Review: Wilmington Municipal Golf Course (Part 2)

It's time to check out the back nine at Wilmington Municipal, go here to see the front.

The tenth hole is a mid-length par 4 that parallels the first, and much like the first, there's not much trouble on the tee shot. Also like the first hole, the tenth features a pair of fairway bunkers within 50 yards of the greens, although these are much more aggressive. The cross bunkers are about 25-30 yards short and do a decent job of obscuring just how close to the green they are, thanks to the slightly uphill nature of the second shot. From the fairway, it does look like the green is absolutely surrounded by sand, but there is plenty of space short. The bunkers left and right of the green are more threatening, and the green itself has plenty of back-to-front and some right-to-left tilt to it. It's not an easy green to putt, and missing right will result in a very tough chip (or bunker) shot.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is actually a fairly tough par 3, playing nearly 200 yards to a small green. There's a crossbunker 20 yards short, making playing the ground game tricky, and the green is closely guarded by sand on both sides. Plus, there's also the road long to make those with a tendency to thin the ball nervous. The green itself isn't particularly easy either; it's got plenty of slope to it and falls away at the back more than you might think, and getting up and down from beyond the green when 90% of the green is sloped away from you and you're 3 or 4 feet below the level of the green is a tricky task.

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is the longest hole at Wilmington Muni and the final par 5 the course has to offer. The tee shot's relatively tough, as the fairway's squeezed between tall pines and sandy waste (which is all over the place but is especially relevant on this hole), and three bunkers guard the ideal line from the tee. The ditch from the second hole also cuts across this fairway, but it does so at a point where you're not going to reach it with your drive while being close enough that it's not likely to threaten your second shot unless you do something disastrous on the tee. However, it does extend for a hundred yards or so up the right side, and seeing as the green is best approached from the right, that portion of the ditch is absolutely something to worry about. The green itself is significantly built up and elevated, and is protected by three bunkers while also possessing a lot of back-to-front tilt. This is no automatic birdie hole for even the best golfers.

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is 415 yards, bunkerless, and almost dead flat. You might think then that this hole has very little to offer, and yes, the drive is very easy. However, things become more complicated at the green, which is the most interesting one on the course (barring the Volcano, that is). It's pretty big, but it's elevated a couple feet above the surrounding fairway, with knobs front right, back right, and mid left. Like the eleventh, this green also subtly falls away at the back. It's not difficult hitting the green, but two putting is no guarantee, and if you miss the green, you have a myriad of options to try and get the ball close. So, despite having literally nothing in terms of natural features, the thirteenth still manages to be one of the more interesting holes at Wilmington.

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is 380 yards, and much like the previous hole, it plays dead straight to a wide-open fairway. Naturally, the second shot is a bit more complicated. The green is small, elevated, and surrounded by four bunkers. Not the most interesting hole in the world, but solid enough.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is also not the most interesting hole in the world. For the third hole in a row, we've got a mid-length par 4 playing parallel to the previous hole (although this one is at least partially separated from 14 by a cluster of dense trees). When you've got a course as tightly routed as Wilmington is, this sort of thing can happen. The fourteenth plays uphill to another open fairway – why there are no fairway bunkers on this or the previous two holes is an excellent question – and like the last hole, the green is well guarded by sand. However, the fifteenth lacks both the interesting green that the thirteenth had and the more compelling, more immediate bunker scheme of the fourteenth. The sand's there, but it's not as compelling a threat. Obviously, no hole on this course lacks strategic interest, it's a Donald Ross course, but I'd probably call this hole the weakest of the bunch.

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

When I say that the sixteenth hole is a long par 3, I'm underselling how long this hole can play. For our round, the back tees were set at about 230 yards. That's pretty long, but this hole can play even longer, as there's a tee spot 40 yards further back, all the way out at 270. We're straying into short par 4 territory at that point. There's even a cross bunker about 50 yards short that looks an awful lot like a fairway bunker for tee shots from all the way back. I don't know if the tee is new or if this hole was originally a par 4, but let's just say I wouldn't be surprised if either were true.

