Willow Lakes at PAFB
This is the first of the “Courses Lost” posts, which I share, and invite others to share, memories of courses that have closed.
Willow Lakes Golf Course opened in the Fall of 1968 on Pope Air Force base but it was not until the following October, upon my return from Mildenhall RAF, England to start my discharge from service process, that I played the course.
As it was, the USAF allocated 30 to 45 days for an airman to complete the procedure, so there was a lot of “hurry up and wait” downtime while waiting for one office to send my records to another one involved in the process. Therefore, I was able to play golf almost every day, rotating between Donald Ross designed Stryker GC on Ft. Bragg, the newly opened Cypress Lakes aka “Home of the Floyds”, and Willow Lakes.
Being new and a very immature track, I don’t think I played the course more than five or six times that Fall. Mostly the days I was required to be on base taking care of the next step in the discharge process. Since it was only a few minutes away, it was great for a quick nine or for practicing my short game. From what I remember, the main benefit of playing the course was it was located on base and never busy. By early December the process was completed, discharge date set, therefore, all that was left to do was to sign off base one last time and head home to a merry Christmas. So, with starting a new chapter of my life, it was not long until the few memories of the course faded away.
And, so it was, until almost 20 years later, when a business opportunity brought me back to Fort Bragg. The planned all day meeting wrapped up by mid afternoon, so I decided to stop by Stryker GC, on my way off base. By the mid-eighties, I had developed an appreciation for Donald Ross courses, so I was interested to see what, if anything, had changed since the Fall of 1969. After checking in at the pro shop, while reminiscing about the “old days” with the staff, I was told I should check out the course over on Pope (AFB), and “if it’s been 20 years, I would not recognize it”. He was definitely right, I did not!
What once was a nondescript nine holes, had morph into over 7000 yards, very challenging, championship style golf course. What a change! I thought to myself, “I’ve got to come back and play this track!”, And, I did, a couple or three times that summer and another dozen times or so, over the next few years. Always enjoyed my outings, the staff were friendly, and the course from the back tees, was all you would want; challenging but fair.
Then in 2009 Pope Air Force Base (PAFB) was decommission and became Pope air field, again, under the control of the US Army. So, what started in 1947, when the Army Air Corp became the U. S. Air Force, and Pope air field became Pope AFB, sixty years later, had gone full circle back to its origin. And, since there were two golf courses on Fort Bragg, the decision was made that the land, formerly known as Willow Lakes Golf Course, would be better utilized addressing “base housing” needs.
Therefore, by 2010, Willow Lakes Golf Course became history. But, I guess, as a gift from the Golf Gods, I have a record of my last round played at the course, as well as pictures from that outing. Forever frozen in time, July 17th, 1992; a hot & humid day, 96 degrees with a heat index of 104; par 72, playing to 7065 yards. And, now, just a memory.
Until next time
Hit’em Pretty
