👋 Hey NCC golfers,

This week we are talking water… the lack of it, specifically.

On June 3rd, Governor Matt Meyer declared a statewide drought watch for Delaware. It is the second time in three years the state has reached this point.

As of today, 82% of Delaware is under “drought watch”, with 67% of the state classified as Severe Drought. April marked the 9th straight month of below-average precipitation, and Delaware's State Climatologist Kevin Brinson is warning that two weeks of hot, dry weather could trigger a flash drought almost overnight. PlantmapsUniversity of Delaware

Here is the number that should get your attention: the state would need 21 inches of rainfall over the next three summer months just to return water supplies to normal levels. In the past 30 years, Wilmington has hit that mark exactly three times. The Delaware Climate Office puts the probability of it happening at roughly 2%. WDEL

So how does this effect our beloved golf courses?

NCC Golf Report reached out to courses across the county this week. Here is what they told us.

The Courses That Aren't Sweating It

Several of NCC's most popular courses are sitting on a resource most people don't think about when they talk about drought: reclaimed water.

Frog Hollow and Links at St. Anne's are both final-stage receivers in Middletown's wastewater treatment system. In plain terms, every time you flush they get water!

Frog Hollow told us they have more than enough water. On a good night, they are using up to half a million gallons. The drought watch is essentially a non-event for them from an irrigation standpoint.

St. Anne's says they are not feeling the effects yet, though they acknowledge it has been dry. Between their reclaimed water access and their ability to pump enough to cover demand, they are in solid shape heading into peak summer.

For golfers who play Middletown courses, this is genuinely good news. The conditions you have been seeing at Frog Hollow, Back Creek, Odessa, and St. Anne's are not at risk from the current drought.

The Courses That Are Working Harder

Back Creek is still feeling some effects and managing the drought the old-fashioned way: hand watering.

Grounds crew members are out in the morning and afternoon hitting the dry spots that irrigation sprinklers don't reach. It is labor-intensive, it is daily, and it is the kind of work that does not get enough thanks but absolutely shows up in the conditions you play on.

Deerfield is receiving water through several sources and monitoring conditions closely, including creek levels. They have a specific ask for golfers this summer: follow cart rules and pay attention to cart traffic signage on the course. When the ground is dry and stressed, cart traffic does real damage that takes weeks to recover from. Respecting those signs is one of the most direct ways golfers can help a course hold its conditions through a dry stretch.

The Course Feeling It Most

Garrisons Lake is the most honest story on the list. The Bermuda grass fairways there are showing visible dried and burnt patches from the drought conditions and winter kill combination. It is real and noticeable.

Here is the thing though: I played there this past Sunday and the conditions were still exceptional. The greens were rolling well, the course was in strong shape overall, and the experience was genuinely enjoyable.

Honestly, the patches look worse than they play. If your ball finds a dry spot, move it to live grass and get on with your round. It’s just summer golf in Delaware.

And whoever lives on Hole #7 and has a cooler full of free ice water, thank you!!!

What the Next 90 Days Look Like

The next 90 days are what course operators like Deerfield’s GM, Mary Leneweaver, say are the “toughest 90 days of the year for turf conditions regardless of drought forecasts”.

Delaware's soil moisture is currently below the 2nd percentile for this time of year.Udel

In plain terms: the ground is about as dry as it has ever been on record for June. Soil moisture is the water stored in the top layer of earth that grass roots actually drink from. When it drops this low, turf has almost nothing to pull from between rain events.

Artesian Water, which serves Wilmington and New Castle County, is currently under a voluntary Stage 1 conservation advisory.

Think of this drought response like a four-alarm fire system: Stage 1 is the first light on the board. It means officials are watching closely and asking residents and businesses to voluntarily cut back on outdoor water use. No one is forcing anyone to do anything yet.

Stage 2 brings more specific restrictions. Stage 3 gets mandatory, and Stage 4 is the emergency tier where outdoor irrigation can be banned outright.

We are at Stage 1. That is a long way from where golf courses would face forced irrigation cuts, but it is worth knowing the scale exists and we are already on it. LawnBySeason

The courses to watch most closely as summer heats up are the ones without reclaimed water access and with grass types that stress quickly under heat like Garrison’s Lake and Patriots Glen for example.

If July and August bring this kind of sustained heat without substantial rain, the conditions picture across NCC can change fast.

