Course Review: St. Anne's Golf Links

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 very few trees — so there’s the potential for wind to play a major factor. All things considered, it's a pretty faithful representation of the links style.

St. Anne’s is a newer facility that bobs and weaves through and around an upscale residential area — certainly not built with walking golfers in mind. Greens fees are extremely reasonable during the week: Weekday slots range from $37 to $60; I paid $44 for my Monday morning tee time. Weekend slots are considerably more expensive, ranging from $59 to $89. All greens fees include the use of a buggy; to my dismay, there is no discount for those brave enough to hoof it.

The course is a par-71, 18-hole layout, with tees ranging from 7,226 yards from the tips to 4,784 yards from the forward tees. The entire track was in good condition, and — between penalty areas and a thick second cut of rough, there’s enough disincentive to miss fairways that you’ve got to play conservatively in places. Greens are mostly elevated and well-guarded by bunkers and waste areas, they play true and are just a hair fast; and the fairways and teeing grounds are well cared for. On the amenity front, there are ample water stations and portable restrooms scattered throughout the course, and there are two restaurants on site (both were closed on this Monday) in addition to a clean and well-stocked pro shop.

All of the par 3s are manageable (only one of them is particularly long); the par 4s aren’t crazy long but they force a diverse range of approach lengths, and the par 5s are just plain tough — forced carries, penalty areas, and sheer length. (I doubled on all of them. Boo.) The signature holes at St. Anne’s are the sixth and 18th; they share a wide fairway and a common approach back to the clubhouse for a picturesque conclusion to the round. Place is downright gorgeous.

The sixth green, overlooked by the St. Anne's clubhouse, two restaurants, and pool.

Directional and informational signage, however, are sorely lacking. Teeing grounds are marked, but it’s a matter of style over substance — signs bear only the hole number with no maps, yardages, or anything of particular use. Especially given the number of blind penalty areas and forced carries, this would be a welcome improvement. Sadly, the website is similarly lacking for information on the course beyond a portal to book tee times. Also noticeable was the lack of benches near teeing grounds, but a moot point for many given the vast majority of players here take buggies.

Yardages and course map.

What I like: No issues with pace of play; course is in good shape and requires you to use every club in your bag; water stations strategically placed on course; and just a really great, pretty setting and atmosphere for a round of golf.

What I’d like to see: Better use of web space and course signage to disseminate information, reduction of the 170-yard forced carry off the tee of No. 5, benches at tee areas.

The ratings: Playability - B, Condition/Atmosphere - A-, Layout - A, Pace - A, Walkability - C, Service - A-, Amenities - B, Value for money - B. Overall, I give St. Anne’s Golf Links a B+.

And now, for the round …

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I played off the green tees, which are 5,619 yards, a Course Rating of 69.6, and a Slope Rating of 125. As a 20.6 Handicap Index, my Course Handicap is 21.

I was a workmanlike +3 through the first four holes — bogey, par, bogey, bogey. After a poor 150-yard drive on the third, my second shot, a 5-wood from 185 yards, should have left me a lot closer to the pin, but it struck a wayward goose (he’s OK) and stopped 90 yards out. A 46-degree wedge on, and two-putt for bogey.

Not a scene from The Birds, but it could have been! A flock of geese enjoy morning banter along the third fairway.

My first double came on the fifth, a 489-yard par-5 with a close-to-170-yard forced carry over waste area off the tee and water guarding the green. Unforgiving. Thankfully, I rebounded with pars on two of the next three holes, but inaccurate approach shots forced me to sink 12- and 27-foot puts to convert. In all, I ended the front with a plus-9 44 — four shots better than when I had played the front nine last fall.

Thankfully, I had much better accuracy off the tee on the back (five of seven fairways), but a too-conservative layup on the 464-yard 11th left me too far to carry natural tall grass in front of the green (another double) and I started to get tired from the demanding hike around the 13th hole. I did my best to play defence through the last five holes, my lag putting was good, and I cobbled together a 47 in for a net-one-under 91.

Overall, I was a little better off the tee — average drive was 188 yards, but I managed to stripe a couple, including a 240-yarder on the 12th to set up a textbook par — lag putting was good, and I got away with only one three-putt. We’ll take it!

The tee box of the 302-yard 12th, one of the author's four pars of the morning. Photos by the author.

Round Summary

Gross Score: 44-47—91 (net -1)

Pars: 4

Bogeys: 8

Doubles: 6 (including all four par-5s)

Fairways: 7/13 (two others within a club length of the fairway)

Greens: 2/18

Net Greens: 12/18

Putts: 33

Strokes Gained Putting: 5.46

Total Holed Putts: 100 feet

Longest Made Putt: 27 feet

Shortest Missed Putt: 7 feet

Match vs. Course Handicap: won, 1 up (1-1-0)

Differential: 19.3

Pending Handicap Index: 20.2 (down 0.4)

Distance Walked: 6.8 miles (~17,000 steps)

Time: 3 hours, 38 minutes