ISSUE #30

👋 Hey NCC golfers,

This is a big week for us, our first-ever event is finally here.

This Friday, we're hosting the NCC Golf Report Mini Golf Championship under the lights on the Riverfront, and we saved you a spot. We're halfway full, the prizes are stacked ($100 cash and free rounds at five local courses), and it's going to be a genuinely fun night. It's all in the article below, grab a spot before Friday.

But that's not the only thing worth your attention. Back Creek just dropped its rates, Delcastle's putting on a wild day-night doubleheader (golf, dinner, then night golf), White Clay's going all-in on Halloween, and the UD women just brought home a trophy.

Let’s get into it.

This Friday, September 25th, we’re hosting our first-ever event: a mini golf championship, under the lights, on the Wilmington Riverfront.

We picked mini golf for our first tournament on purpose. It's the great equalizer. Whether you’re breaking 70 at Rock Manor or struggling to break 100 at Delcastle, everyone has a chance to come out and win.

Now, about those prizes.

This is where it gets good. We reached out to the local courses, and they showed up big:

🏆 1st place: $100 cash and a special gift
⛳ Free rounds of golf donated by five of our own: Back Creek, Frog Hollow, Delcastle, Garrisons Lake, and St. Anne's to lucky winners.
🎁 Plus more prizes and gifts for competitors throughout the night

Here's the catch: we're halfway full.

Twenty-five of our fifty spots are already taken, and Friday's coming fast. If you've been thinking about it, this is your sign. And because you read this newsletter, you get a discounted entry plus a complimentary ice cream or drink, just for being on the list.

You've got to be 18 or older to play, bring your own putter, and come ready to talk a little trash.

This is going to be a fun one. It's the first time we get to actually get everybody together in person, and we'd love for you to be part of it.

Grab one of the last spots here ⬇️

See you under the lights!

Take a second to vote! You'll see how everyone else voted the moment you do.

Last Poll Result: 67% of you voted that the Eagles are your favorite team. Followed by the Ravens and Cowboys tied.

Golf, Dinner, Then Golf Again, Under the Stars 🌙

Delcastle is trying something they've never done before, and honestly, it sounds like a must-go.

On Friday, October 3rd, they're hosting their first-ever Day-Night Doubleheader. Here's how it works: you play a 9-hole twilight scramble at 3:30 PM, sit down for a full buffet dinner between nines, then head back out for 9 holes of Night Golf under the lights with a glowing LED ball.

Two rounds, a dinner, and a genuinely unique way to spend a Friday. When's the last time you played golf in the dark?

The details:
⛳ Friday, October 3rd, 3:30 to 9:00 PM
🍽️ $90 per player, includes both 9s (cart for twilight), the buffet dinner, an LED glow ball, night golf supplies, and prizes
👥 Sign up as a group to get paired with your crew, or email [email protected] for pairing requests

It's the kind of fun, different golf experience you don't get very often. Grab your group and give it a shot.

Last Poll Results: 82% of you guessed right that Brian O’Neill is the Wilmington-area native and Salesianum grad who is now a two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman in the NFL, and just signed a contract worth up to $96 million.

↗️ 🚜 Garrisons Lake aerates Monday through Wednesday. Course closed yesterday and today (range open both days), with a scheduled noon reopen Wednesday, possibly earlier. Small-hole aeration, so recovery is quick.

↗️ ⛳ Frog Hollow skips fall aeration, and the Ryder Cup returns. Good news for players: after talking with their superintendent, Frog Hollow is pulling fall aeration off the schedule entirely. The greens are strong and staying that way. And the Ryder Cup-style showdown is back October 3-4 (Saturday at Odessa, Sunday at Frog Hollow). Frog Hollow currently holds the Cup.

↗️ 💸 Back Creek drops its fall rates. Weekday senior morning rates are coming down, and regular public play is seeing a cut too, depending on the time of day. Shoulder-season pricing is back, and worth a look.

↗️ 🏆 Back Nine launches the Bridge Cup. A three-tournament simulator series across both Wilmington and Paoli Back Nine locations, running October through February. $75 members, $125 non-members per tournament, with bay time included. Tournament #2 benefits First Tee Delaware.

↗️ 🎯 Flight Indoor hosts a Fieldstone Par 3 Competition. A closest-to-the-pin challenge on their TrackMan sims, playing the five par 3s from Delaware's own Fieldstone. Compete anytime through Sept 30, top score wins two free simulator hours.

↗️ 🍻 Birdie's runs weekday Happy Hour, 4-7pm. $3 beer pints, $8 crushes, $5 house wine, plus food deals like $9 wings and $5 chips and dip. Solid after-work value in Middletown.

↗️ 🎃 White Clay Creek goes all-in on Halloween. A pop-up bar runs every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from October 8 through Halloween weekend, open until 1am at the 19th Hole. They're also hosting a free family Halloween event Saturday, October 24, with candy, pumpkin painting, putt-putt, the range, face painting and more. Costumes encouraged, admission free.

↗️ 🐔 UD women win the Mary Fossum Invitational. Led by Gooneratne, the Blue Hens women took the team title of their third event of the season. Check out the full recap via the link above.

Hey NCC crew,

September has been quiet, and I mean that in a good way.

After the whirlwind of the Delaware Open and a packed August, things settled down a bit around here. A calm stretch of fall golf, cooler mornings creeping in, open tee sheets, no major drama. Sometimes that's exactly what you want.

But don't get comfortable, because October is shaping up to be anything but quiet. The calendar's already filling fast. Delcastle's day-night doubleheader, Frog Hollow and Odessa renewing their Ryder Cup rivalry, White Clay's month of Halloween, fall leagues in full swing, and our own first-ever event kicking it all off this Friday. And that's just what I know about so far.

It feels like golf is running later into the season this year, and honestly, I'm here for it. The best weather, the fewest crowds, and a stacked schedule. If you've been sitting on a fall round, don't. This is the good stuff, and there's a lot of it coming.

See you out there (starting Friday, under the lights).

I ❤️ New Castle County Golf.

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