Vacation Finale at Rookery North

The Rookery North
Milford, DE
Yards: 3030/2916 - 5946
Par: 36/35 - 71
Rating: 69.0, Slope: 126
Score: 55/46 = 101
Date: September 6, 2018

My third and final round during my week-long Labor Day vacation in Delaware was played at The Rookery North in Milford. Originally built as a private club, Shawnee, in 1957, it was acquired by the owners of The Rookery Golf Club a few years ago and re-branded as The Rookery's north course. I had previously played the course when it was Shawnee nearly 20 years ago, shooting a 99.

My original intention for my vacation finale was to play at The Rookery's South Course in Milton, Del.,, but an outing had the course closed. So I took a chance and drove to the North Course, about 20 miles north of Lewes, for my round. I felt confident as I teed off, but my opening drive found trees on the left side of the fairway. It was a foreshadow of how my opening nine holes would go as I struggled to find the fairway, and when I did, I could not take advantage. Again, par 5s were a nightmare, as I triple-bogeyed both on the front nine. I made double-bogey or worse on seven of the nine opening holes. It added up to a 55.

The Rookery North Scorecard

The back nine was a good bit better. I actually made a birdie at the 114-yard par 3 Thirteenth Hole and parred the long, 198-yard par 3 Tenth Hole. But a quadruple-bogey 8 at the 327-yard Twelfth and a double at par 5 Seventeenth blunted any real momentum, though I did manage a 46 for the nine. That gave me a disappointing 101 for the round.

Overall, my three rounds were fun. Except for a three hole stretch at the American Classic I would have shot a fantastic round. And one nine holes--the back at Jonathan's Landing and the front at The Rookery North--kept me from shooting better scores. I was also happy that I got to play two courses that I haven't played in a very long time.

A Rough Landing

Jonathan's Landing Golf Club
Magnolia, DE
Yards: 3062/2575 - 5637
Par: 36/35 - 71
Rating: 65.6, Slope: 110
Score: 47/50 = 97
Date: September 4, 2018

My second round during my Delaware vacation was at Jonathan's Landing Golf Club in Magnolia, Del., just outside Dover, and about 35 miles north of Lewes. I had played the course once 10 years ago and I was looking forward to giving it another try.

Jonathan's Landing Scorecard

The two nines at Jonathan's Landing are starkly different. The front nine is more open and is often bounded by marsh areas and wetlands, while the back nine is tighter and winds through a housing development. The two nines have been reversed since the last time I played the course.

Par 3 Third Hole

My round couldn't have gotten off to a worse start: I hit my lay-up second shot at the par 5 First Hole into a marsh area and made double-bogey. I followed that up with double-bogey's at the par 5 Second and par 4 Third Hole. I righted myself a bit with back-to-back pars at the Fourth and Fifth holes, with another par at the 137-yard par 3 Eighth. I shot a 47 on my opening nine and felt somewhat optimistic heading to the second and easier nine.

My ball sits on sand on the Sixth green

One thing that made scoring a bit difficult was the fact that the course was topdressing the greens with sand in preparation for aerating them. This made putting to the hole difficult on many greens. The course's fairways also showed the effects of all the rain and extreme heat from this summer with many bare spots.

The Sixth green being topdressed with sand during my round

My back nine was worse than the first nine, as I double-bogeyed two easy par 3s in the first four holes. I also missed a 5-foot birdie putt at the 241-yard par 4 Twelfth Hole. After hitting my tee shot right and out-of-bounds, I made a triple-bogey 7 at the Fourteenth Hole. A bogey at the 138-yard par Fifteenth was the last gasp, as I proceeded to double-bogey the last three holes. This was especially frustrating since the Sixteenth and Seventeenth holes are par 5s where I hit perfect tee shots, but chunked easy layup and pitch shots. It added up to a back nine 50 and 97 for the round. This was two strokes higher than the 95 I shot in 2008, when I made a birdie and four pars.

The par 3 Thirteenth Hole

The most disappointing things about my round at Jonathan's Landing was I didn't take advantage of the easier holes on the back nine, I double-bogeyed every par 5 and I wasn't warned about the greens being topdressed before teeing off. I was happy, however, that I managed to shoot under 100.

Not just bugs buzz around the course

One interesting aspect of the course is its location. It is on the approach to Dover Air Force Base and throughout my round, Air Force transport planes continually flew literally overhead.

A Round at Jonathan's Landing

Jonathan's Landing
Magnolia, Del
Yards: 3062/2575 - 5637
Par: 36/35 - 71
Rating: 65.8, Slope: 106
Score: 48/47 = 95
Date: September 4, 2008

I had always wanted to play Jonathan's Landing, a links-style golf course located just a few miles south of Dover, Delaware. The course is visible as you dive along Delaware Route 1 heading to or from the Delaware beaches. In fact, the course probably sits less than a mile from the runway at Dover Air Force Base, a fact that you are constantly reminded of as huge cargo planes rumble low overhead. I became even more determined to make the course one of my destinations this year after visiting their booth at the Victory Golf Show back in March. So I made the 45-minute drive up from the Rehoboth Beach area for the final round during my week-long vacation at the Delaware beach.

