Golfing folks knew the aging course upon which Willow Springs Country Club now calls home ranked among the oldest in North Carolina. Not as well-known was the property’s age.
“A lot is to be said about a golf course that has been around 110 years,” said Wilson native Jay Pittman, a junior champion and now a golf professional who has embarked upon a professional career of more than three decades in the sport and business. “You hate to see it when something like that goes by the wayside.”
Jimmy Gurkin, Willow Springs golf professional and co-owner with his wife, Paula Gurkin, commented: “I worked hard for 37 years and spent a lot of time out here. I hate to see it be plowed up.”
“It’s 120 acres I fell in love with,” said Wilson County golf icon Butch O’Briant. “But I guess all good things must end at some point.”
Lee Matthews, the fourth Willow Springs head pro and now the accomplished head boys and girls tennis coach at Fike High School, constantly speaks of and cherishes the many memories during a tenure of some four years. He’s the son of Emmett Matthews, a pro and one of Wilson County’s most colorful golf figures ever.
ESTABLISHED IN 1910
The course was established as Wilson Country Club in 1915. It became Willow Springs when purchased in 1974 by a trio of Wilson businessmen: H.M. Matthis, Henry Brewer and Harold Lee. All three were deceased when the Gurkins purchased the venue from family members of Lee, Matthis and Brewer in 1989.
After some 50 years in golf course management and now 78 years of age, Gurkin is ready to step away. He is in the process of selling the 122 acres, and the sale is reportedly in its final stages. Gurkin was unable to attract a buyer with the intent of keeping the property a golf course, and plans by the prospective buyer are to convert it into a home development site.
“I understand Jimmy’s situation,” O’Briant remarked, “and he has to do what he needs to do. I just wish there could have been a situation that the course could be sold — and still be a golf course.”
The course remained Willow Springs Country Club with the Gurkins’ arrival. However, Willow Springs’ current plight is common knowledge, and numerous members have already found new courses.
Thus, a community benefiting from four courses as late as 2018 — when Happy Valley Country Club ceased operation — will be left with only Wilson Country Club and Wedgewood Public Golf Course. And as Wedgewood pro Brady Pinner recently noted: “It’s already crazy out here.”
Thus Willow Springs, via two sets of owners, will likely exist nearly 52 years. The Gurkins were at the helm the last 36-plus.
FULFORD FIRST DIRECTOR
Standout amateur golfer Dickie Fulford served as the first director of golf. His stay lasted 2 ½ years.
“Henry Brewer approached me one day and said he and the other owners wanted me to run the golf course,” Fulford, then in the vending business, recollected. “They wanted 350 members with dues paid three months in advance. I gave them 550.”
Fulford was followed by former assistant Foyce Jones, Matthews, pro Lee Matthews, Emmett’s older of two sons; pro Jim Roberts; and pro Ken Snipes. Gurkin and Scott Larsen functioned as pros during the Gurkins’ years. Jones, Emmett Matthews, Jones and Roberts are deceased.
Pittman not only played but worked at Willow Springs. During years under both ownerships, O’Briant established a club record with 12 men’s championships. He has posted a career low Willow Springs round of 29-33—62, with an eagle, eight birdies and a bogey. He also won four Wilson County Amateur titles and numerous invitationals in eastern North Carolina. He played for Atlantic Christian, now Barton College.
Fulford says the 500-plus members stayed around for a while and “it took off.”
A PRETTY PLACE
Fulford, now 79, praised Jones, who was hired to run the pro shop. Part of Fulford’s package was time to play golf from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. daily.
“My biggest help was Foyce,” he declared. “He was great in the pro shop.”
Personal dissatisfaction eventually resulted in Fulford’s departure and return to the vending business.
“I didn’t want to leave,” he assured. “I loved the course. But I most remember the people — some very, very good people.”
