to be a very strong course with some of the best green complexes I've seen in the area.  Would love to see Keith Foster get the job and see if he could complete something like he did at BCC.

Anybody else have any information regarding this?

Jason

[Dan Herrmann]

Any update on Jason's query from '06?

I was driving down in Delaware yesterday and took a look at Wilmington CC's golf courses from the road - what a great looking golf club!

[Anthony_Nysse]

Dan,
  I can ask Keith when he is here later this week.

Tony Nysse
Asst. Supt.
Colonial CC
Ft. Worth, TX

[Bill_McBride]

Is it really possible to get the poa out of a golf course, and if so, for how long?

[Anthony_Nysse]

Bill
  In the fight against poa, Regrass/Reseed after funmigation or round up and begin and very detailed program to pluck/plug out any poa that forms and KEEP THINGS DRY...

Tony Nysse
Asst. Supt.
Colonial CC
Ft. Worth, TX

[SPDB]

The South course was restored by Keith Foster and it opened this season. I played it recently (although we were rained out after 12 holes). It is a long, difficult RTJ course, and Foster's work was, as best as I could tell, sympathetic. Not sure its entirely my cup of tea, but i'll go back soon to get a full round and make a determination.

[Sean Leary]

I enjoyed it when I played it in 2004. I thought it would make an excellent tournament venue. Very tough. Nice place.

Played it with 2 plus handicappers just prior to playing Pine Valley. We each felt Wilmington was tougher.

[mike_malone]

 A guy I played with on Sunday has a brother who is a member. He paraphrased his brother's thoughts on the recent work as " couldn't really tell what was done".

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

Just received my Jan. '10 Golf Digest, and in the Best New Remodels, Keith Foster's work at Wilmington CC (South) was acknowledged.  Even though I grew up in the area, and played many of the GAP courses, I never was able to make it to WCC.  With that said, I have played two of Foster's reworks (Omaha CC and Mission Hills CC) and truly found his work inspiring, but can't say in relation to what was on the ground prior to his time there. 

Has anyone played WCC-South since these posts back in '08?  Sounds like those that saw the pre- and post-work feel that Foster was sympathetic with Jones' vision.  Was Jones the original designer of this course when it relocated here, or was his a redo of something else existing... and whose was it?

Wayne

[Rob_Waldron]

I was fortunate to play WCC South this summer. Foster continues to impress with his interpretation of the original architect in his renovations. Foster repositioned bunkers to accomodate modern technology while returning the traditional "flash" look loved so much by Jones. He maintained the integrity of the massive greens and removed thousands of trees which previously interfered with the air circulation and sunlight. He also added some championship tees and forward tees offering a wide variety of lengths. The artificial walls remain every place water is present but they are easily overlooked until you drop yet a nother ball into the water. The course was completely regrassed including tees, greens, fairways and roughs. The grassing is lush with tight bentgrass fairways and nasty deep bluse grass/fescue roughs. Defitiely worth playing if you have not seen the renovations.

[Tommy Williamsen]

RTJ did indeed design Wilmington South in the early 60's.  I have played the course a half a dozen times.  The last time was in August.   I have always thought the course was strong, except for a downhill par five on the front side.  It is built on some wonderful terrain, with some pretty dramatic elevation changes.  Like Rob, I thought the strength of the course was the greens.  I did notice that some trees were gone but did not realize that so many were removed.  I really did not think that enough was done for it to qualify as a best remodel.  If you can play it do.

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

Thanks, guys.  Where does WCC-South rank in RTJ's portfolio of courses?

If I'm not mistaken, the original WCC is where Porky Oliver course is now, right?  What's the architectural lineage of that?  I did a search here and couldn't find any insight. 

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