Jonathan's Landing Scorecard

The front nine at Jonathan's Landing is very open, with water and/or wetlands coming into play on eight of the nine holes, while most of the back nine winds through a housing development and water/wetlands being a factor on only three holes. Because the course is so open, wind is often a factor, making club selection difficult and crucial. The clubhouse at Jonathan's Landing, which opened in July of 2001 is quite a site; a replica of the Port Mahon Lighthouse. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. The course also features a driving range, a pitching and chipping practice green and a 12,000 square foot short game area.

The 16th, a 454-yard Par 5 with the Clubhouse in the distance

The course was in excellent condition for so late in the summer season. Because of the lack of rain however, carts were permitted to driven in the fairway, but not in the rough on the day I played. The greens had been aerated, but were still pretty smooth and medium fast.

The 13th Hole, a Par 3 where trouble looms short left and to the right

My round started on the back nine. Because this was my fourth round in seven days, and considering what happened at The Rookery, I took a cart for this round. As I was teeing off, a threesome drove up to the hole that included Bill, Bill, and his brother Dave; three retired locals who are regulars at Jonathan's Landing. I asked them if they cared to make it a foursome and they gladly accepted my invitation. And boy, am I glad they did. Besides being three great guys, their knowledge of the course proved invaluable, as there are many blind shots and hidden dangers on the course. An example was the 12th Hole (our third), a short 241-yard Par 4 in which the green is visible from the tee, but two long bunkers to the right of the fairway and green are not. After pointing this out to me, I teed off with my hybrid to about 15 yards short of the green, then chipped to four feet, which I made for a birdie. Or at the 13th, a Par 3 where they told me don't miss to the right and I, of course, hit it right, which slopes severely away from the green and down into wetlands.

The 3rd Hole, a short, tight Par 4 with a persistent wind and wetlands all around

I started out playing well at Jonathan's Landing, with a bogey, par and birdie on my first three holes. After that, I made the game more challenging that it need to be by repeatedly having difficulty off the tee. The wind was definitely causing me problems. And when I did play well from tee to green, I almost always managed to throw in an extra putt or two. But after playing, or struggling, through the first 14 holes, once again I managed to dig deep and pull my game together over the last four holes, going 4-5-3-5. The two pars and two bogeys helped me salvage a 95 for my round.

The 7th Hole, a Par 4 that doglegs right over water

I think over the final few holes, I finally realized what my problems have been with my swing. It has become too around my body as opposed to more upright, which is how I swing when I am playing at my best. It certainly gave me something to think about, as well as reflect on Jonathan's Landing as I drove the 45-minutes back to the Rehoboth Beach area to have dinner and enjoy the finals few days of my Delaware vacation.

Some more photos of Jonathan's Landing:

My playing partners: Bill, his brother Dave, and Bill

The pride of the U.S. Air Force streaks overhead

The 2nd Green. Behind runs the road back to Del. Rte. 1

The 5th Hole. Approach shots play over wetlands fronting the green.

The 10th Hole, with houses lining the fairway

The 15th Hole, a 138-yard Par 3 that played into the wind

The 18th Hole and the magnificent Clubhouse

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Fore at the Shore in Delaware

Labor Day has come and gone, which means my annual trek to the Delaware shore is over for another year. This year, I was able to get in four rounds of golf -- well actually one round was only 17 holes and the finished in complete darkness. I played at Baywood Greens, Old Landing, The Rookery and Jonathan's Landing. I'll be detailing each over the next few posts. I also did some shopping, adding a club to my arsenal, picking up a new putter cover, buying a new golf book to read and adding some clothes to my golf wardrobe. It was a fun eight days, but also a sign that the fall golf season is now here.

No Small Task: Preparing for Delaware Trip

As the days in August wind down, it is time to start getting things ready for my annual getaway to the Delaware Shore with my wife. As we do every Labor Day, we will be heading to Lewes, Del., my wife for two weeks and me for a week. While my wife relaxes with a good book on the beach, I will be hitting the fairways at several local courses. First up will be the usual Labor Day weekend round with my cousins. Last year, we played beautiful Baywood Greens for the first time. I have made a list of potential courses for this year's round that includes Baywood Greens, The Rookery, Marsh Island, Old Landing, Bear Trap Dunes and Jonathan's Landing near Dover. I also will be playing a round over Labor Day weekend with Brian, the husband of my wife's best Noreen. I might take him to Old Landing. I jope to get in at least four rounds during my eight days at the shore in lower Delaware.

