The New Castle County Golf Report: Issue 18

ISSUE #18

👋 Hey NCC golfers,

We have a refreshed look to the newsletter this week, I hope you like it! I also hope your AC is working. We are approaching the hottest week in the county since 1918! This is going to be a very, very hot 4th of July. So let’s talk about how courses are preparing, and what fun activities are in store for the week!

Let’s get started…

Take a look at this green. ☝️

Those aren't spike marks. They're footprints made because of sunscreen!

Deerfield sent me this photo this week, and I have to be honest, I’ve never seen anything like this. Someone must’ve applied sunscreen on/near the green and tracked it around on their shoes.

The sunscreen is doing exactly what it’s suppose to do, block UV. Except now it's blocking the sunlight the grass needs to stay alive. In a heat wave, when the turf is already fighting for survival, SPF 50 is a green’s worst nightmare.

I’m sharing this with you to say, the thing protecting you from this brutal weekend, is an enemy of the golf course.

That's the kind of week this is. When the heat index hits 100 and stays there, defending a golf course becomes a real operation, with problems most golfers have never heard of. So I contacted every course in the county to find out how they’re fighting back.

Here's what's happening out there. ⬇️

The number one weapon against heat is something called syringing. If you're out at Rock Manor or Delcastle this week and a sprinkler suddenly fires while you're standing on the green, that's it in action.

Most courses in New Castle County have Bent grass greens, which are cool-season grass. They hate this kind of heat, and the turf starts to cook from the top down. So the crew hits it with a quick burst of water, just a few minutes, to cool the surface. It's the same principle as misting yourself on a hot day. The water evaporates, the surface cools, the green survives.

James Elliot, the superintendent at Rock Manor, told me the weekend rain buys him until tonight. After that, syringing is on the table Wednesday through the weekend, three minutes at a time, possibly while you're playing. Delcastle is doing the same, syringing greens and watering tee boxes mid-round, paying special attention to the newly sodded spots that haven't rooted yet and are the most vulnerable to stress.

So if you get misted, you're not in the way. You're watching the course defend itself in real time. Heads up.

Irrigation systems are great, but they water in broad strokes. A heat wave attacks in specific spots, the high mounds, the areas that drain too fast, the corners that catch the most sun. Those are called hot spots, and they need a human with a hose.

At Ed Oliver, the maintenance crew is staying late into the afternoon specifically to check the greens and hand-water wherever the turf is struggling. That's the unglamorous part of this job nobody sees. While you're heading to the 19th hole, somebody is out there in the worst heat of the day, dragging a hose, babying the weak spots one at a time.

Frog Hollow is taking a steady approach, running irrigation during the daytime all week to keep the turf temperature down, plus they've set up three water stations at the 7, 12, and 16 tees. The constant cooling keeps the whole course from reaching the breaking point.

They are one of the few lucky courses with essentially an unlimited water supply from reclaimed water. Unlike the course in northern Delaware with few to limited water suppliers, they can afford to run frequent irrigation. Expect normal to slightly dry conditions there this week.

If it feels like everyone at your work, and all the local news stations are blowing this heat wave out of proportion, they’re not wrong. The record highs for July 3 and July 4 in Wilmington are both 102, set back in 1966, and this weekend is taking a real run at them.

For perspective, the hottest it's ever gotten in Wilmington was 107 degrees, way back in 1918. The hottest days of this century came on July 6 and 7, 2010, when the thermometer hit 103 two days straight. Statewide, the all-time record is 110 in Millsboro in 1930.

So no, people are not blowing this out of proportion. This is genuinely one of the hottest stretches Delaware has experienced, and the humidity is what's tipping it over the edge. With the growing season in full swing and crops pumping moisture into the air, dew points are climbing into the upper 70s, which is why the heat index could touch 110 even if the temperature "only" hits 100.

The courses know it. Now you know it too.

