Pioneer Golf Course: A Denton Tradition 

TWU Fitness and Recreation is trying to collect photos and stories about our golf course's historical ties to the Denton community. If you have any that you would like to share, we want to hear from you! Please contact Tom Roese at troese@twu.edu.    

Golf: On the Right Course
  

Denton Record Chronicle
08:18 AM CDT on Tuesday, September 30, 2008                                     
By Barry Vermillion / Staff Writer

Revitalization of the Pioneer Golf Course at Texas Woman’s University, the only public golf course in Denton, is gaining momentum. 
    
Originally constructed as a six-hole course in 1939 by Dr. L.H. Moore, an English professor at the college, so he would have a place to play golf, more holes were added throughout the years to complete the 18-hole course.

Photo of Dr. L.H. Moore                                                         

At times, the course was simply maintained. During other extended periods of time, it was almost fully neglected and essentially unplayable — until 1963.

Billy Wiggs was hired by the university that year as a golf course superintendent and pro shop manager who immediately began a 32-year pampering of the course.

Like Wiggs, many golfers that began their lifelong love of golf on the course, and have continued to play Pioneer regularly since that time, call that era the “Glory Years,” when the likes of Byron Nelson, and Patti Berg and Beverly Hanson of the LPGA, played rounds there.

Since Wiggs’ retirement from the university in 1995, various other administrators and supervisors have managed the course. Partially the recipients of limited support or lack of understanding, some were more successful than the others.

Finally, in the spring of 2007, university officials recognized the importance of the golf course to the community and made a dedicated commitment to restore Pioneer Golf Course.

The revitalization plan was implemented in two phases, the first phase including improving the course grounds, hiring a professional course superintendent, and a coordinator of golf course services. The second phase included improvement in services.

Tom Roese, the new course superintendent, has demonstrated a dedication to the course reminiscent of Wiggs’ during the glory years.

“We have a lot of things we want to do in the future to improve the course conditions and make the course fun to play,” Roese said.

If the future holds the same promise as the improvements visible at Pioneer today, there is no reason to doubt his predictions.

The temporary trailer that served as offices for the staff and a clubhouse is gone. The old clubhouse is gone and has been replaced with a new building.

“We’ve been in the new clubhouse now for a couple of weeks,” Roese said. “We have new furniture, we’re going to get some furniture for the patio, and in the future I want to build a wooden deck out back where you can sit under umbrellas with something cold to drink and watch the golfers as they come in.”

The university has purchased 40 golf carts to replace the entire fleet destroyed when the old maintenance building burned in April, and they are available now for those golfers wanting to ride rather than walk.

With the availability of the new carts, “it’s getting real busy,” Roese said. “So if you want to play on the weekend, you need to call ahead for a tee time.”