The “best greens in the valley” are now within reach for local Yolo County golfers.
Wild Wings Golf Course in Woodland reopened for play on May 1 after being closed for four months.
The course, which used to be privately owned, is now owned by Yolo County. The county required a majority vote from homeowners in order to reopen and fund the course.
Measure O asked property owners to approve an annual assessment of $1,200 to support the maintenance and operation of the course. The final vote on Measure O in the most recent Yolo County special election found 76 percent in favor of saving the golf course and 24 percent opposed. Out of 541 registered voters, 419 votes were cast.
The Yolo County Board of Supervisors selected KemperSports to manage the nine-hole public golf course upon the passage of Measure O.
The course closed in December of last year and is under new management, said Jim Wagner, interim general manager of Wild Wings Golf Course.
“We had a grand opening for the homeowners – and that was very successful, we had a couple hundred people here,” Wagner said.
While the rain put a damper on the course’s opening weekend, staff and management are hopeful that Wild Wings will receive more business in the coming weeks, he said.
Wild Wings staff plans to offer special programs and host events in order to generate local interest, Wagner said.
“Woodland seems to be excited about [the reopening],” he said.
The style and layout of the course is the same as when it was originally open, Wagner said. However, the course was not being maintained during the time it was closed, so a lot of maintenance and renovation had to be done before the opening.
The course staff includes several golf professionals that will also teach lessons at the course.
“We don’t have a driving range as of yet, but we can still do some short range lessons and playing lessons on the course,” said Travis Scott, assistant professional at Wild Wings.
Future plans for the course include a driving range to create even more lesson options and a place for local golfers to come and practice, he said.
Course managers are also looking into future plans of expanding the clubhouse and proving a full food and beverage service.
“The two main priorities [for the future] are the expansion for the food and beverage facility and the driving range acquisition,” said Randy Thomas, general manager and head professional at Wild Wings.
In order to construct the desired driving range, the course will likely have to acquire more property, he said.
“We could put up nets or rig something ourselves, but that is not the facility quality we want to project in the end,” Thomas said.
The course has seen interest from golfers throughout Yolo County including Woodland, Davis, Vacaville and West Sacramento, he said.
“People will drive 40 miles to play a good golf course,” Thomas said. “For a nine hole course it is better than anything out there because it is maintained so well … we have an outstanding reputation for our greens.“
The Sacramento Bee voted Wild Wings “the best greens in the valley” in 2006.
Wild Wings charges $16 for a nine hole round of golf and $28 for 18 holes.
More information can be found at wildwingsgolf.com.
CAITLIN COBB can be reached at city@theaggie.org.