Since the outset of coaching tennis, Matthews has spent 27 years with the girls and 25 with the boys teams. He has compiled a 413-112 record with the girls and a 320-145 mark with the boys. Losing seasons total a mere three, and neither team has posted a losing worksheet since 2013. The girls have captured 15 conference championships and the boys eight. The girls emerged the NCHSAA state 3-A runner-up in 2008, and the boys accomplished the feat in 2024.
Matthews accepted the golf position when his father, with an arm shading his eyes and a grin (signature gesture), experienced health problems.
“We were getting into the ‘honey’ years,” Lee Matthews, age 70, reported. “We had a very active membership, and Jimmy (Thompson) kept the course in great shape. Tournaments, we blew out of the water. The member-member and member-guests were big tournaments. Super ball tournaments, we absolutely blew out of the water.”
Willow Springs was also the home for the Golden Leaf Invitational, which attracted top-shelf amateurs from across the state and the top local and golfers.
THOMPSON THE STAPLE
“When I pulled out, there was a little slide,” Matthews recalled. “There was not as much activity during the time Ken Snipes (was the head pro). I think the ladies (owners’ widows) wanted to be out of the golf business.”
Consider Thompson, the golf course superintendent, the staple of the first Willow Springs ownership era. He was a course-educated workaholic, committed and fiercely proud. The results showed. For a period of about five years, members of Willow Springs bragged about their “showplace.”
“He was a tremendous asset,” Matthews said. “He saw the implementation of the irrigation system, and that was probably the turning point for the course. He spent more time at the course than any superintendent I’ve ever known. He was responsible for the final touches.”
Thompson, now deceased, was a hands-on product of the Wayne Community College turf grass management school.
But, as Matthews divulged: “Wilson Country Club hired him away.”
Upon leaving his post, Matthews, who said he was subject to plenty of good-natured ribbing as the son of Emmett Matthews and the brother of Charles Matthews, continued to visit Willow Springs regularly as a salesman for Maxfli (six years). A few other short-term jobs preceded his venture into the teaching and coaching field.
“Jimmy (Gurkin) was a perfect gentleman,” Matthews remarked. “Jimmy operated the golf course differently. Not that it was the wrong way, but not the way people were used to having it done.”
PITTMAN’S IMPACT
Jay Pittman’s name became prominent after he won the 1985 Wilson County Amateur with a score of 8-under-par 66-70—136 for 36 holes. His 10-stroke margin of victory remains a tournament record. His low round at Willow Springs is 32-31—63, 8 under from the back tees, and consisting of seven birdies and an eagle.
He started his collegiate career at Campbell University and played for Atlantic Christian (now Barton) College his final two years. Pittman spent some six years working at Willow Springs before turning pro. He had stints as a sales rep and general manager. His first head pro job was at Chicora Country Club near Dunn. He spent 21 years affiliated with Club Corp and joined Heritage Golf Group three years ago. Pittman is currently general manager for Heritage’s Venetian Golf Club in North Port, Florida.
Is he nearing retirement?
“When I retire,” he retorted, “the retirement will be at 11 a.m. — and the funeral at 1 p.m.”
His family possessed memberships at Wedgewood, then Willow Springs. His mother, Barbara, continues to reside in Wilson. His father, Larry, who pioneered the long-standing junior tournament, is deceased.
LATE NIGHT TASK
Jay Pittman began working at Willow Springs at age 14, and he remembers, as a high school senior, his job was to drive out to Willow Springs late at night and turn on the water. He described the feeling as “eerie,” and being by himself didn’t help.
“I learned a lot more at Willow Springs than in my four years of college,” Pittman contended. “It was an unforgettable life experience. The course was always in good shape and there was a lot of passion and pride. It was definitely in the best shape (at the advent of Willow Springs). We worked really hard and had a lot of pride. It had a few minor ups and downs. But people wanted to come and play the course. It was a huge transformation. It was a lot better more often than not.”
Members proudly claimed: “If you can play Willow Springs, you can play any golf course.”
