DOWLING – Tanglewood Golf Club has been more than just a golf course to long-time owner Dick Wyckoff and
his family.
After building the course from scratch over 50 years ago and raising his family in their home beside the
course for just as long, it is safe to say Tanglewood has been a way of life for the Wyckoff’s.
But there is a new family about to take over at the Perrysburg course, as Bowling Green resident Tom
Blanchard and his wife Sandy purchased the course and began operating Tanglewood on May 23.
"He built this thing from scratch. He’s done a lot," Tom Blanchard said of Wyckoff. "We’re
very excited. The Wyckoff’s have treated us very well."
"It’s fortunate for us to be involved with the Wyckoff family," he added.
Without the efforts of Wyckoff, Tanglewood would not even exist. What began as a few practice holes for
himself turned into an 18-hole course that is respected around the area for its quality and fair prices.

"I was just a kid yet … I was just going to have three holes to start," Wyckoff said."I
went and walked the place and soon I had nine holes lined up."
Wyckoff, who turns 86 this month, basically built the course by himself starting in 1958. He built all
the greens up and removed "about 1,000 trees," including blowing up those trees too large with
dynamite, since his personal bulldozer was too small to clear the space.
By 1962 he had opened the front nine and in 1970 he opened the back nine, giving Tanglewood its current
18 holes.
"He built the property with a couple practice holes in mind," Butch Wyckoff said of his father.
"A couple practice holes turned into nine and it was kind of a dream of his to have a golf course.
He was quite involved … That was his goal, to open an 18-hole golf course."
Of course he had help from his family, including his late wife, Irma, and his son Butch.
Irma served as the course secretary for more than 20 years and Butch, who began mowing the grounds to
start, eventually took over the restaurant and lounge on the course while helping his father with
day-to-day operations. Dick Wyckoff remarried and his wife, Esther, also played a key role in the
course, as did Butch’s wife, Melanie, who served as course secretary.
Dick Wyckoff said that he is most proud of providing a quality golf course with reasonable prices, as
well as serving as the home course for the Eastwood High School golf team, which he provided with free
golf.
"One guy told me, "You know, I would have never played golf if you haven’t had built this and
made it affordable." So that makes me feel good," Dick Wyckoff said.
Now that the Blanchard family has taken over, purchasing the course for over $600,000, Tom Blanchard is
looking to continue the tradition that the Wyckoff’s set while making additions to make the course even
better.
"Obviously they did a good job and built a nice golf course," Tom Blanchard said. "We have
some plans over the next few years to do some things."
Blanchard has experience in the golf business serving as a club professional. He is currently in the
securities business, working as a stock broker.
He will be retaining his Class A PGA professional status, which he first obtained 30 years ago. His son
Tommy is also an avid golfer.
"It’s just another generation at Tanglewood as a family," Butch Wyckoff said. "There were
a couple of different people interested and Tom was a choice my father was hoping he could do it, and he
did."
"Tom’s been involved in the golf business before and now he’s back in it," he added. "He
knows what he’s getting into."
He plans on adding additional tees, beginning a tree-trimming project, renovating the club house and
adding a banquet facility, as well as adding to the current restaurant seating. He plans on keeping the
one-word Tanglewood name, but is toying with the idea of making the "W" a capital letter.
The club will remain semi-private, with membership possibilities as well as being open to the public.
Leagues run Monday-Thursday and there is a couple’s league Friday evenings.