From the ARCHIVES
Wilmington Country Club traces its origins to a series of early athletic and social clubs that reflected the region’s growing enthusiasm for organized sport. Its earliest roots date to 1877 with the formation of the Young America Cricket Club, one of the first sports clubs in the area. In 1882, it was absorbed by the Delaware Cricket Club, which then merged with the Delaware Field Club in 1883. As recreational interests evolved nationwide, the Delaware Field Club soon turned its attention to the rapidly growing game of golf. In the spring of 1901, the group set out to develop an 18-hole golf course, leasing 134 acres of farmland from William du Pont along Kennett Turnpike. On April 22, 1901, Wilmington Country Club was formally incorporated as a private, member-owned institution with 259 Charter Members. The founders—largely Wilmington businessmen and sportsmen—shared a vision centered on fellowship, recreation, and the traditions of golf, embracing a governance model rooted in member stewardship and long-term thinking. Work on the course began almost immediately. The first nine holes were completed in August 1901, constructed by 25 workers and eight horses at a cost of $2,000. After the fall wheat harvest, the second nine was finished in just three weeks for $850, and the Club became an allied member of the United States Golf Association on February 27, 1902. From its earliest years, Wilmington Country Club offered a broad mix of athletic and social activities and quickly became both a competitive golf destination and a social hub in the Mid-Atlantic. Now, as Wilmington Country Club celebrates its 125th Anniversary, we honor the vision of those early members and the generations who followed. Throughout this milestone year, we look forward to sharing more of the Club’s history while continuing to build on the traditions that have defined Wilmington Country Club for 125 years.
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