Anyway, from the more reasonable 230-yard tee, this hole presents a solid if manageable challenge. The green is quite large and completely open in front, so you can absolutely run a ball up. However, missing left or right will land you in a bunker. The green itself doesn't do anything too crazy, though it's filled with smaller undulations and breaks. 

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is a short par 4 at just 340 yards, and it shares a fair amount in common with the seventh, which plays alongside it. Unlike the past few par 4s, this hole does have fairway bunkers; there's one left and one about 30 or 40 yards further up on the right side. While there's space to avoid these bunkers, they ensure that you're always going to be thinking about something on the tee shot. No mindless drivers on this hole. The set-up is important, as this green is quite small and tucked behind a line of three bunkers, with a fourth bunker right. The ideal line is from the right, preferably from short of the right-side fairway bunker; get too close and it becomes difficult to get enough spin/height to keep the ball close to the hole. The green falls away at the back, but the rest is tilted pretty significantly from back to front.

The seventeenth hole.

Approaching the seventeenth green.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole ends the round in an appropriate, if not exactly exciting, fashion. At 430 yards, it's on the longer side, but the tee shot is wide open. Just don't top it, because there's a pair of old-school top-shot bunkers right in front of the tee. Hit a solid drive, and the two fairway bunkers forming a gate 50 yards short of the green become essentially irrelevant. The green here is quite large and sprawling, with a single bunker left. However, it's got lots of back-to-front slope to it, along with numerous smaller undulations, kind of like the sixteenth. This is a tough green to putt. Also, and this is one of those undefinables that maybe only I feel, but I really like this hole's sense of occasion and place. It feels grand, somehow, and very connected with the rest of the course. The green just before the clubhouse and the bunkers framing that green give a solid sense of conclusion. 

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

Wilmington Municipal is not the greatest golf course ever. It's good, but I wouldn't call it anything beyond that. In the great Donald Ross municipal pantheon, I'd definitely place it above Triggs and Mark Twain (and above Charleston Muni, which is of course not a Ross course, but the geographical similarities make it an easy comparison), but it's not as good as Shennecossett or Jeffersonville, and it's nowhere close to George Wright. The third and fourth holes are easily the best holes – perhaps not surprising, considering they occupy the only section of the property with really significant elevation change – but there's definitely some other solid stuff like the ninth and thirteenth, and the greens overall are very interesting. In the end, though, Wilmington suffers a similar issue to Cape Arundel: It's too easy off the tee. There are exceptions – there always are – but by and large you can pretty mindlessly slug driver around and be reasonably assured you'll have a shot at the green on your next shot. This course would benefit greatly from the addition of 10 or so strategically placed fairway bunkers. A little something to tighten up the focus on the tee. 

That said, Wilmington does have quite a few other things going for it. The compactness of the layout and lack of any severe hazards like water mean that you can quite easily go the entire round without losing a golf ball. It also means that, despite being just as crowded as the Myrtle Beach courses, a round here is a much smoother and faster experience. 18 holes here for the three of us took about 3 and a half hours. That's about 30 minutes faster than the next fastest round we played, and 90 minutes faster than our slowest round. Also, we got to walk, which is the true way to play golf.

Oh, and then there's the price, which is perfectly in line with the municipal courses of the Northeast. Walking 18 holes at midday during the week was $31 per person. That's anywhere from a fourth to a sixth of the price of the Myrtle Beach courses we played. Needless to say, none of those courses were four to six times better than Wilmington. There are courses that offer better value (and I've played quite a few of them), but not many. And as a breath of fresh air in between a block of slow, ponderous Myrtle Beach cart golf, Wilmington is tough to beat.  

Review: Wilmington Municipal Golf Course (Part 1)

Myrtle Beach is a golfer's paradise. There are so many courses, and while I would say Myrtle Beach lacks a true standout great golf course, there's plenty of quality golf to be played. It is essentially everything any golfer could ever want. 

