Wilmington Municipal Golf Course - Wilmington, NC

The Wilmington Municipal Golf Course is a classic Donald Ross design, dating back to 1926. The WMGC has been serving the greater Wilmington area ever since, offering the public quality championship style golf at an affordable rate. The community cherishes their gem and utilizes it accordingly. 

Hannah and I had the chance to visit my brother in law while he was in Wilmington for a few months this past fall. We had a great time exploring the area. We stayed at a bed and breakfast, tried a lot of the local restaurants, and played the municipal golf course. Read more about Wilmington here. 

The quaint clubhouse has some really neat course map sketches from Donald Ross hung proudly in the pro shop. There is no driving range at the course, which I always welcome not warming up because then I have something to blame an errant shot or two on! There is a great practice putting green which starts to prepare you for the Ross designed greens throughout your round. Similar to many other Ross courses, the par threes can be a thought provoking and challenging test of shot selection and accuracy. From the other Ross courses I have played, there is often reward associated with risk. Pars do not come easy and you can find yourself out of position quickly if you aren’t paying attention to the intended target areas that allow for easier access to the greens. 

We visited in mid November, so we got to experience the course in firm and fast conditions on the dormant Bermuda grass. Having more of the ground game come into play during dormant conditions can be an added element of intrigue, as well as challenge when trying to hold certain fairways or green surrounds.

The Wilmington Municipal Golf Course feels like a step back in time from a simplicity and accessibility standpoint. The city has done a great job keeping conditions great, at a fair price. The residents of Wilmington are lucky to have such a well preserved example of a Donald Ross design in their backyard, where all ages can enjoy a round through Golden Age architecture design. 

Municipal golf can often times get a bad name, when managed by a city that sees a golf course as a burdensome expense rather than a vital asset to the community. Like what the city of Charleston, SC has done with the Charleston Municipal Golf Course, Wilmington is embracing their asset and is providing a recreational facility at a high standard for their residents and visitors. 

I throughly enjoyed my round at WMGC and I hope you get the chance to explore the course and Wilmington as a whole someday!