ISSUE #19
👋 Hey NCC golfers,
We made it through the fire.
The weather last week was no joke, 100-plus degrees, a thunderstorm tearing through the county, and an army of superintendents working overtime to keep our courses alive.
The good news: the worst has passed, the greens survived, the peak of the season is ahead of us, and I've got a loaded issue for you this week!
Let’s get started…
Let’s Actually Meet
If you’re reading this, you’re probably a lot like me. You love golf, love Delaware, and love being nosy!
900+ of you now open this thing every Tuesday morning.
But I wan’t the opportunity to meet some of you in person and thank you for reading this newsletter every week.
I’m planning the first-ever NCC Golf Report get-together, and before we lock anything in, I want to hear from you. Because this isn't my event. It's ours.
Here's what's on the table ⬇️
A Happy Hour Meetup. No tee time, no pressure, no scorecard. Just us local golfers, cold drinks, and good talk at a course grill. Maybe do some putting games, and of course we’ll have a cliche golf outing 50/50 raffle with some fun prizes.
The 9-Hole Scramble. The real thing. We get a group out, play a relaxed nine, and let the trash talk write itself. Golf with the people who read the same golf report you do.
The Mini Golf Tournament. I like to take mini golf serious sometimes. I’m talking bring my own putter serious. Why not have a legit mini golf tournament? I’m talking mark your ball and putt out kinda serious.
Every one of these would a good time.
I just want to build the one you'll actually come to.
So vote below. Your pick tells me what to plan, and it puts you first in line when we lock the date and spot. Thank you for being a loyal reader!
Our first meetup should be:
Last Poll Result: 42.5% of you said you we’re not going to play in last week’s heat wave and you’ll be waiting for things to cool down before teeing it back up.
SHE SAID GOLF is coming to town!
The sisters behind She Said Golf pictured above - Julie and Jamie
If you've been looking for a low-pressure way to sharpen your game and meet other women who golf, this one's for you.
She Said Golf Delaware is hosting Bellinis & Bunkers this Wednesday, July 8, from 5:30 to 7pm at Hartefeld National. It's a bright summer evening built around the part of the game almost everyone dreads: getting out of the sand.
Here's how it runs. The night kicks off with 45 minutes at the range, working on bunker setup, club selection, and the technique to actually get the ball out with confidence. Then it moves on-course for 45 minutes of real bunker situations, so you're practicing the shots you'll actually face out there.
And yes, every registrant gets a complimentary bellini to sip while you swing.
Coaching and cocktails. Not a bad way to spend a Wednesday.
Spots are limited, so grab yours below.
Keep with today’s theme of celebrating women’s golf in Delaware, let’s test your LPGA knowledge…
This golf legend spent her later decades in Delaware and holds a share of the record for most U.S. Women's Open titles, with four. Who is she?
Last Week’s Trivia Results: 50% of you golf smarties guess right that bent grass starts to struggle at temperature above 85℉. Well done to you.
What’s new at your home course this week.
Fallen tree on Hole #16 at Garrison’s Lake - View FB post
↗️ 🍝 Ed Oliver's 9 & Dine. On July 20, Chef Jon is doing a tableside pasta presentation as part of a 9 & Dine, and it's capped at just 24 guests. It's already half full. If 9 holes of golf followed by fresh pasta made in front of you sounds like a good night, don't wait on this one.
↗️ 🎉 Ed Oliver's 125th is almost here. The big celebration lands July 19, and there are still foursome spots open for the tournament in the morning. Following the tournament stick around for games, activities, music, and food!
↗️ 🏌️ Free Titleist bag fitting at Ed Oliver. This Thursday, July 9, from 9am to 3pm. It's free to sign up in the pro shop.
↗️ 🍸 Rock Manor's Lights, Bites & Flights is back on. The postponed event now runs July 18 from 7:30 to 10:30pm. Good food, good drinks, good people under the lights.
↗️ 📻 Frog Hollow is getting statewide love. Kyle Clark of New Jersey 101.5 stopped by over the weekend and left a raving review. And here's the flex: the course held up so well through the storm that they didn't even mandate cart path only the next day. That's a well-drained golf course.
↗️ 🌳 Garrisons Lake took a hit this weekend. That aggressive storm dropped a tree on Hole 16. Crews are on it, but let’s be thankful it didn’t fall on a green.
↗️ 🎒 Don't sleep on the Garrisons Lake giveaway board. Kyle Maier just won a Srixon U.S. Open staff bag after buying exactly one square. Let that be a lesson before the next one goes up.
↗️ 💸 St. Anne's is stacking the promos. $40 Mondays, $99 Tuesday twosomes with a free beer or soda, and a $25 nine-hole happy hour Monday through Wednesday after 4pm. Hard to find better weekday value in the county right now.
↗️ 🏌️♀️ Back Nine Wilmington is adding a sim bay. The putting green in the entrance area is getting converted into another simulator bay. Construction starts today and is expected to be finished by mid-August.
↗️ 🎸 Live music at Patriots Glen this weekend. Con Amina plays Friday, July 10 from 7 to 10pm, then Saturday, July 11 brings music bingo and karaoke. Solid weekend hang.
↗️ 🏌️♀️ 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.
Share the report, stack the rewards.
You've got golf buddies. We've got free stuff. Let's make a deal.
Every golfer you send our way gets you closer to some real rewards. Forward this email, share your link, and watch the perks add up.
🏷️ 1 referral — 25% off at Hugh McLean
⛳ 5 referrals — $5 off a weekday round at St. Anne's
🎁 10 referrals — a free sleeve of Pro V1s
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Your unique link is right below. Send it to the buddy you always text "you playing this weekend?"
Every share makes this report stronger and the local golf scene a little more connected.
We're coming up on the turn.
The Fourth is behind us, and the golf season is rounding toward its back nine. We're not quite at the midpoint yet, the real halfway mark lands closer to late July, but still…
Take a second and think about your season so far. Have you been playing as much as you’d hope this year? Have you been improving your game like you said you would in March?
If not, don’t worry. The best part of the season is still ahead of you.
Once this midsummer heat backs off, we hit that sweet spot of golf weather in Delaware: firm turf, cool mornings, thinning tee sheets, and courses recovered from the summer grind.
So don't coast toward fall. Book the round. Join the league. Schedule a lesson. Sneak in the twilight nine after work while the light holds. You've still got a lot of golf left. Make it count.
The NCC Golf Report isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and I hope I get to see you out there on the course.
Thanks for reading!
I ❤️ New Castle County Golf.