And yet, something's off about the Myrtle Beach golf experience. Take your average Myrtle Beach vacationer: They're probably not going to be a hardcore, passionate golf enthusiast. They may love to play golf, but if you ask them what their favorite Ross, Tillinghast, Doak, or Coore-Crenshaw course is, they're probably not going to have any strong opinions. Or any opinion. No, the average Myrtle Beach golfer is there to hang out with buddies, drink beer, and play terrible golf. And that's fine, it's good they can have a place to do that. However, if you're like my brothers and I, who are decidedly more serious minded about our golf – and consider walking the definitive way to play – Myrtle Beach isn't the greatest overall golf experience. There is no walking on the Myrtle Beach resort courses, and there are no sub–4-hour rounds. Moorland was nearly 5 hours. No wonder, considering how tough a lot of Myrtle Beach courses are, how many people the resorts jam onto their courses, and the general "I spent my money, I deserve to take as much time as I want" attitude most golfers bring to the course.

I'm probably being a little unfair. There are probably plenty of walker-friendly golf courses in Myrtle Beach, but I don't think any of them are particularly noteworthy in terms of design or architecture, and to be honest I didn't drive 8 hours to play average golf.

Fortunately, however, Wilmington Municipal exists. It's a bit of a drive from Myrtle Beach (though not nearly as far as Charleston Muni), but your reward is a genuine, recently restored Donald Ross course that's both cheap and walker friendly in the middle of North Carolina's eighth largest city. Yes, another Donald Ross muni. Hey, North Carolina was his winter home, the man designed a million courses in Pinehurst alone, so of course there are Ross courses all over the state. So now the question is: How does Wilmington stack up in the Donald Ross municipal pantheon? 

The first hole is a fairly straightforward, if fairly long par 4 at 430 yards. The fairway's wide open, with no bunkers in play on the tee shot. There is a gate of bunkers about 50 yards short of the green, but obviously those don't come into play if you hit a solid drive. If you slice right into the trees or are a shorter hitter, then it's a different story. The green's fairly large and also pretty open, though it is pretty undulating. All in all, a pretty typical Ross gentle opening hole. 

The first hole.

The first green.

The second hole is a 525-yard par 5, and ups the difficulty from the first hole. There are two fairway bunkers, and while the first one on the left side is pretty easily carried, the one on the right side is much more threatening. And this fairway isn't particularly wide, with there being some less than pleasant sandy waste area left and the main road far right. Also complicating things is a ditch and small stream crossing the fairway about 150 yards from the green. If you don't hit a good drive, that ditch becomes a problem, and if you can't carry it, you're going to have an awfully long third shot. Not what you want on a not particularly long par 5. But if you do hit a good drive, the green is reachable in two, and open in the front. It is slightly elevated, as most greens here are, and nestled among a group of mounds, with a fairly large bunker left. Those mounds are incorporated into the green as well, making it a pretty tough green to putt. 

The second hole.

Approaching the second green.

The second green.

The third hole is the longest par 4 at Wilmington Muni at 435 yards, and while that's just a few yards longer than the first hole, the third is no joke. The hole bends right through a fairly narrow playing corridor, with pine trees pressing in from both sides. Also, the fairway is tilted hard from right to left, the opposite direction the hole doglegs. You pretty much have to hit a fade if you want to hit driver and hold this fairway. Pull it off, and you'll have a flat stance and a short iron second shot. You can lay back with a wood or long iron, but that will leave you with a mid iron second shot up the hill from a downhill, sidehill lie, and that's probably not what you want. The green is pretty big, tilted from back to front, and guarded by a bunker front right, so if you can, favoring the left side on the drive is preferable. Just don't run out of fairway.

The third hole.

Approaching the third green.

The third green.

The fourth hole is Wilmington Municipal's most difficult and distinctive hole for good reason: It's the classic Donald Ross Volcano hole. It's also kind of funny that this course's Volcano comes at this point in the round. The Volcano hole at Shennecossett? The fourth hole. The Volcano hole at Bedford Springs? Also the fourth. Three Volcanos, all three separated by hundreds of miles, and they're all fourth holes. Yet, they all manage to play distinctly, each intensely memorable in their own way. Shennecossett's played up to a horizon-type green, with a single tree behind, while Bedford Springs saved the 50-foot climb for the last 50 yards, resulting in an almost comically abrupt platform for the green. 