But Pittman notes that along came the trend of building extremely long and difficult courses, and the saying lost some clout.
“There are so many memories,” he said. “With the members, there were a lot of positives. I remember that, in eastern North Carolina, it was one of the top places for all ages to play. I can’t forget the good times and the camaraderie.”
APRIL FOOL’S START
The Gurkins’ era started on April Fool’s Day 1989.
Jimmy Gurkin, involved in the church and not prone to profanity or vulgarity, preached “tight, conservative and make it last.”
“We were limited with what we had to spend,” he emphasized. “All you can do is all you can do.”
The greens, Gurkin said, were always a struggle.
Gurkin’s hard work has never been questioned, and, as Matthews reminded, “You have got to have some maintenance, luck and perseverance.”
Matthews preferred turning his attention to the 10 o’clock and lunch time gangs, the sign filled with the nicknames of the everyday players and good-naturedly warned: “Don’t mess with (Butch) O’Briant.
“More of my memories were during the time I was working here,” he commented. “The memories flow; they’re indelibly imprinted. There were some great times. I saw some really, really good golf played out here.”
Including the late Mary Davenport winning 19 Willow Springs Women’s championships.
Gurkin considers Willow Springs more of a golf club than a country club.
“Jimmy got it going in the right direction,” Pittman observed. “He attracted more members, and that gave it a little bit better cash flow. The irrigation system made all the difference in the world. Over the years, the course did pretty good, but it was an uphill battle. It was still a really good place.”
Pittman added that the layout could have benefited from an influx of capital, and, for a course to be successful, the capital investment over the years has to be relevant.
PLAYING THE COURSE
Fulford regarded the course a tough challenge and cited the importance of accuracy on all shots.
Added Matthews: “If you wanted to keep (the ball) in the fairway, you had to hit it straight everywhere.”
Matthews reflected that his father always advised playing with a slight fade. He was obviously referring to golfers hitting from the right side.
“Emmett said a draw couldn’t hear you, but a fade will listen a little bit,” Lee Matthews commented with a laugh.
O’Briant, no doubt, was one of the best at getting around the tight, demanding course.
Pittman estimates the length of the par 36-35—71 layout at 6,400 yards, while Gurkin says it can be stretched to a length of 6,800 yards.
“To get around Willow Springs pretty well, you hit a lot of different shots. From a driving standpoint, it’s pretty wide open. But it’s pretty spot-on with the approach. The (five) par-3’s are certainly not long, but with the small greens, it’s like hitting to a postage stamp,” Pittman said.
“I had to learn different shots and how to spin (the ball). It was risk-reward.”
The par-4, No. 2 layout, that runs along Contentnea Creek, gets the nod as the most difficult hole to play.
“No. 2 kind of sneaked up on you,” Pittman described. “The ground sloped from right to left (toward the creek) a lot more than you realized. And, then, there was that big, old oak tree on the right side — about 120 yards from the green.
“No. 13, for sure, was tough. It was the ultimate risk-reward par-5. And as the years went by, the trees got bigger.”
Pittman mentioned the short par-4, dogleg right No. 14 hole with the huge tree and bunker protecting the green, as one of the hardest driving holes and a big risk-reward.
During the latter years, the most active golfers moved from Willow Springs to Happy Valley or vice versa or obtained memberships at both. Matthews was familiar with both courses.
“The main reason I joined back (at Willow Springs),” O’Briant divulged, “is because I loved the golf course. We had a lot of good years; most of them were good years.
“I obviously didn’t like (Willow Springs no longer existing). It’s tough. I credit being a member out there for being able to compete at any course. I was ready.”
Fulford terms the situation as sad.
“I loved (the course),” he declared.
What is the alternative for Wilson County golfers?
“With all the growth coming to Wilson, a third golf course is going to be needed,” contended O’Briant.
The forthcoming sale of Willow Springs, said Pittman, “is going to make the golf scene in Wilson a lot different.”