Walk 18 with James

For 8-1/2 years, I lived a stone's throw from Maple Dale Country Club , on the west side of Dover, Del. And, for some reason, I'd never played it ... until yesterday. Despite the "Country Club" moniker, Maple Dale is open for public play, and, hankering for a little variety from my usual complement of courses, I snagged a midday Tuesday slot for $55 (no walking discount). While I didn't get much in the way of variety from my usual fare (it played very similarly to Garrisons in places), it was nonetheless an enjoyable round. The course is pretty standard parkland fare, with some holes heavily lined by trees but others pretty wide open. Tee boxes and fairways are in excellent shape, greens play to about a 9-10 and are sloped and well guarded, and there's plenty of trouble. The par-3 third is particularly unforgiving, featuring a well-guarded green replete with bunkers, shrubs, and a pond that forces either a lofted shot or pinpoint accuracy. As far as the course...

Course: Garrisons Lake Golf Club, Smyrna, Del. Tees: Orange (5,672 yards, CR 67.3, SR 119) Gross Score:  44-47—91 (net +2) Pars:  5 Bogeys:  7 Doubles:  6 Fairways:  8/14 Greens:  0/18 Net Greens:  12/18 Putts:  31 Strokes Gained Putting:  3.89 Total Holed Putts:  71 feet Longest Made Putt:  18 feet Shortest Missed Putt:  4 feet Match vs. Course Handicap:  lost, 2 down (1-4-0) Differential:  22.5 Pending Handicap Index:  20.5 (no change) Distance Walked:  5.5 miles (~11,200 steps) Time:  2 hours, 44 minutes Maximum Heart Rate:  149 bpm

Played my first 18 in over two weeks (the clubs didn't fit in the car on the family holiday), and put the free version of the Golfshot scoring and GPS app to work over my home course. What a great little app! Granted, I only scratched the surface of its functionality — accessing hole yardage and inputting my score and putts hole-by-hole — but my first impression of it was really good. The iOS version of the app pairs well with the Apple Watch ... in fact, I don't think I touched my actual phone during the entire round except to field a text message or two. While playing a round, the Apple Watch displays your real-time yardage to the front, centre and back of the current green. Upon completion of each hole, simply swipe right on the face of the Watch to record score and putts, and advance to the next hole. Super handy. At the end of the round, the iPhone interface allows you to add advanced stats to your scorecard, send an email of your scorecard to yourself, and even post your...

After three solid rounds to kick off July, poor accuracy and distance off the tee (driver only averaged 155 yards thanks to some serious mis-hits), rhythm struggles thanks to a pokey quartet holding up play in front of me, and inconsistent ball striking (think tops and chunks) outside wedge range plagued me today at Garrisons Lake. Oh well. If there are any positive takeaways from the round, it was my partial wedge play. From pitching wedge range (105 yards) and in, I hit the green or fringe at 79%. Combined with only one three-put, I was able to salvage a 95 from the orange tees (5,672 yards, 67.3/119) ... but, oh, does the resulting 26.3 differential sting after counting four of my five previous rounds and losing a 19.8 off my card. Still a 20 index, but a 20.5 now rather than a 20.2. The biggest upside was my company for the morning — a youth and high school hockey coach who I've gotten to know pretty well over the past eight seasons through covering his teams and his kid's ...

This course is an absolute [redacted] hike. No, seriously. Nearly seven miles of walking, some hills, and a few long green-to-tee stretches. No wonder most people take buggies at St. Anne’s Golf Links , in Middletown, Del. Heck, around holes 14 and 15, I was starting to reconsider my life choices — especially as the temperature crept up into the mid-30s. But, the blog is called “Walk 18 with James,” not “Sit in a Buggy with James” (I know where your mind’s going. Back up.) — so we pressed on. The sun breaks through the clouds at St. Anne's Golf Links, a faithfully-designed links-style course (but an absolute [redacted] to walk!) in Middletown, Del. That all being said, it’s a really fun track (frustrating at times, but mostly fun), and a welcome change of pace from standard-issue American parkland golf. While these links are not on coastland, there’s water in play on 10 of the 18 holes and significant waste areas on a couple others, the rough is treacherous in places, and there are...

Today's round was at my home course: Garrisons Lake Golf Club , in Smyrna, Del. I reckon I've played this track about 45 times so far in 2024, so my annual pass has pretty well paid for itself and everything from here to the end of December is bonus! Without further ado, let's dive into the course review. I'll look at a few key factors: playability, condition, pace, walkability, service, amenities, and value for money. Garrisons Lake Golf Club is a public 18-hole, par-72 course under the care of the Delaware State Parks division and managed by Troon. It's nothin' fancy, but a solid, well-maintained track that offers a suitable test for every ability level. There are currently six sets of tees, ranging from 7,060 yards at the tips to 4,190 yards from the forward tees. The course was built in the 1960s, and it shows (in a good way!) — each tee box isn't that far from the previous green, and it makes for a really enjoyable walk. (Unfortunately, there's not ...

Hi, hello, good morning ... So, a little about me. I'm James, a 38-year-old sportscaster, writer, editor, musician — and avid golfer. I'm a Pittsburgh native, and, after and amid extended stops in Michigan, Chicagoland, and upstate New York, Delaware has been my primary home base since 2007. I played golf (rather, attempted to play golf) all through high school and undergrad before throwing my hand-me-down clubs into the corner of my garage in 2009. In the fall of 2022, I decided to reclaim the game on my own terms. So I bought new clubs (which I've since upgraded), took some lessons, and have committed to walking at least 36 holes a week since, weather permitting. As of this writing, my Handicap Index is 20.8, down from 26.2 at the beginning of the 2024 season. While I do most of my walking and playing at Garrisons Lake Golf Club , a true gem of a muni in Smyrna, Del., I tackle other courses in the Mid-Atlantic region on occasion, too. Thank you for stopping by and walking...