ISSUE #31

👋 Hey NCC golfers,

Welcome to our Fall refresh. We’ve freshened things up here for the season, and changed some colors, but it’s still the same local golf news underneath. So let us know what you think.

We have a Fall packed month ahead of us with Night golf, Oktoberfest, Halloween nights, and a full month of local Outings. We mapped the whole month out so you don't miss a weekend.

And a quick thank you in our Editor’s Note this week.

Let’s get into it. 🍂

Are you tired of golf yet? Because honestly, things don’t seem to be slowing down around here.

Between the outings, the tournaments, the Oktoberfests, and Halloween parties, October seems like one of the busiest months we’ve covered so far this year.

So take a browse through our October preview below, and visit our official Events Calendar to view/submit upcoming golf events in NCC yourself.

Here's your reminder that a charity scramble is one of the best rounds you can play. It’s low pressure, a good cause, usually contains a few beers and some lucrative raffles, and you don't need to be any good to have fun. This month is full of them, so grab a friend, pick one, and go sign up for something.

↗️ Hugs For Our Heroes. Oct 11th at St. Anne's. The 4th annual, with all proceeds going to lay wreaths on veterans' graves. A great cause founded by 3 young brothers to honor fallen Veterans.

↗️ IAFF Firefighters Golf Outing. Oct 13th at White Clay CC. The firefighters' first annual, $150/golfer or $600/foursome, supporting the local fire service. Only 36 teams.

↗️ Drive Out Cancer 2026. Oct 15th at Newark Country Club. A 4-person scramble with a reception at Twisted Irons after, benefiting the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition and Bayhealth Foundation.

↗️ Delcastle Day-Night Doubleheader. Oct 3rd at Delcastle. Twilight scramble, buffet dinner, then 9 holes of night golf with a glowing LED ball. This is a crowd favorite and will sell out.

↗️ The Delaware Indoor Classic. Oct 18 at Birdie's. A 2-man scramble on the sims (playing Pebble Beach), $150/team, cash prizes.

↗️ GAP Southern Delaware GHIN Challenge Series. Ongoing all month. Our friends at GAP are running a season-long GHIN challenge across three Sussex County courses. It's a bit of a road trip from NCC, but if you're chasing a fall competition, it's a fun one.

Middletown's become the fall hangout capital of NCC golf. Between Back Creek's Oktoberfest weekend and St. Anne's wine night, you can eat and drink your way through the rest of the season without ever picking up a club. Bring the crew, and raise a stein.

↗️ St. Anne's Wine, Woodfyre & Whiskey. Oct 9th, 6-9pm. Whiskey bar meets wine night, five small plates paired with four wines. $49. Perfect for a date-night.

↗️ Back Creek Oktoberfest Weekend. Oct 16-18 at Seven Tap-Tavern. Oktoberfest-inspired food specials and seasonal beers all weekend. Grab a stein, and come out!

↗️ Putters Paradise sundae deal. Through Oct 11. Buy a pie sundae, get a second for 99 cents. Mini golf and dessert in Middletown.

Halloween is going big at NCC courses this year, and White Clay's leading the charge with a full month of it. Whether you want a late-night drink at the 19th Hole or a family afternoon with the kids in costume, there's a spot for you. And more events are almost certainly on the way, so follow us on social to catch the ones that pop up after this goes out.

↗️ White Clay's Halloween Pop-Up Bar. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays starting Oct 8, open till 1am at the 19th Hole through Halloween weekend. Now your scorecard won’t be the spookiest thing at the course!

↗️ St. Anne's Halloween Party. Oct 23rd, 7pm at Highlands. Costumes encouraged.

↗️ White Clay's "Fore the Love of Halloween." Oct 24th, 1-8pm. A free family event, candy, pumpkin painting, putt-putt, the range, face painting, and more. Costumes encouraged.

We're planning more fall coverage and want to build it around what you actually want. If you don’t mind taking a second to answer this survey:

Delcastle Cleveland Wedge Clinic - October 8th

On Thursday, October 8th, Delcastle is hosting a Cleveland Wedge Clinic, and the entry fee includes an all-new Cleveland RTZ 2 wedge. You'll get short-game instruction from Cleveland/Srixon pros plus Deerfield teaching pro Mike Tobiason, individual help dialing in your chipping, and a happy hour beverage and hors d'oeuvres while you're at it.

Here's the rundown:
📅 Thursday, October 8, 4:00-5:30pm
📍 Delcastle Golf Club, Wilmington
🏌️ Includes a Cleveland RTZ 2 wedge, short-game clinic, individual instruction, plus a drink and snacks
💵 $189 per person
🎟 Only 10 spots

Do the math: a new RTZ 2 wedge runs you $200 retail, so the instruction is basically the bonus.

If your short game needs help heading into fall (whose doesn't), this is a smart way to spend an October Thursday.

Last Poll Results: 50% of you guessed right last week that Nick’s Mini Golf was the mini golf business that has 5 locations across the Delaware beaches, and a giant T-Rex at one location.

↗️ 🏆 Our first-ever Mini Golf Championship is in the books. Congrats to Nick L, who fired a 42 (-1) to take the inaugural title, and to Dale Wegman, who grabbed solo 2nd at 47 (+2). Thanks to everyone who came out. Check out the pics from the event!

↗️ 🏌️ Back Nine Wilmington rolls out new membership pricing. Three new tiers with 24/7 access and unlimited sim golf: Par at $179/mo (solo play, 1-hour tee times), Birdie at $229/mo (2-hour tee times, 3 free guests, 50% off tournaments), and Eagle at $399/mo (two accounts, 4 free guests, 75% off tournaments). All on a 12-month commitment.

↗️ 💍 Deerfield opens its doors for a Wedding Open House. October 15, 5-7pm. If you (or someone you know) is hunting for a venue, Deerfield's showing off the space dressed for an event. Free for couples who haven't booked yet, RSVP required.

↗️ 🦢 Do geese ruin your round? Some students want to know. A group of seniors is running a survey at St. Anne's for a project, asking golfers whether geese are messing with their tee shots and overall enjoyment, so they can engineer a solution. It takes about 30 seconds, and honestly, it's the most relatable research question we've seen all year. Give them a hand.

↗️ 💸 Deerfield opens early 2027 membership sales. Buy a 2027 pass and play the rest of 2026 free, with membership running through December 2027. Up to 15+ months for the price of one year. Passes range from a 5-Day Twilight ($2,500) to a 7-Day full membership ($4,000).

↗️ 🦃 Looking ahead: White Clay's Turkey Bowl is set for November 7th. A 4-person scramble, 10am shotgun, $79 per player. Food included, and pies (plus gift cards) for the winners. Grab a foursome and mark the calendar.

Hey NCC crew,

I have to take a second and say thank you.

Last week we hosted our first-ever event, the Mini Golf Championship on the Riverfront, and it was everything I hoped it would be. A full field, a lot of laughs, some genuinely competitive putting, and a bunch of you I'd only ever known as email addresses finally showing up in person. That meant a lot.

Here's what I didn't expect: how many of you asked, before the night was even over, when the next one is.

So we're going to do it again. Bigger, and hopefully soon. I don't know exactly what it looks like yet, that's where you come in. Another mini golf night? A real scramble? Something for the fall or a holiday theme? If you've got an idea for what our next get-together should be, hit reply and tell me. I read every one.

We built this thing online, but nights like that one are what make it feel real. Thanks for being part of it.

See you out there (and hopefully at the next one).

I ❤️ New Castle County Golf.

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