Course Review: Ed Oliver Golf Club
Situated just north of the heart of Wilmington, Del., Ed Oliver Golf Club boasts over 120 years of history, having been the original home of the Wilmington Country Club. While elements of my visit there were a welcome step back in time, others were, well ... less than enjoyable.
I'm no stranger to munis. (You know the rules, and so do I ...) My home course, Garrisons Lake, is a muni, after all, but Ed Oliver paled mightily in comparison — especially given I paid $52 for today's round ($2 more than a peak tee time at Garrisons Lake). As is becoming a rather disheartening trend, there was no walking discount.
Let's start with the positives — and they are notable. The layout, having been virtually unchanged since the 1970s, is very walker-friendly given short walks from greens to subsequent tees and no unreasonable elevation changes. That being said, at 6.8 miles, it was a healthy hike. While there were no water coolers on the course, a beverage cart made a few rounds and provided a full menu of water, tea, sports drinks, pop and libations (very nice touch!). Pro shop staff, starter and marshals (kudos to Gary, Paul and Maggie in particular!) all get high marks for a job well done and making the effort to monitor conduct and pace of play ... but that's where it goes south.
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| The signature 18th hole at Ed Oliver is a short-ish dogleg right around a century-old chimney, which is depicted in the course logo. |
It took just over 4-1/2 hours for my group (I was paired with a trio that play very occasionally) to complete our round after having to wait on most tees for clear sailing in front of us. Things improved as the round picked up, but to be only seven holes in after two hours ... oy vey.
On the subject of less-than-courteous golfers, loud conversation and music from neighbouring holes was a recurring issue. I was disrupted while putting on No. 9 by a needlessly loud conversation on the clubhouse patio; on the teeing ground of No. 10 by the group teeing off on the adjacent No. 1 box just chattering away and blasting music from their buggy; being hit into on No. 11; folks shouting at each other from two fairways away for no good reason; and a fellow cutting across the fairway my group was about to tee off into shortly thereafter without yielding.
Again, oy vey.
In accordance with Rule 4.3, I put in my Loops to try to combat some of the unnecessary noise, but my mental game was just gone by then. Tripled 14. Tripled 15. I hit a 94 for the day (better than last June's 108 over the same track), but feeling like the abject lack of etiquette from fellow golfers played more of a role than it should. I'll rant about the inherent paradoxes of golf etiquette later, but ... I digress.
As the course itself goes:
The layout is pretty basic, but it's far from a cakewalk. The course is a par 70, with four par 3s (two on each side) and two par 5s (both on the front). There are four tee sets, ranging from 4,383 at the forward tees to 6,173 from the tips. There are a few forced carries over water and heavy brush on tee shots and the approach of No. 1, and only two doglegs. You're thinking "swing away," right?
Wrong.
The tradeoff comes in how tight the course plays and how rock hard the ground is. You'd be hard pressed to find a fairway wider than 25 yards, there are trees everywhere, and the greens are not only tiny, but severely sloped and harder than the old AstroTurf at Veterans Stadium (probably around a 15-16 Stimpmeter rating). Not only were the greens wicked fast, but sections of fairway were burnt, bunkers were not uniformly maintained, and there were massive dirt patches throughout the course.
That all said, Ed Oliver isn't without its fair share of photo ops. The view of the Green Hill Presbyterian Church behind the No. 16 green warranted a photograph, as did the signature closing hole and the century-old chimney reflected in the course logo.
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| The Green Hill steeple peeks above the trees behind the 16th green, and the adjacent cemetery provides a particularly well-behaved gallery for golfers teeing off on No. 17. Photos by the author. |
The pro shop provides a great first impression and the pub and event space make for a great spot to unwind after a round, but everything in between just left too much to be desired.
What I like: Friendly, courteous staff; extremely walkable layout.
What I'd like to see: Tee signs that list more than hole number and par, course map on scorecard, more courteous fellow golfers, better ground conditions, fairer greens.
The ratings: Playability - C, Condition/Atmosphere - D, Layout - C+, Pace - D, Walkability - A-, Service - A-, Amenities - B+, Value for money - C-. Overall, I give Ed Oliver a C.
Round Summary
Course: Ed Oliver Golf Club, Wilmington, Del.
Tees: Red (5,431 yards, CR 66.8, SR 125)
Gross Score: 46-48—94 (net +6)
Pars: 1
Bogeys: 12
Doubles: 3
Triples: 2
Fairways: 4/14
Greens: 1/18
Net Greens: 11/18
Average Driver: 184 yards
Putts: 35
Strokes Gained Putting: 2.16
Total Holed Putts: 54 feet
Longest Made Putt: 9 feet
Shortest Missed Putt: 7 feet
Match vs. Course Handicap: lost, 3 and 2 (3-7-0)
Differential: 24.6
Pending Handicap Index: 19.2 (no change)
Distance Walked: 6.8 miles (~15,600 steps)
Time: 4 hours, 34 minutes
Maximum Heart Rate: 156 bpm
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