The course was designed by Donald Ross, with the construction completed as one of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects.

The intent was to set aside 136-acre (55 ha) of this land in order to construct a privately financed golf course, to be designed by Wayne Stiles.

[6] On Nov. 6, 1930, the Board of Street Commissioners took the land by eminent domain for recreational purposes, specifically a municipal golf course.

The Grew estate was a mix of ledge and swamp, not particularly suitable for building a course, and a good deal of speculation remained whether one could be built.

In 1932 Walter Irving Johnson, who had worked for years as an associate of Ross, took on the project as an engineer for the Metropolitan District Commission.

Before completion, 60,000 pounds (27,000 kg) of dynamite were used to excavate the ledge, 72,000 cubic yards (55,000 m3) of dirt were spread to raise the ground above the swamp level, and 57,000 feet (17,000 m) of drainage pipe were laid to drain the property.

By completion, George Wright sported a full-sized 18-hole golf course, as well as a nearly 3 miles (4.8 km) long 3-to-6-foot-high (0.91 to 1.83 m) stone wall that encircled the entire 156-acre (0.63 km2) site.

[11] Since taking over operations, George Wright has gradually returned to prominence as evidenced by being selected as a MGA Amateur Qualifying Site in 2009.