 |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Wildwood Golf & Country Club - The History
1916: Winter.....“Wildwood Golf and Country Club” chartered and incorporated by five men (William J. Jackson, William T. Martin, Jr., Henry H. Ottens, George C. Connor and J. Charles Winter) on December 16th. The club operated in this manner during the years of WW I for approximately five years. 1918 August…..Vincent “Vin” O’Donnell is hired as the club’s first Golf Professional and oversees the completion and opening of the homemade nine-hole golf course. 1920: Spring…..James S. “Jimmie” Young takes over as Head Golf Professional.
1921: Wayne Stiles is commissioned to design and build a new eighteen hole golf course. He calls on John Van Kleek to assist and construction begins in Spring. 1921: December 2nd…..The Philadelphia Section PGA was formed. “Vin” O’Donnell, Wildwood Golf & CC’s first Professional was instrumental in its formation and became its first Secretary. 1922: July 1st,, 2:00 P.M……The new eighteen hole golf course officially opens for play. J.Wood Platt, his brother Zimmie, George Hoffner and Maurice Talman were the first foursome to tee off. 1923: July 21st……Exhibition match between Walter Hagen and Joe Kirkwood takes place at Wildwood Golf Club which also featured the grand opening of the new permanent clubhouse. 1923: Summer….Raymond H. Topham becomes the first Men’s Club Champion and Mabel Hunt becomes the first Women’s Champion. 1924: Spring…Thomas B. Wootton is the winner of the first “Eastern States Inaugural Tournament”. In 1944, this event became what is now known as the “C.A. ‘Gus’ Heil Memorial Tournament”. 1926: Harry “Pop” Avery takes over as Head Golf Professional.
1934: Fall……….Willard Goeckler wins the first William H. Bright Memorial Tournament. 1935: The first weekend in September…….The first Wildwood Open was played alongside the William H. Bright Memorial Tournament. The Wildwood Open consisted of a strong field of professionals and the event was won by George B. Smith who shot 71-69-73-74=287. 1936: April……….The second Wildwood Open was played alongside the Eastern States Inaugural. The event was won by Ray Mangrum who shot 71-72-73-78=294 and beat Leonard Dodson in a 10 hole play-off as it was getting dark. This concluded a 46 hole day of golf for these two.
and 8 elected every two years. 1944: Fall…Al Besselink, who later became a successful Tour Player, wins the William H. Bright Memorial Trophy. 1951: Summer…Arnold Palmer, a Coast Guard stationed at Cape May, makes several appearances throughout the summer to play and practice. 1952: Garden State Parkway construction begins. Four of the original holes were affected. The golf course is reconfigured. 1953: Wildwood GC’s long serving Golf Professional, Harry “Pop” Avery retires.
1965: Spring…legendary Club Professional, Ronnie Ward, is appointed. 1968: Marty Furgol comes on board as the Teaching Professional. Marty had joined the PGA Tour in 1947. He won twice in 1951 (Houston and Western Opens) and made the 1955 Ryder Cup Team. He won five times on Tour and finished second six times. In fifteen plus years on tour he finished 10th or better in 107 tournaments. Finished tied for second in the 1970 U.S. Senior Open. 1969: April……..Bob Keating begins his long affiliation with Wildwood Golf & 1971: Bob Keating becomes Assistant Pro under Ronnie Ward. 1981: Summer…southpaw, Terry Smick, wins first Club Championship. 1985: Billy Clement becomes the first Junior Member to win the Men’s Club Championship. 1986: Summer…Terry Smick begins ten (10) consecutive Club Championships streak. 1991: Bob Keating becomes General Manager. 1991: Summer…Jeannie Grieshaber wins the first of six (6) consecutive Women’s Club Championships. 1993: Fall…Beloved Club Professional, Sam Duncan, dies of complications from a stroke. 1995: Two “new holes” built. (current 11th & 12th holes) 1999: Summer…Terry Smick wins 15th Club Championship. He was Champion for 15 out of 19 years. 1999: Spring…“new holes” re-done. Driving range and practice areas completed. 2000: Summer…Reigning 2004 Champion, Janet LaMonica, wins her first of five(5) consecutive Women’s Club Championships. 2004: Fall…Fred Riedel returns as Club Professional. 2008: L.J. Georgetti wins the Men’s Club Championship at age 15. 2010: Spring……John Appleget joins the Professional Staff as Teaching Pro. 2010: Alex Hicks wins the Men’s Club Championship at age 17 and Meghna Patel becomes the first Junior Member to win the Women’s Club Championship at age 13. Our club is uniquely structured, as an association, incorporated and not-for-profit. The Corporation owns all of the real and personal property. No one individual owns anycorporate stock, bonds, certificates or equity in the Corporation. There is one Board of 20 Trustees that operates our club’s business. Trustees do not receive any income, benefits or privileges for their services other than dinner at the re-organization meeting. Wildwood Golf & Country Club’s Head Golf Professionals 1918 – 1920 Vincent “Vin” O’Donnell 1921 – 1925 James S. “Jimmie” Young 1926 – 1953 Harry “Pop” Avery 1954 – 1964 Ed DeBaufre 1964 Bill Moran 1965 – 1984 Ronnie Ward 1984 – 1993 Sam Duncan 1994 – 1998 David Startzel 1998 – 2000 Fred Riedel 2001 – 2004 David Smolsky 2004 – Present Fred Riedel Many thanks to Robert Scully, Curator of the Wildwood Historical Society, Peter Trenham of the Philadelphia Section PGA , Joseph Bausch and many of out past and present members for their assistance in obtaining the above information. |
||||||||||||||||||
Pre – 1916: “Old Joe MacKissick’s Farm”
1921: A successor corporation, known as the “Wildwood Golf Club” was formed. This was the doing of ten men (Palmer M. Way, Robert C. Latimer, Ralph Carll, C. Howard Topham, Alexander McMurray, Edward Morton, William Hunt, W. Courtright Smith, Thomas S. Goslin and H. Foster Goslin) and had two classes of membership – Active & Associate. Active membership was limited to the ten who fully controlled the club. Associate members had no vote. The club operated in this fashion into the early stages of World War II.
1928: Summer…Clarence D. “Spike” Fisher wins his first club championship. This was the start of a streak consisting of seven consecutive titles. Mr. Fisher eventually became the Club Champion of Wildwood GC a total of 12 times which spanned a period of six (6) decades with his last taking place in 1970.
1941: The current club structure came into being whereas the club is controlled by a 20 member Board of Trustees. 12 permanent 
1964: Spring… “Pop” Avery’s successor, Ed DeBaufre, is killed in an auto accident.© 2010 Wildwood
Golf and Country Club. All rights reserved.