Here's the thing every superintendent told me in one form or another. They're not just protecting the grass. They're watching out for you.

Expect to see water jugs out on ranger carts and beverage carts all week.

I’m not going to touch on the obvious, stay hydrated. Duh.

Play early or play late. Skip the noon-to-four furnace if you can. Drink more than you think you need. Take advantage of every water station and jug out there.

Just remember this, our courses are going to war this week. An army of people is putting in overtime, dragging hoses, misting surfaces, and watching the thermometer so that when you show up, there's still a green to putt on.

The least you can do is keep your sunscreen off it.

Play smart. Stay cool. We'll see you out there.

4TH OF JULY WEEKEND
🇺🇸 New Castle County is loaded with fun this weekend and some great pro shop deals. ⬇️

The 17.76% Off Sales are back. Both Ed Oliver and Rock Manor are running pro shop specials at 17.76% Off from 7/1 to 7/5 for apparel, gear, and accessories.

↗ Wilmington Fireworks & Mini Golf. Riverwalk Mini Golf has extended holiday hours from 12pm - 8pm this weekend. Stick around after your round for the Riverfront fireworks show at 9:15pm.

↗ Middletown Fireworks & Mini Golf. For the Middletown/Dover crew reading, head to 3 Sweet Sister’s Mini Golf for a quick round and then catch the fireworks show at Silver Lake Park at dusk! The park opens at 6pm for entry.

↗ 🏆 Hunter Stetson wins the 75th Delaware Amateur. Stetson just punched his ticket to his first U.S. Amateur at Merion in August, and get this, it's 15 minutes from his house. Hunter Stetson erased a five-shot deficit with five holes to play, forced a playoff with 2024 champ Evan Barbin, and outlasted him over a grueling seven extra holes.

↗ 📍A Wilmington golfer is heading to the Philadelphia Open. Jack Homer of Wilmington Country Club shot a 4-under 68 to share medalist honors at Open Championship qualifying at Wyncote Golf Club, earning his spot in the 122nd Open Championship July 13 and 14 at Lancaster Country Club. He tied for the top score with Jake Rotelle of LedgeRock.

↗ 𝑮 Garrisons Lake clubhouse is taking shape. The building is up and they're prepping the curb area for concrete, though the heat has pushed things back a bit. Paving could happen by the end of the week. A grand opening is in the works, and we'll share details as they firm up.

↗ 🌾 Back Creek members, the Ryder Cup is set. Sign-ups are open for the July 11 to 12 member event. Day 1 is a front-nine scramble and back-nine alternate shot. Day 2 is front-nine match play better ball and back-nine stroke play better ball. Get your name in.

↗ 🪨 Junior Camp #3 at Rock Manor. Got a young golfer at home? Rock Manor's third junior camp runs July 6 to 10, and five half-day spots are still open. It's $350 for ages 7 to 15. A solid way to keep the kids swinging through summer break.

↗ 🏌️‍♀️ Women’s Meet & Greet at Rock Manor. Ladies-only, July 8th from 5 to 8pm. For $130 you get drinks, golf, and good company. Whether you're a regular or just getting into the game, it's a low-pressure way to play and meet other women who golf in the county.

↗ 🏌 Birdie's Junior Golf Clinic has room. Spots are still open at $20 per session, no long-term commitment, walk-in only, running July 7, 14, 21, and 28.

Real quick, before you go.

If you've been enjoying the report, the single best thing you can do for it is forward it to a golfer you know. And now our referral program has new rewards!

1 Referral - 10% Off Hugh McLean
5 Referrals - $5 Off a round at St. Anne’s
10 Referrals - 1 Free sleeve of Pro V1s

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Share your unique link above (the button), get your people on the list, and stack up the rewards.

Every referral makes this report a little stronger and the local golf scene a little more connected.

Send it to one buddy this week and you're already on the board.

Thanks for reading!

I ❤️ New Castle County Golf.

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