While the elevation changes at play here at of course less extreme than Bedford Springs or even Shennecossett, this Volcano has the benefit of playing downhill, and with the back side of the hole bereft of trees, you get a fantastic long view of a large portion of the course. And it's not like we're talking a few feet of elevation here; the dropoff behind the green is easily 15 or 20 feet, and this green is both small and steeply sloped. There's also a pond wide right if you slice, though it's far enough out that I don't imagine it catches too many golf balls. Overall, I think this slots into the middle of the Volcano tier list: Better than Shennecossett's, but lacking the comic insanity of Bedford Springs. All three are great golf holes though, and there's no shame in Wilmington coming second in this contest. 

The fourth hole.

The fifth hole is a mid-length par 4 playing out along the edge of the property, with trees and O.B. running down the entire right side. The fairway's pretty wide and there aren't any hazards, so driver is an option off the tee. A good drive will leave a wedge or short iron into the green; while the sole bunker on the hole is 50 yards short of the green, the green isn't completely defenseless. For one, it's got plenty of undulation to it, but in addition, there's a pretty steep falloff right. So while hole locations on the left side of the green are pretty benign and give you a good chance at making birdie, hole locations right are significantly more treacherous, and you'll want to play safer with the second shot.

The fifth hole.

Approaching the fifth green.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole isn't particularly long at 375 yards, but like the previous hole it also works along the property line right of the fairway. And this hole actually does have fairway bunkers in play, with the one left coming into play if you use a wood or long iron off the tee and the one right becoming an issue if you use driver. No matter what, you'll have something to think about on this tee. The green here is pretty small and backed up against the main road, and with no trees to catch wayward shots, you really don't want to hit a thin on your second shot. You're best off approaching this green from the right, as there's a bunker left and the back right portion of the green falls away, meaning approach shots from the left have a lot less room to work with.

The sixth hole.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is another fairly short par 4, this one just 350 yards. The tee shot here is basically blind, and while the fairway is fairly wide, there is a bunker right of the landing area that you really can't see from the tee. If you're like me, then this won't bother you. Golf isn't fair sometimes, and there's plenty of space to avoid that bunker. But I can imagine that bunker leading to some frustration in other golfers. And it's not like this hole's very long. Even if you hit a wood on the tee, you'll only have a wedge or short iron at most for your second shot. Good thing too, because this green is by far the most well guarded we've seen so far; the green itself isn't large and falls away at the back, and it's surrounded by four bunkers. Precision is the name of the game on this hole.

The seventh hole.

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is by far the shortest hole on the course, playing just under 150 yards, which I think qualifies it as a short par 3. And if you hit the green, it's a good birdie opportunity. The green's got some back-to-front tilt to it, but nothing extreme, and these greens don't roll too fast. However, if you miss the green to either side, you're in for a tough par. The bunker shot from either side is tricky as the green's pretty narrow. Even a slight thin or overshot pitch out of the sand will go right through the green into the opposite bunker. It's definitely something that's in the back of your mind. Oh, and if you try to get cute, the bermuda rough does not effectively stop golf balls from rolling back into the sand. So, this hole's not tough, but if you hit a bad tee shot, you need to take your medicine and accept bogey as a possibility, or you could definitely rack up a big number.

The eighth hole.

The ninth hole is the shortest of Wilmington's three par 5s, playing 510 yards. Interestingly, while the hole bends left, it's best to hit a fade off the tee, as there are trees immediately right of the tee and there's a fairway bunker right where a good draw would end up. There's also three smaller fairway bunkers right, so if you do want to hit driver and get to the green in two, you'll need to step up and hit a really good one. Of course, if you accept this as a three-shot hole, you can stay short of the fairway bunkers, but unlike a lot of par 5s where the lay-up shot is just a matter of advancing the ball, there is trouble to deal with on this hole. There are two more fairway bunkers pinching in, one left and one right, around 75-100 yards from the green. Nothing dramatic, but more than enough to give you something to think about. The green is partially tucked behind a bunker front right, but there's a lot of room left to miss, and if you can't quite get at the green itself, 10 yards left isn't a bad place to miss. I like this hole; it's not difficult and pretty easy to birdie, but you have to think and execute to do it, and that's really all you need.

