Today’s clean-up effort concentrates on golf courses found in the lovely US cities named Wilmington. Spencer Compton, the 1st Earl of Wilmington, was British Prime Minister for about a year, never married, died “without issue” and, yet, managed to have several cities in the U.S. named after him. Go figure.
Wilmington, Delaware is that small state’s biggest city and the home of a large number of corporations (it’s a tax thing). All those corporate execs need places to play golf, so it’s not surprising that among the golf courses in Wilmington, Delaware are several high-quality private golf clubs. Most famous is the DuPont Country Club, former home of the LPGA Championship and current home of 54 holes of very good golf. Also located in the gently rolling hills on the north side of town are Wilmington Country Club (36 holes) and Delaware National Country Club (18).
Drive about 500 miles south along the Atlantic coast and you’ll come to (arguably) the second most famous Wilmington in the country: Wilmington, North Carolina. This Wilmington is an inland port town not far north of the golf haven that is the greater Myrtle Beach region. Golf courses in Wilmington, NC include a variety of public and private clubs. Located east of the city just off the Intracoastal Waterway is Country Club of Landfall, featuring 45 holes of golf designed by Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye. Not ready for a private club? Consider Duck Haven Golf Club for an inexpensive round; head a few miles north to the great golf courses in Hampstead, North Carolina; or set sail for the golf in Sunset Beach, a relatively short drive south of Wilmington at the border with South Carolina.
Heading west we discover that you don’t have to be a big Wilmington to have great golf. Little (relatively) Wilmington, Ohio is home to only one course, but the Elks 797 Golf Club is considered one of the best in this corner of Ohio. And it’s only about 50 miles northeast of Cincinnati, 35 miles southeast of Dayton and 60 miles southwest of Columbus.
You’re probably now considering how you can complete your “Wilmington golf bucket list”, so we’ll tell you that you can also find two golf courses in Wilmington, Vermont and two golf courses in Wilmington, Illinois. The comes the longest leg of the trip: getting to the little 9-holer known as Harbor Park Golf Course, deep in the heart of greater Los Angeles in Wilmington, California. Make sure you change the oil before you start your trip.
