New Castle Offers Lots of Green for Golfers
Published Apr 16, 2004
Golfers in New Castle have plenty of places to play.
With about 20 public and private courses in New Castle County, northern Delaware golfers have ample opportunity to stay in the swing of things. Yet another choice joins the mix in the fall of 2004, with the opening of the White Clay Creek Country Club at Delaware Park in Wilmington.
“This is a dream come true,” says Ryan A. Kidwell, named in May as the new club’s head professional. “I can hardly wait for the course to open. I think the people around here are going to fall in love with this place.”
A 7,007-yard championship course, White Clay Creek actually surrounds the popular horse-racing track and paddock areas. The par-72 course features five tees on each hole, and flag sticks are marked by a colored jockey cap. Designed by nationally recognized Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates, the course is not for water-phobic duffers: Water comes into play on 16 of the holes. Fairways are tight, and golfers can expect two-to three-inch rough. The posh clubhouse features a restaurant and bar, locker rooms, a pro shop and a teaching room for when weather prohibits outdoor instruction. The White Clay Creek Golf Academy, offering expert golf education, opened in the spring of 2004.
Among those sure to give White Clay Creek a try are New Castle County’s women golfers, a powerful force in the area’s golfing community. For example, the Wilmington Chapter of the Executive Women’s Golf Association is 70 members strong and growing.
“I can’t say enough about what this organization does for me. If I wanted to get a game up this afternoon, there’s no doubt in my mind that I could find other women players,” says Anastasia Bove, a telecommunications sales representative and the chapter’s president-elect. The group plays each Monday at Delcastle Golf Club in Milltown and plays a different course in the area monthly. Annually, the EWGA players tackle the challenging DuPont Country Club championship course, which for 18 years was the site of the LPGA McDonald’s Championship, one of four majors in women’s professional golf.
During its 24-year history, the McDonald’s championship has raised more than $40 million for Ronald McDonald House Charities and other children’s charities around the world. The tournament ended its run at the DuPont Country Club in 2004 but isn’t going far. In 2005, the championship will be held at Bulle Rock golf course in Havre de Grace, Md., just 35 miles southwest of Wilmington.
While providing a change of venue for the LPGA players, the new site remains close to the tournament’s strong volunteer and fan base, explains tournament co-founder Frank Quinn. The tournament office is still in Rockland, Del.
“The community really believes in the cause,” says Alice Miller, the championship’s executive director. “Whether they’re buying a ticket or buying a hot dog, they know they have helped the kids.”
Miller credits the long-term success of the McDonald’s championship to community support, including the volunteers, many of whom come from New Castle County.
“We have a volunteer force of around 2,300 to 2,400 folks who just have taken ownership of this event. … They really know how to do things right, and they take a lot of pride in what they do.”
Story by Sharon H. Fitzgerald
Photo by Stephen Cherry
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