The ninth hole.

Approaching the ninth green.

The ninth green.

That's it for this week, next week we'll take a look at the back nine.

Review: Jeffersonville Golf Club (Part 2)

It's time to check out the back nine at Jeffersonville, go here to see the front.

The tenth hole is a shortish 350-yard par 4 with a pretty wide open fairway, though there is a bunker left that can catch longer drives. The green is more interesting; there are two bunkers, one front left and one right, and the green itself is heavily sloped up in the back left corner, while falling away in the back right section. It also has a small false front. A clever golfer can utilize the slope in the back right to stop approaches and bring them closer to the hole. Or, if you're like me and lack in execution, you can inadvertently thin a 60-yard pitch over the green and turn a potential birdie into a bogey.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is a mid-length par 4 where, once again, the drive is pretty wide open. There's a couple of bunkers right of the fairway you'll want to stick close to in order to set up the best angle for the second, and while you can't see it from the tee, there's a tiny ditch crossing the fairway about 280 yards out which can catch otherwise perfectly decent drives. So long hitters should be wary of that. The second shot is a wedge or short iron to a very elevated, semiblind green that rather precariously slopes away at the back.

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is an excellent example of what one can do with flat, featureless land without going crazy with the bulldozer. The hole, a mid-length par 3, has just two bunkers, but it doesn't need any more. What it does have is a few mounds, one of which sits directly between the green and the tee, and a green that is perched maybe a foot or two above the surrounding fairway. The mounds ultimately don't take up much space, but their influence extends throughout most of the green. My tee shot ended up just short of the mound short of the green, with it directly between me and the flag. The resulting chip was not tremendously difficult, but there were so many options (flying a wedge over, bumping it into, going around, not to mention which club to use) that the shot couldn't help but be interesting. Everything here is subtle, but the end result is a fascinating hole.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is a 430-yard par 4, with the fairway pinched by bunkers and trees on both sides. Not an easy drive, but not a tough one. The second shot is much more difficult; you'll need to hit a short or mid iron over a valley to a small green sharply sloped from back to front, set back amongst trees and long grass, with two deep bunkers short left and right. We're not talking about tremendous strategic decisions, but the second shot requires precision and commitment, and the green site does look quite good with the native grass and massive trees looming overhead.

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is just 340 yards, but the drive is steeply uphill and plays to a semiblind fairway, with O.B. lurking close by on the left side. Two bunkers protect the left side from drives hit by long irons, while two bunkers further up on the right give those who use driver something extra to think about. The second will be a wedge (or half-wedge) to a partially blind green with bunkers on each side. The back of the green doesn't exactly fall away, but it's not sloped toward the fairway either, so you do have to be careful with overly zealous approaches.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is the final and longest of Jeffersonville's par 3s, playing 210 yards, though it is a bit downhill. The green's pretty big, but it slopes a lot in the front, and there are three pretty deep bunkers protecting the green, two right and one left. It's not the most compelling hole in the world, but I'm sure it doesn't give away too many birdies.

The fifteenth hole.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is home to a rather questionable tree. Located barely 100 yards off the back tee, it looms over the right portion of the hole, forcing you to either hit a massive fade, risking going straight through the fairway into bunkers or tall grass, or using a long iron to skirt around and remain short of the trouble left. At 390 yards, the hole's short enough that this works fine (I hit 3 iron then pitching wedge), and I understand the strategy, but that doesn't mean I'm a huge fan of it. The tree is just a big too close; 50 yards further away and the hole works better. If you lay up, the second is a short iron to a green nestled in a group of small mounds with a single bunker front right.

