By Bill F. Hensley

Tanglewood Park, a stone's throw west of Winston-Salem off Interstate 40, has been an integral part of North Carolina history and culture for generations. The property is rich in history and tradition and is renowned for its charm and natural beauty.

Over the years, this expanse of forests, rolling hills, streams, lakes and broad pastures benefited from the good stewardship of some colorful owners who preserved and enhanced the scenic wonders of the place. Tanglewood became public property in 1951 following the death of its last private owner, William Neal Reynolds of the famed tobacco family. Reynolds and his wife Kate, who made their home at Tanglewood for 30 years, willed the magnificent property to the citizens of Forsyth County to be used as a public recreational park.

For more than 50 years as a county-owned property, Tanglewood has been one of Forsyth County's most treasured assets. Offering a wide variety of recreational amenities, Tanglewood is a haven for wholesome family outings and group events.

Golf is a major attraction at the 1,100-acre park that borders the Yadkin River and Davie County, and it provides the revenue that pays most of the bills for other park amenities. There are two highly regarded 18-hole courses, built in 1955, and an enjoyable 18-hole par-3 course.

The park first gained national attention in 1974 when its demanding Championship Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones, hosted the PGA Championship that saw Lee Trevino edge Jack Nicklaus by one stroke to win the coveted title. The park's second course is known as Reynolds.

The success of that nationally televised event, along with affordable green fees and easy access, sparked a keen interest in the Championship Course, which has been voted the best public course in the state by the North Carolina Magazine Golf Panel. Each year the courses draw around 65,000 players, according to golf professional Mike Wilcox. A round at the Championship course is $34 during the week and $44 on weekends, including cart, and $23 and $29 on the Reynolds course. The Vantage Championship, a senior PGA Tour event that attracts the game's top players, is played at Tanglewood annually, and this year's dates are Sept. 10-16.

In addition to golf, the park offers tennis, hiking, cycling, horseback riding, fishing, boating and swimming, although last year the Olympic-sized pool was closed because of badly needed repairs. A 72-site campground also has been closed recently and its future is in doubt.

Tanglewood also offers a spacious clubhouse that sits high on a hill overlooking the property, several picnic shelters, a snack bar, two lakes, a barn for group recreational events, a miniature train ride, a children's playground, an arboretum, nature trails, a rose garden, a wildlife observation area, a fitness course, a stationary locomotive, soccer and T-ball fields, a waterslide, a motorbike race track and a steeplechase course that features annual races that draw upwards of 20,000 spectators.

“There isn't much that the park doesn't have,” offers Wilcox, “including a church and a cemetery. This is a diverse recreational complex.”

The church, a simple white frame structure, was built in 1809 and is used for weddings and special religious events. The cemetery is the resting place of William Johnson, a former owner of the plantation.

On-site public accommodations include 10 rooms in the Manor House, built by James Johnson in 1859 and enlarged to 28 rooms by Reynolds when he acquired the property in 1921; an 18-room lodge adjacent to the house that offers clean, pleasant facilities; a five-room guest house, and four rustic family cottages near Mallard Lake, the largest of the two lakes.

Rental prices for all Tanglewood facilities are reasonable, especially the packages that include lodging, breakfast and a round of golf.

A variety of special events are held each year , including the Christmas-time Festival of Lights, a drive-through show that attracts thousands to the grounds, which are draped in sparkling lights throughout the holiday season.

Like many government-owned properties, Tanglewood occasionally is mired in budget problems that prevent or delay repairs and additions. The swimming pool, which won't open again this year, the campground and the lodge are prime examples of the need for some tender loving care.

Tanglewood is open year-round from 8 a.m. to dusk. There is a $2 admission charge per car, and an annual pass for non-Forsyth County residents is $25. For more information, call 910-778-6300.

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