George Wright - Continued
The Friends of George Wright
A number of the neighborhood people in Hyde Park led by long time two “George Wright” ladies Blake Norton and Carolyn McNeil, have banded together to form a group of concerned citizens known as the “Friends of George Wright”. This organization intends to aide the City in the restoration and preservation of this priceless asset.
On April 8, 2004, the “Friends of George Wright” held
their first meeting at the partially refurbished clubhouse. The membership
and long time players at George Wright were invited to the soiree to
meet the new management team, Park Commissioner, Toni Pollack, Councilman,
Rob Consalvo and Mayor Thomas Menino (a Hyde Park resident). The featured
speaker was Michael Fay, Ross Society Founder and Executive Director.
The Ross Society President Walker Taylor IV of Wilmington, NC, took the
time out of his busy schedule to venture to Beantown for the day and
endured an eight-mile, ninety-minute cab ride from Logan. Long-time Ross
Society Board Member, Dr. Terry O’Malley of Boston, who has a
personal connection to George Wright, was also in attendance. Ross
Society Member
and Golf Architect, Tom Devane was there. Tom was the Architect who
worked with Ron Prichard on the rebuilding of the bunkers at the Wilmington
Municipal, a very successful project that saw the City of Wilmington
appropriate $ 230,000 to finish the bunker work that the Ross Society
helped kick off.
George Aldoupolis of the Club Café treated the 100 or so people who attended the event to a station buffet of wonderful items. Parks Commissioner Toni Pollack opened the festivities with a promise to work at returning George Wright to its rightful position as one of the great public venues anywhere. She passed the microphone to Matthew Edgerly who introduced Scott Allen and his Assistant Joe Leary, Len Curtin and George Aldoupolis.
Walker Taylor IV was then introduced and announced the
gift of $ 1,000 to the “Friends of George Wright” to hardy
applause. Mr. Taylor introduced Michael Fay who made a presentation on
Donald Ross and restoration.
Many of the slides the speaker showed were
of recently restored holes in the Boston area. Fay spoke to the
attendees about the priceless nature of their course and promised
that the
Donald Ross Society would help them bring back the original feel
of the golf
course. Fay was followed by Walker Taylor IV, who along with Tom
Devane showed a very poignant slide show of the before and after
of the bunkers
at the Wilmington Municipal. The startling difference in the beauty
and playability of the new bunkers really got the crowds’ attention.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino then arrived and gave some strong words of encouragement to his neighbors. His Honor believes that the George Wright facility is a great asset and wants to aide in continuing the improvements. Ross Society Member, Rosemary Jennings presented His Honor with a Donald Ross Society cap to remember the event.
The spirit of the attendees was rather upbeat. The movement of the “Friends of George Wright” is well on its’ way. We at the Donald Ross Society wish the best of luck.