The sixteenth hole. If it looks like that tree is really in the way, that's because it is.

Approaching the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole edges out the first for prize of longest par 4 at Jeffersonville, playing 452 yards (luckily mitigated for our round by a fresh downwind breeze). A cluster of three bunkers sit in the corner of the dogleg; these can be carried by a decent drive, leaving just a short iron or even wedge into the green. However, many will be drawn away from them, especially considering how open the left portion of the fairway is. Of course, bailing out left leaves you with a 200-yard second, turning this hole into a pseudo par 5. The green here is crowned, with bunkers front left and front right. I can tell you from experience that missing long is a bad idea; the green is elevated a few feet above the rear portion of fairway, making chips from beyond very delicate, as the green slopes away from you as well. Tough but rewarding to pull off, that is until you miss your par putt from 8 feet away. 

The seventeenth hole.

Approaching the seventeenth green.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole isn't the longest par 5 in the world, but at 545 yards (and no forward tees this time), it's no slouch either. The fairway snaps left about 225 yards from the tee, so if you want to hit driver, you need to flirt with the left tree line. The second shot, if you're laying up, is all about getting far enough down the fairway to get past a big pine tree in the corner of the double dogleg, squeezing between water left and a cluster of bunkers right. With that done, you'd think you could breathe easy, but no, this hole possesses one of the most diabolical greens you'll ever see. It's not particularly complicated or well guarded; there's only one greenside bunker off to the left, but the green slopes sharply from front left to back right, making it almost impossible to keep an approach from rolling out. The hole location we got, perched on a small shelf on the left-front corner, must be the toughest. I hit a good wedge that landed 15 feet left or so, but ended up with a 50-foot birdie putt, which I three putted (preventing me from breaking 80, by the way). At least if you miss the green left you've got a chance to get the fourth close to the hole; those who miss right are faced with the most delicate of chips to a green that slopes hard away from you. This may be a par 5, but it's honestly one of the toughest pars at Jeffersonville. 

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green, featuring a questionable pine tree to the right.

Even from 100-something yards away, you can see the green's significant tilt.

The eighteenth green.

Simply put, Jeffersonville is an excellent golf course. While it lacks the ambiance of Shennecossett, the design is just as good. There are some really good holes here, and no weak ones. When I was doing some research on the course ahead of time, I was led to believe that Jeffersonville was flat, and while it's got nothing on a course like Deerfield from last month, it's got enough topography to keep things interesting. Holes I particularly enjoyed were the first, the fourth, the fifth, the twelfth, and the seventeenth. That said, Jeffersonville does fall a bit short of George Wright in the design department. Those holes I mentioned have nothing on five through seven at George Wright, and in general everything Jeffersonville has, George Wright does a little bit better. It's even got Jeffersonville beat when it comes to over-the-top quirk; the eighteenth green here is silly, but George Wright has the twelfth, an entire hole devoted to silliness.

That's not to take anything away from this course. It's a fantastic place and definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a round in Philadelphia. The value is also hard to beat: $35 to walk on a Friday afternoon. The course is in good shape, or as good as one can hope for from a well-trodden muni, and you'll be treated to a full dose of classic Donald Ross. I wouldn't drive 2.5 hours to play there and only there, but I'd absolutely go again if I'm ever in the area with some time to kill.

UPDATE ON NOV. 15, 2022: So as it turns out, I actually recently played Jeffersonville for a second time. That doesn't happen too often on these course reviews, especially not one I literally only reviewed a month ago. So I thought I'd add in a few extra thoughts. First thing was that the conditions in late October were incredible. The course was running very firm and fast, much faster than in July. It made the greens a lot more threatening and interesting, and it was a lot tougher to get up and down. It's not a super long course, but it's got plenty to defend itself with, and there are very few easy holes. Also, the eighteenth is much easier to deal with when the hole is on the left side of the green. It's still a tough green, but it's at least possible to one or two putt. All in all, I'd say the second round definitely improved my opinion of Jeffersonville. It honestly might sneak into my top 10 at this point, and I think I do prefer it to Shennecossett.