Location: Wilmington, Delaware (USA)
Designed By: Robert Trent Jones
Total Yardage: 7,534 yards
Set among the rolling hills of the Brandywine Valley, Wilmington Country Club is one of the most prestigious golf clubs in the US.
Despite over a century of golfing heritage and hosting a variety of high-level events, 2022 will be the first time the PGA Tour visits Wilmington CC, with the arrival of the BMW Championships (the second stop of the FedEx Cup Playoffs).
Playing over 7,500 yards from the championship tees, the South Course presents tight fairway landing areas, high flash faced bunkers, and big putting surfaces with multiple sections. Bentgrass provides a plush, immaculate surface on the tees and fairways from which to strike the ball. But end up in the rough, and the tall fescue grass will provide a different level of class in order to get up and down.
The South Course demands excellence from every part of your game, and it has been recognized as one of the United States’ best golf courses.
Featured Hole: No. 18 (446 yards, par 4)
Standing on the 18th tee, you are faced with an intimidating uphill approach shot for this dogleg, par 4 closing hole.
Hitting the short stuff is absolutely vital for this hole. Most players will look to land their shot on the bend of the fairway, to leave a reasonable shot into the green. The pin position will determine how difficult your next shot is; the further back the pin is, the more blind your second shot becomes.
Bunkers are strategically placed on either side of the fairway to swallow up any tee shots that leak right or left, as well as copious amounts of punishing long grass.
Ending up in the rough need not be the end of the hole, however. Canadian Gary Cowan made golfing history when he holed out for an eagle from the left-hand rough to win the US Amateur competition in 1971.
The green is sharply divided into two halves: a raised back and lower front section that acts like a bowl. Perfect if the pin is at the front, but frustratingly difficult if located at the back of the green. Come up short, and your ball will roll 60 yards or more back down the fairway.
Think you got what it takes? Come and take on the challenge, in PGA TOUR 2K23.
