Plans for golf course are discussed
Golfers Justus Jones, George Crumb, and Matthew Rau
By CHARITY TUMBLESON Reporter
Wakulla County held a gathering on Friday to discuss plans for the future of the Wildwood golf course, which is undergoing renovations with a new design for playing and to take in up to 1 million gallons of treated wastewater.
The county bought the golf course earlier this year to use it as a aquifer recharge basin to dispose of the Advanced Wastewater Treated water from the Otter Creek sewage treatment plant.
Commissioners Quincee Messersmith and Ralph Thomas, and County Administrator David Edwards attended the gathering on Friday to speak. Three local golf teams were in attendance the boys and girls team in the Wakulla High School and the Wakulla Christian golf team.
It was revealed that the facility will be renamed as the Wakulla County Golf Course, formerly known as Wildwood.
“The state has given us $4.9 million towards the irrigation system which is huge because it cost between 7 and $8 million to build this golf course,” Edwards said. “This will be a brand new golf course, there’s nothing going to be old about it. Everything you see here other than the trees that are standing will be gone. You’ll be playing on a brand new golf course, hopefully, this time next year.”
Gina Williams, the golf course superintendent who oversees the health of the golf course, said: “Anytime any of you want to come out and see the golf course and see what we’re doing, feel free to call. We’re here every single day.”
Some of the changes being made include a majority of the new golf course holes will be running north to south for better play.
The audience recognized a few of Wakullas golf players in attendance that played in the Big Bend Golf Tournament.
At one of the major area golf tournaments held at Southwood Golf Club, 13 Big Bend and eastern panhandle teams competed for the Big Bend Championship.
It held over 70 individual golfers where a Maclay senior, Lee Poppell shot a 7-under 65 to win the individual title by six strokes. He was closely followed by Wakulla senior Justus Jones, who shot the only other under-par score of 1-under 71.War Eagle sophomore Matt Rau placed 8th with a solid 76 and Wakulla Christian freshman George Crumb finished in the top 25, a solid 88.