DESTINATION GUIDES
Delaware
A golf vacation in Dela...where?
WILMINGTON, Del. - When it comes to golf, Delaware has become the little state that could. They have opened 10 new public courses since the mid-1990s, and the state offers a surprisingly wide variety of off-course attractions. The First State might not be the first choice for a golf vacation, but it would be an excellent alternative to some of the more well-known (read: over-crowded) destinations, especially for denizens of the eastern seaboard from Boston to D.C.
On paper, Delaware appears underwhelming. Just 800,000 residents. Only three counties. No more than a 90-minute drive from top to bottom, and never wider than 35 miles from side to side. On the ground, however, this second smallest of states contains a diversity unimaginable to motorists on Interstate 95. From the old-money grandiosity of the DuPont properties in Wilmington to the family beach resorts of Bethany and Fenwick in the south, there's something to suit every taste.
And the same goes for the Delaware golf courses.
Northern
Delaware Golf
(New Castle County)
Nearly three-fourths of the state's population lives in and around Wilmington, and several of the best public courses can be found here. At the top of the list are Back Creek and its sister course Frog Hollow. Both are owned by Allen Liddicoat (who also designed both layouts), and draw a lot of players from the greater Philadelphia area. Back Creek (par-71, 7,001 yards, $49-63) is extremely wide open, with expansive fairways and sprawling greens. Frog Hollow (par-71, 6,608 yards, $49-63) is a bit narrower off the tee, with some wooded holes and severely contoured greens. Although the residential developments on both detract from the aesthetics, the houses mostly remain out of play. Playing both in a day costs around $90, which is a fantastic deal.
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Attractions in New Castle County are diverse. The architecture and atmosphere in the historic village of New Castle (www.visitnewcastle.com) hearkens back to colonial days. William Penn first set foot in North America here, and George Washington stayed here while attending a wedding. Delaware Park Racetrack and Slots (www.delpark.com) offers all the wagering your wallet will allow, and is also opening its own Arthur Hills-designed golf course late summer, 2003. And for a little old-school entertainment, Three Little Bakers Dinner Theater (www.tlbinc.com) features Broadway shows in one of the top three dinner theaters on the East Coast.
Lodging and food are plentiful. For pure elegance, try the Hotel DuPont (800-441-9019, $270/suite) and its critically acclaimed Green Room, where the museum-quality art collection on the walls competes with the gourmet fare for attention. Just down the road from Delaware Park is the Hilton Brandywine Valley's Country Estate (302-454-1500), which offers golf packages ranging from $98 to $143.
Perhaps the best victuals can be had in New Castle. Connoisseurs of New England cuisine should not miss the roast duck and shepherd's pie at Jessop' s Tavern (302-322-6111), and The David Finney Inn (302-322-6367) is also a cozy venue for a drink or a meal.
Central
Delaware
(Kent County)
The major city in central Delaware is the state capitol, Dover (one of four state capitols beginning with the same letter as the state). Golf courses are rarer here than in the north or south, but a decent public layout can be found at Jonathan's Landing (par-71, 6,657 yards, $28-44). The Wild Quail Golf Club (302-697-4653) is private but extends playing privileges to members of numerous other clubs around the country. Wild Quail also partners with Dover Downs Hotel (www.doverdowns.com) in packages for larger group outings.
As for off-course action, this rather quiet section of "lower, slower Delaware" holds surprises for those willing to look. Aside from the slots, horse racing, and NASCAR action at Dover Downs, more laid-back diversions can be found at any one of several Amish country markets, the largest of which is Spence's Bazaar (550 S. New Street, Dover). You have simply not tasted pie until you've tasted a freshly baked Amish pie.
Unlike the slots at Dover Downs, the food around Dover is a sure bet. For fish with a flair, try Cool Springs Fish Bar & Restaurant in Dover (302-698-1955). For more traditional fare, try the Village Inn Restaurant (302-734-3245) in Little Creek. And if all you want is the best barbeque in the state, check out Where Pigs Fly (302-678-0587) in Dover.
Southern
Delaware
(Sussex County)
Although the placid, windswept beaches of Sussex County seem a million miles from the hubbub of Wilmington, the two ends of tiny Delaware are less than two hours apart - as long as the summer traffic doesn't hold you up, that is. The beach crowd here can be overwhelming at times, but the "quiet resorts" of Bethany and Fenwick promise a modicum of solitude even during the peak tourist season.
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Bear Trap Dunes (par-72, 6,835 yards, $40-110) in Ocean View is a superb 27-hole complex with an outstanding clubhouse restaurant. Course architect Rick Jacobson, who apprenticed under Jack Nicklaus, moved a lot of soil in order to create waste areas and fairways reminiscent of the natural dunes lining the local beaches. The Black Bear-Grizzly combination of nines is the 18 rightfully considered by the locals to be a Mid-Atlantic "must play."
Hotels are abundant in this summer vacation hot-spot, but golfers would have a hard time finding a more golf-friendly establishment than the Holiday Inn Express in Bethany Beach (302-541-9200), which has golf packages arranged with 27 Delaware and Maryland courses. For a special evening of fine dining, Nantucket in Fenwick Island (302-539-2607) serves up the best filet mignon in the area, and the various oyster and crab dishes leave your mouth watering for days. During peak season this place is usually crowded, especially during "Men's Nights" and "Ladies' Nights," when folks of the appropriate gender receive half-off their entrees.
Besides the obvious and ever-present beach fun, off-course attractions include Delaware's only vineyard, Nassau Valley Vineyards. Proprietor and vintner Peggy Raley (who is also a professional jazz singer) is happy to share not only her wines with you during on-site tastings, but also the story of how she got Delaware's laws changed to allow people to make their own wine. "The soil and climate in Delaware are perfect for grapes," says Raley.
The single most mind-blowing, imagination-charging attraction in the entire state, however, is the DiscoverSea Museum on Fenwick Island (302-539-9366, www.discoversea.com). Proprietor, owner, and curator Dale W. Clifton, Jr. is a renowned - and perhaps the most successful - treasure hunter in America. He was a partner in the salvage of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha off the Florida coast in the mid 1980s, which yielded $580 million in sunken treasure and artifacts. Dale is a walking encyclopedia of maritime lore, and he will share all of it with you for the price of the free admission. He might also share 180-proof rum salvaged from a 1733 wreck (and it is smooooth!). Rather than sell the 100-plus bottles at auction for $20,000, he decided to keep them to share with complete strangers!
Delaware, it seems, is full of surprises and treasures. Like the saying goes: Good things come in small packages.
