Premier Golf, Yachting, and Tennis Community in the Heart of Hilton Head Island PO Box 4100, SC 29938.       111 Wexford Club Drive, SC 29928.       Tel: (843) 686-8810.       Fax: (843) 686-6210.

A Brief History of Wexford Part 2:

Compiled by Mary Tracy

Early Social Activities

Wexford Harbour Nearing Completion

Early Social Activities:

The elegant clubhouse was the center for social gatherings. Pink Georgian marble in the foyer and Tiffany style glass skylights in the reception area, along with fine quality furnishings and accessories, made it a delightful place to entertain.

There were champagne cruises in the harbor to deliver guests to the clubhouse to dine and listen to the music of Jay Samuels, then be returned by boat to their own docks.

For a Mystery Night Party complete with a ÒCrimeÓ to solve, residents traveled by golf cart to five different homes where the club provided courses for a progressive dinner.

Chef Jim McClaine served an authentic Hawaiian feast for a Luau for seventy members and guests who all came dressed in Hawaiian togs.

Men were required to wear jackets for evening dining on Fridays and Saturdays. In the summer there were casual cookouts around the pool and patio on Wednesday evenings. Through 1990 many dining options were tried. Tuesdays through Thursdays casual dining was from 6:00 to 8:30. Fridays and Saturdays were for fine dining. Later, Fridays were for casual dining especially in summer around the pool. By 1991 a food and beverage minimum was established that resulted in an additional 250 diners over the same period the previous year. By then dining hours were the same as now.

There was Bingo-night with a spaghetti dinner and most interesting of all was a Western Jamboree at the Maintenance Barn. The first President's Ball took place in 1989. This was a black tie affair to honor past and current presidents. The first Christmas Boat Parade was in 1985 with five decorated boats. Hot toddies and snacks followed in the clubhouse.

The Commodore had his first annual cocktail party and buffet on June 9,1989.

The Yachting Community:

By 1986 there were 40 boats registered in the harbor. Boaters cruised to Charleston and stayed at Bohicket Marina for three days. In the ensuing years they have traveled to St. Simon's Island, Wild Dunes, the Savannah River Resort, the Savannah Greek Festival, St. Augustine, the Bahamas, Beaufort, Dataw Island, and all up and down the east coast from Maine to Florida. Today there are well over 100 boats registered in Wexford harbor and the boaters are always planning cruises to interesting destinations.

Fishing has always been an important sport in and around Wexford waters. There were King Mackerel Tournaments, Cobia Tournaments, and in harbor fishing contests from earliest days.

Golf:

From the beginning the golf professionals went out of their way to be helpful. They remembered the names of every member even though some visited infrequently. Under pro Whitney Crouse golf fees were as follows: Unaccompanied guests - $50. Accompanied guests - $30. Cart fee per person was $8.50. The first two private golf carts arrived for the Marcus and Boeke residences in 1986.

Wexford beat Long Cove in the fall of '86 in the first of many challenges to come. Twenty-two and a half inches of rain kept carts on the paths for several weeks in late winter of 1987.

The second Wexford - Long Cove match played the first nine holes at Long Cove and traveled to Wexford for the back nine. A cookout flowed at Long Cove. Davis Love, Jr. held a Golf Digest School at Wexford for 40 participants. The August 1987 newsletter warned that range balls were on the way out as too many people were playing them on the course and the cost to members was becoming too high. Some things never change. By 1987 it should be noted that metal woods were growing in popularity over traditional persimmon wood. Twilight golf was played on the third Wednesdays at 4:00 P.M. followed by Wednesday night buffet.

In 1988 Keith Goodacre became head professional. He recommended the use of sunscreen, hats and sunglasses to protect from harmful rays. Slow play was addressed and discouraged as always.

In the fall of 1993 Rich Balthrup took over as head professional . His first tasks included the men's member-guest and the club championship. In 1994 he promoted the first annual women's - member guest. Night golf was tried for the first time and everyone found it a challenge.

In the summer of 1997 Mike Brooks became our head professional. Wexford was co-host for the top junior golfers from 37 states and 7 foreign countries. By mid April of 1999 the golf course was closed for a total renovation. Our members were fortunate to be able to play at Belfair, Callawassie, Indigo Run, Long Cove, and Moss Creek while our course was closed. The golf course reopened on October 15. At that time Mike Brooks left Wexford to go to Naples Grande Golf Club, and Brian Dillard became our head Pro. Frank Jones became the Director of Golf. When Brian decided to move to Chechessee Golf Club Frank Jones decided to retire, and Todd Rickenbach became the new head professional.

Tennis:

Six great tennis courts attracted players from every age group. In the fall of 1987 Denis held a tennis clinic at Wexford. Members here wanted a resident pro but that didn't happen until the summer of 1989. Will Malloy, Doc to all of us, became the head tennis pro. Twenty players turned out for the inauguration of a tennis club with lots of enthusiasm. By 1990 the Wexford ladies tennis went to the state playoffs. There were tennis clinics, round robins, tournaments, and social matches. Doc could always round up a partner for a member in from out of town. Wimbledon at Wexford started a tradition that is still most popular. Wexford's Women's Tennis Teams, both interclub and USTA have always been strong. In 1993 the USTA team advanced to the Southern Sectionals. The interclub 4.0 team was a very close second place with a record of 28/44 wins under captain Loretta Healey.

In November of 1994 Patrick became head professional. To this day Wexford's tennis program is second to none.

Information & services on these pages apply only to members of the Wexford Plantation Homeowners' Association.

Updated: Feb/1/08 Copyright 2008