👋 Hey NCC golfers,

Day 1 of the 75th Delaware Amateur Championship is in the books, and Round 2 tees off today at Rehoboth Beach CC.

At the top of the leaderboard sits Eli Shah of Penn Oaks (pictured above), who fired a 5-under 67 in blustery conditions to take the Round 1 lead.

The 21-year-old Seton Hall senior almost didn't have his game this week. He'd stepped away from golf after his college season to avoid burnout, and Monday was his first 18-hole round since the Big East Championship in May!

Yes, you read that right. A piece of advice from his father flipped the switch:

He backed it up. Shah opened his round with an eagle on the par-5 12th, soaring a gap wedge from 130 yards to six feet, and never looked back.

Just one local-area golfer cracked the top 36 after Monday: Jack Homer of Wilmington CC, who posted an even-par 72 in the morning wave to sit T10. Don't sleep on him. Homer won the 26th Christman Cup at Saucon Valley in a three-way sudden-death playoff in 2025. He knows how to handle pressure, and if he catches fire today he has the game to climb fast.

The low NCC public-course golfer on the day was Jack McMahon of Rock Manor, who posted an 80 (+8) on the strength of 10 pars and eight bogeys. He sits within striking distance of the cut.

The other name worth watching has roots close to home. Evan Barbin of Chesapeake Bay Golf Club in Rising Sun, Maryland, sits alone in second at 3-under 69, just two shots back.

Chesapeake Bay is a course we've covered before and one well worth the short trip from NCC. Barbin's family owns the club, so the game is quite literally in his blood. He won this championship in 2024, and he looks every bit the contender again.

The unapologetic coastal weather was in attendance and the course bared its teeth. Monday produced 52 rounds over 80, including a round of 99, and four withdrawals.

Rehoboth Beach CC is not long, but with it’s tricky links-style layout, glass-like greens and unpredictable weather, length does not save you. The course punishes everyone equally.

The field trims to the top 36 and ties after today's Round 2, setting up Wednesday's 36-hole marathon. A solid round today and McMahon could find himself teeing it up Wednesday. NCC Golf Report is rooting for you, Jack!

We'll be on the ground all day today and tomorrow with coverage on social media. Wednesday evening we go live with the award ceremony, plus exclusive player interviews you won't find anywhere else. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

This is the kind of coverage you only get from NCC Golf Report. Stay with us all week.

Click here to view Live Scoring of the event.

Lights, Bites, and Flights is this Friday, June 26th from 7:30-10:30pm. Buckets, food, and drinks all available to purchase

The grass range is healthy and open Thursday through Monday.

Good news on conditions: those nagging irrigation issues have been resolved. The few tee boxes that took a hit have been slit seeded, a process where a machine cuts narrow grooves into the soil and drops seed directly into them. It gets new grass established faster and more evenly than just tossing seed on top. Those boxes will be back to full health soon.

The course is in prime condition right now and the reviews back it up, with strong marks rolling in on 18Birdies and across the public online.

Two tournaments coming up. The Red, White and Blue Flag Tournament on July 4th and the Red Tee Tournament on July 5th. Email [email protected] for registration and inquiries.

🫆 And a small mystery to keep an eye on: Frog Hollow has deleted every post from both their course and pub Instagram pages. Clean slate. Is something big coming? We'll be watching.

The Bermuda fairways are still recovering, but the course overall is priming for a great summer.

Mark Tuesday, June 30th. Keep an eye out for the Hero Program hosting a closest to the pin contest, raising money for programs like PGA Hope and Folds of Honor.

A fun one. Nick and Hunter Cerise stopped by Ed Oliver as part of their mission to golf in all 50 states. They're 15 states deep, and on their current leg running from Maine to Nashville. Follow the journey at anothergoodloop.com.

The new roller has arrived. Get ready for some smooth greens, ladies and gentlemen. The St. Anne's turnaround keeps rolling, literally.

🥁 Live music at the Tavern this Friday, June 26th from 6-9pm featuring Dub Glenn.

🎸 Live music Friday, June 26th at 7pm featuring The Greenroom Project.

🎤 Karaoke moves to Saturday, June 27th this week at 7pm.

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

Hello, fellow New Castle County golf lovers.

This one is a milestone for me.

This week marks the first time NCC Golf Report is covering a live tournament with media credentials. I'll be on the ground at Rehoboth Beach for the 75th Delaware Amateur, camera in hand, covering it all.

I have to give a shoutout to the DSGA. They have been welcoming, genuinely excited to have me out there, and a reminder of why building real relationships in this golf community matters. This is a big step for where this newsletter is headed.

Here's my ask: keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram this week. I'll be sharing coverage all day today and tomorrow, and Wednesday evening we go live for the award ceremony and exclusive player interviews. You won't find that anywhere else.

This is the kind of access I want to keep bringing you. It started with a newsletter about tee times and course conditions. Now we're behind the scenes at the state's biggest amateur championship. We're just getting started!