Four Itchy Feet

April 25, 2025. Wilson, North Carolina.

Today was a good day of golf! Barbara and I recorded our best golf scores yet; I shot an 86, and she had a respectable 102. As we drove down I-95 towards Saint Simons Island, Georgia, we decided to stop in the town of Wilson, North Carolina. There, since 1915, lies the oldest golf course on the East Coast, Willow Springs Country Club. The course is semi-private and has been family-owned and operated for over 30 years.

The register attendant, with her small dog at the counter greeted us and got us going quickly.  The pro shop has an old-school feel, unlike the courses of today where you often feel like you’re walking into a retail store to be outfitted with new clubs. Lined with hardwoods, the 18-hole course features Bermuda grass greens and over 6,600 yards of fairways. The course is in good condition, although the greens on the first nine holes can use some extra care.

The course was designed by the famous golf course architect Donald J. Ross. He was known for the simplicity and efficiency of his course designs, always striving to create challenging courses with minimal earth movement. According to Jack Nicklaus, “His stamp as an architect was naturalness,” simply letting the lay of the land dictate each and every hole. Ross approached designing a new course with the thought to “make each hole present a different problem.” Ross preferred a short uphill par-4 hole that invited run-up shots but had severe trouble at the back of the green, typically in the form of fall-away slopes.  Willow Springs is a good example of his design philosophy. His most famous golf course feature is the “turtleback green,” where the center of the green is raised and slopes away from the center. This makes it difficult to hold shots unless you land the ball precisely in the middle. This design feature has probably inspired eloquent cursing; however, I am of the opinion that his intention and design have been exaggerated by modern course architects to challenge the avid and better-equipped golfer of the 21st century.

Overall, we had an incredible time at the course and thoroughly enjoyed the layout. It gave us the opportunity to play our best golf and immerse ourselves in the natural beauty of the North Carolina forest.