I don’t think this has ever been done in New Castle County, DE so we decided to be the first to do it.

Introducing the complete 2026 Memberships Guide for New Castle County, DE.

We spent the last week researching and ranking every membership option available to the public for 2026.

Here are some highlights from the guide, and if you want to view the entire guide just press the “Get the Guide” button below!

FOR THE WEEKEND WARRIOR (2-3 ROUNDS/MONTH):

Delcastle Castle Card Value at $59/month or Ed Oliver Elite Card at $50/month. Both include a cart. Delcastle gives you $25 weekday rates; Ed Oliver is the cheapest monthly with cart included in NCC.

FOR THE BUDGET-CONSCIOUS ANNUAL PLAYER

Back Creek Twilight at $1,790/year or St. Anne's Playpass at $2,000/year ($35 per round). Both get you into quality courses at the lowest annual price points in NCC.

FOR THE SERIOUS PLAYER WANTING PREMIER GOLF

Back Creek 7-Day at $3,290 or Odessa National at $3,650. Back Creek has 21-day booking and Jaworski reciprocal play. Odessa has the Gil Hanse design and a 20% merch discount.

This week I visited and played several courses, as well as spoke with the staff on hand. Here’s some valuable updates on each course:

Rock Manor — Playing as well as it has all year. Greens and fairways are in the best shape we've seen this season, and with temps climbing into the 50s by Thursday and near 60 by Saturday, this weekend could be the first real "conditions + weather" sweet spot of 2026. Also: junior summer camp registration is open. PGA-run, half-day and full-day options. If you've got a kid who's interested, these fill up fast.

Ed Oliver — Leprechaun's Revenge is this Saturday, March 21st. Four-person scramble with a tough course setup. Still time to register if you want in. Contact the pro shop or check their site. The course itself is recovering from Winter still, but the staff is the friendliest in the county.

Delcastle — Conditions are trending up but the range is inconsistent depending on weather. Call ahead before driving out just for range time. Course playability is improving week over week as we push deeper into March.

Deerfield — Two things to know: the Two-Pin Challenge is coming March 29th (email [email protected] to register), and a 2026 Women's League has been announced. Deerfield always plays tough early in the season because of those elevation changes and the shaded areas that hold moisture longer. The course will keep getting better through April.

Back Creek — No major updates this week. Expect typical early-season conditions. The 21-day advance booking window means members can already be locking in April dates, which is worth doing if you're a member.

Frog Hollow — In great shape so far this year. One heads up: check the wind forecast before you book. Frog Hollow is already one of the more exposed courses in NCC, and with breezy days in the forecast this week, it'll play significantly tougher than usual. If you don't mind the wind, conditions are there.

Links at St. Anne's — Also in great shape and also exposed to wind. I played it earlier this week and was reminded how ridiculous those greens are. The slopes at St. Anne's are some of the most severe in the county. If you haven't played it recently, leave your ego at home and take what the greens give you. A two-putt from the wrong tier is a win.

Odessa National — No major updates this week. The Gil Hanse layout holds up well in early spring. Worth noting: their range membership ($700 standalone, $550 as a member add-on) is one of the better practice setups in NCC if you're looking for a dedicated place to work on your game.

Garrisons Lake — The new clubhouse is almost finished, which is exciting. On the course: multiple tee boxes are open (not the case everywhere this early), which is a plus. Cart paths are rough this year, and for some reason there are barely any bunker rakes out. That's a maintenance detail that needs attention. The course itself plays well though. Shot a 76 there yesterday and it reminded me why I like this place: it's honest golf at a fair price.

NCC golf this week is a game of patience. The front half is cold, the back half is worth it in my opinion.

Tuesday: 38°F and sunny. It's March in Delaware, it just looks nice from the window. Unless you're built different, this is a range day at best. The sun is misleading.

Wednesday: 37°F and more of the same. Don't bother. The course will be empty and for good reason.

Thursday: Now we're talking. Temps jump to 48°F with low precipitation chances. Still a jacket round, but playable. If you've been cooped up all week, this is your first real window. Courses will start to see traffic again.

Friday: 53°F and dry. Solid golf weather for mid-March. Twilight is back in play with the clocks moved forward. After-work nines are officially a thing again.

Saturday: 61°F. That's the number right there. Low chance of rain, warmest day of the week by a mile. This is the round you plan your week around. Expect tee sheets to fill up fast, especially at Rock Manor and Delcastle. If you haven't booked yet, do it today.

Sunday: Forecast is still developing but should stay dry and in the mid-50s range. A solid backup if Saturday gets away from you.

The Play: Saturday is the move this week. 61 degrees in mid-March is a gift. Book now, the tee sheets will tighten by Thursday once everyone sees the forecast. If you can't wait, Friday twilight is a strong backup. Skip Tuesday and Wednesday unless you enjoy suffering.

I've been thinking about something since I started this newsletter.

Covering NCC golf is one thing. But building something golfers actually show up to? That's the next level. And I don't want to guess what you want. I want to hear it from you.

NCC Golf Report is looking at putting on events this year. Real ones. For local public golfers. But before I book anything or commit to a format, I need to know what actually gets you to show up.

So here's the question:

If you have a specific idea or a course you think we should host at, reply to this email. I read every one.

This is your newsletter. Help me build it into something bigger.