I got a tip earlier this week that White Clay Creek had sold. (*under contract)

My jaw dropped to the floor immediately.

I followed up directly with the listing realtor, Joseph Fasy Jr., who confirmed the sale but couldn't share much beyond that.

Here's where things stand:

White Clay Creek GC has a new owner. Details are still locked up. But there's a very strong likelihood NCC golfers will be teeing it up there again this season.

And honestly, that's more than most of us expected a few months ago.

There are still real questions worth watching.

There's a subdivided area to the left of hole 8 that some locals remain skeptical will still be turned into senior living.

And the bigger question for most of us is simple: what is this going to cost?

White Clay has operated at rates that worked for public golfers around here.

A new owner can change that overnight.

I'm hopeful that won’t happen, maybe naively so, but I'm watching this closely and will update you as soon as I know more.

I will say the fact that someone bought the course instead of selling it off for development is a huge win considering the rate of development across Delaware.

But hope isn't a business plan.

And we won't really know what this sale means for NCC public golf until we see who's behind it, what they're planning, and what it costs to tee it up there.

I'm continuing to follow this. The moment there is more to share, you'll read it here first.

For now, we can breathe, a little.

Well the season is almost here folks, and every course has a story this week worth checking out as we head into the 1st week of April.

Here's what you need to know:

The practice green at the clubhouse is still Putting Only, but has new pin locations.

⚠️ Fairways widths are being adjusted over the next few weeks. Yellow flags are up where the new 2nd cut line will be. Expect a different look off the tee box.

👏 Shoutout to Brand Karpinski, Director of Golf, for continuing to run a tight ship.

📣 Grass range is now open Friday through Sunday, in line with current cart path rules. The back range is being reseeded for members.

⭐️ Three 5-Star reviews on 18Birdies so far this year as they head into their Opening Day on April 4th, featuring a Bloody Mary bar. Book your tee times now.

🐰 Easter Brunch runs April 5th, 10:30am–1pm, with an omelet station, chef entrees, Easter Egg Hunt, and a Bunny appearance. Adults $45, kids 5–12 $20, under 4 free.

Book your Good Friday round ASAP. Expected to be a busy, and beautiful day.

🔔 Semi-season rates start April 1st.

⚠️ Bunker work is underway on Holes #4 and #5.

Frog Hollow remains the best-draining course in NCC, which matters a lot in April. Fun fact: all water on the property is sourced from reclaimed local water. Make of that what you will.

🏆 Congrats to Patrick, the owner, and the team on being named the number 9 public course in Delaware by GolfPass. Well deserved.

📱 I downloaded their app for the first time this week. I’m impressed.

It’s one of the best course apps in NCC. Daily condition updates, 18Birdies-style scorecard and data tracking, mobile food ordering with pickup at the turn, event calendar, and full membership info. Worth downloading before your next round.

🗓️ Tee It Up! Adult Clinics are starting up in May: 4 sessions for $299, runs through June.

🗓️ Women's Meet & Greet clinics kick off April 1st, 1st Wednesday every month.

🏌️The PreSeason Classic is a strong early-season tournament option. April 4th and 11th, $50 per day, 18-hole individual format, limited to 72 players. Low gross and net prizes, closest to pin, and longest drive. Good competitive golf before league season kicks in. Call the shop to enter.

📱 Also worth downloading their app, but not for the usual reasons. Yard Points lets you earn rewards for booking, playing, and mini-games that are addictively fun. Redeem for discounted rounds, merch, and daily giveaway entries.

🎁 Use the link below to get 1,500 Yard points when you sign up!

Download the St. Anne’s app: https://stannes.app.link/IjcucRpBW1b

Ed Oliver is running a Play the Pro series on their Instagram right now. Worth a follow if you haven't already.

I'm considering challenging their pro Brennan Miller, but my only condition is we stay far away from hole 5. I have never once chosen the right club there and I'm not ready to find out if that's still true on camera.

🐰 Breakfast with the Bunny is April 5th, 9am–1pm, family-friendly buffet

The maintenance crew is pleased with conditions heading into the season and the course is expecting up to 200 golfers on weekends as spring demand builds.

Mark your calendars:

🗓️ Yappy Hour! is April 11th from noon to 4pm: it's a dog adoption event, and they're raffling off a free round to anyone who shows up and makes a donation. Bring an ID, meet some dogs, maybe win some golf.

🐰 Easter Brunch is April 5th, 10am–2pm, reservation required. Adults $79.95, kids 7–12 $20.95, under 6 eat free. The menu features “Millionaire Bacon”, Grilled King Salmon, and a New Zealand Lamb Rack.

🏌️ Spring Classic registration deadline is April 19th, play date is April 25th. The format is one of the more interesting ones I have seen at an NCC course:

Scramble on holes 1-6

Better Ball on 7-12

Select Drive/Alternate Shot on 13-18.

Worth a look if you want a competitive two-man event this spring.

🏌️‍♀️ Cobra Golf Fitting Day is coming up in 11 days, April 10th. No purchase required and discounts are available on new orders and in-shop products purchased during the fitting. Set up your appointment before slots fill.

I didn’t get a chance to make the trip down to Smyrna this week to see if they finally put the bunker rakes out. If you know, reply to this email.

Joey Coppola set up shop at the Delcastle driving range this past week selling used golf balls.

Over 300 clean, fresh balls in stock with more than 25 varieties. His pricing beats anything I've seen on FB Marketplace, and he's offering NCC Golf Report readers $5 off their first purchase.

If you want to support a local kid, and save money on golf balls 👇

Text Joey at (302) 540-2640 for details.

One small caveat: we're not sure how long management will let him sell at the range, so if you want to connect with him, do it sooner rather than later.

Good luck, Joey! The NCC crew is rooting for you.

Support a world-class Irish dance program made up of local girls competing at the highest level.

The outing is an 18-hole 4-person scramble with a drink package, post-round buffet, 1st through 3rd place awards, long drive, closest to pin, and a 50/50.

Prizes include free rounds, bag coolers, and gift certificates.

📆 April 20th - 9am Shotgun Start

🏷️ $175 per player, includes: drink package, post-round buffet, green fees

Proceeds go to supporting the dance team.

The season is here. The Masters is right around the corner. And for some of us, the competitive itch is already starting.

Next week I'm releasing a full League Guide covering NCC golf leagues, options for every schedule and skill level, and how to get plugged in this spring.

Whether you've never played in a league or you're looking for something new, I’ve got you covered.

More on that next Tuesday.

👉 One more thing…

If you haven't filled out the new subscriber survey yet, it takes less than two minutes and it genuinely helps me understand what you want more of.

The whole point of this newsletter is to serve NCC golfers, and I can do that a lot better when I know who's reading and what matters to you.

As always, thank you for reading, and I’m wishing you all the best of luck on the course this week!