For now: go play. Most NCC courses are in good shape and managing the drought well. Just follow the cart rules when a course asks, give a Bermuda fairway the grace it deserves, and check back here. We will keep watching the map.

First Tee Delaware is bringing Christmas to Frog Hollow Golf Club this summer!

🗓️ Saturday, July 25th from 5-8pm. Free to attend, open to everyone, and one of the better family golf events on the NCC calendar this year.

Here is what is happening that night:

Junior Putting Contest for ages 4-12 at $20 per player.

Closest to the Pin Contest for ages 13 and up, also $20. *Flighted by skill level

Golf Ball Drop Raffle open to all, $20 per ball, cash prizes - $500 for 1st ball in, $250 for 2nd, and $100 for 3rd. No need to be present to win.

There will also be a live DJ, and plenty of food to make a great family night out.

This is the type of event that makes me proud to be a Delawarean and to have First Tee apart of our community. Every dollar goes towards building confident, resilient, and community-minded young golfers.

Please add this event to your calendar, and if you have a business consider being a sponsor to help support this amazing local organization.

Registration and full details in the links below. (Entries to the putting and closest to pin contest are capped at 50 players each, don’t snooze on this!)

Click here to Register for the Event

(2 Free Stamps, Compliments of NCC Golf Report)

Rock Manor just launched the Fairway Futbol Rewards program, running June 8th through July 19th, and NCC Golf Report readers get a head start.

Pick up a free passport form at the Rock Manor pro shop and start collecting stamps.

Earn a stamp for playing a round or purchasing featured food specials.

Rewards Breakdown ⬇️

The more stamps you collect, the bigger the reward!

*Redemption opens July 20th and runs through August 10th.

As an NCC Golf Report reader, you get 2 free bonus stamps just for reading this report! Download your voucher below and present it at the Rock Manor pro shop to claim them.

(Limited Redemptions Available — White Clay Creek CC)

Twilight Golf League is offering NCC Golf Report readers free registration to White Clay Creek’s league this summer. Normally $49 to register.

White Clay Creek CC: Thursdays, June 18-23 Tee times available 5-6pm. $40 for 9 holes.

There are a few spots left! The deadline to claim this is 5pm today!

Quick Note: Lighter week on the update front, a few courses are still getting back to us so we will post those updates to our Facebook page throughout the week. What we do have is still worth reading, including a send-off for one of NCC's hardest working superintendents.

❌ The Nine and Dine sold out with 48 guests on the books for June 26th. A July date is coming, stay tuned.

👩‍🎓 College students, listen up. Deerfield offers a $35 student rate Monday through Thursday after 2pm with cart included. Valid for students at University of Delaware, Wilmington University, Goldey-Beacom, and Delaware Tech. Just bring your student ID.

⛳️ Junior camps still have some availability but are filling fast! Link

🎤 Live music at the Tavern this Friday, June 19th from 6-9pm featuring Dub Glenn.

🏌️ The Anniversary Member Stroke Play Tournament is Friday June 19th.

😭 One more thing worth noting this week. Superintendent Mike Willadsen's last day at Back Creek is Wednesday. Mike used to get up before 3am every morning to make the drive to Middletown to take care of the course. He is heading to a research farm in Monroeville, closer to home, and a well-deserved change of pace. He says he will miss Back Creek and wants to thank the staff and community for his time there. From everyone who reads NCC Golf Report, thank you Mike. You’ll be missed!

Check out our exclusive interview with Mike here.

🛞 The new cart fleet is in play. Drive safe out there. There was a serious cart accident last week, fortunately it involved one of the old carts. A good reminder that golf carts are vehicles, not toys.

Two live music nights this weekend!

🎸 Friday June 19th at 7pm featuring Chillin w Charlie.

🥁 Saturday June 20th at 7pm featuring Braeden Means.

Hello, fellow New Castle County golf lovers.

On the survey, I heard back from several course owners and managers this week and the response was overwhelmingly grateful. They read the entire response report I created. They are listening. Keep that in mind the next time you are out there and something catches your eye.

Which brings me to this:

I want to hear from you. If you are out on a course and you notice something worth sharing (dry patches, great conditions, a heads up about aeration, anything!) send it my way.

Photos especially. You are my eyes on the ground across all courses every week and that intel makes this newsletter better for everyone reading it.

DM me on Facebook or IG, or reply to this email. If you see something, share it.

Thank you for reading and I’m looking forward to teeing it up with some of you very soon!