I've made my packing list and will be getting everything together over the next week. Among the items I'll taking:

* TaylorMade Burner Driver
* TaylorMade Burner 3-Wood
* Nickent 3DX DC Utility
* TaylorMade r7 Irons
* Solus Wedges
* Never Compromise Putter
* Odyssey XG #9 Putter (Backup)
* TaylorMade r580XD Driver (Backup)
* Callaway X 3 Wood (Backup)
* 2 Dozen Maxfli/TaylorMade Golf Balls
* 4 Golf Gloves
* 2 Pair Golf Shoes
* 3 Collared Golf Shirts
* 2 Mock Polo Golf Shits
* 4 Pair Golf Shorts
* 5 Pair Golf Socks
* Wind/Rain Shirt and Vest
* 3 Golf Visors
* 2 Golf Hats
* Sun Tan Lotion/Bug Repellent
* Granola Bars
* Speed Stik
* Momentus Big Hitter

I'll be making sure the shirts and shorts I want to take have been washed, clean all my clubs, change the spikes in my golf shoes and mark the golf balls. It may seem like a lot, but I believe in being ready and prepared for 4 rounds over eight days. I'll report on the courses I played, and how I played, when I return.

The Highs and Lows of Delaware Golf

Well, I have concluded my yearly Labor Day week-long trip to the Delaware Shore. While my wife was hitting the beaches of Lewes, I was hitting the local links, with rounds at Baywood Greens, Marsh Island and The Rookery. My game experienced some highs--long accurate tee shots with my new TaylorMade Burner Driver and a couple of birdies at Baywood--and some lows--a 10 on a Par 4 at both Baywood and Marsh Island and eight lost balls at Marsh Island. I also hit the local golf shops, but didn't find anything to buy. I did, however, pick up three pairs of Under Armour sports briefs at the Tanger Outlets in Rehoboth Beach. I was hoping to get in a fourth round at either Jonathan's Landing in Magnolia, Del., or a second round at Marsh Island, but a family emergency prevented it from happening.

Here are my rounds and reviews of the courses I played:

Baywood Greens
Long Neck, Del
Yards: 6088, Par: 72
Score: 55/48 = 103
Date: August 31, 2007

Baywood Greens bills itself as "the Augusta of the Northeast" and it is easy to see why. The course is beautifully landscaped everywhere you look. The fairways are green and lush and the greens are fast and true. Our golfing experience started off when we were greeted at the bag drop. Our clubs were placed on the carts while my cousins and I went into a beautiful Pro Shop to pay our greens fees. Baywood isn't cheap. We paid $75 after 1 p.m. (we had a 1:18 tee time). Upon exiting the Pro Shop and showing our receipts, we were directed to our carts and told to go to the practice range to hit "as many balls as we wanted" and we would be called when our tee time approached. They also had a putting green, as well as a green with practice bunkers, something I wish now I had taken advantage of because I think I spent more time in the sand that day than my wife. Once we were directed to the First Tee, the starter gave us the rules of the day: which fairways prohibited carts, which areas and flower beds we could take relief from, etc. He also gave each of us a Baywood Greens bag tag. The carts at Baywood are equipped with the GPS system that shows you the hole, the distances to hazards, the green, etc., and even tells you when another cart is in the fairway up ahead in case you can't visually see it.

I drove the ball beautifully most of the day and was often the longest off the tee. However, my short game was non-existent. And I think I found half of the sand traps on the course. I managed to play out of them, but just barely as most had a very, very shallow level of sand. I made a very disappointing 10 at the Par 4 4th Hole after I played ping-pong by chipping back and forth over the green a few times. The most interesting hole at Baywood is the 385-yard Par 4 14th Hole. Standing on the tee, you play over water with two options to the green. You can play the longer route around the large lake as a long dog-leg left, or you can take take the shorter direct route by hitting to a small, narrow island fairway. I was hitting the ball really well with my driver and easily hit the island, leaving me just a pitching wedge to the green. However I three-putted for a 5. I followed that with a disastrous 8 at the 145-yard uphill Par 3 15th Hole by topping TWO tee shots into water in front of the tee. I did redeem myself on the next two holes, the 452-yard Par 5 16th and the 346-yard Par 4 17th Hole by making back-to-back birdies! On 16, I laid up on my second shot, then dropped a wedge about 18 inches from the cup. At 17, I canned a 70-foot putt from the front right fringe to a back left hole location.

While I doubt if I will be playing Baywood Greens on a regular yearly basis, it is a course I will look forward to returning to sometime in the future.

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Marsh Island
Angola, Del
Yards: 4738, Par: 65
Score: Practice Round
Date: September 2, 2007

Marsh Island is a short little course that runs along Love Creek just west of the Lewes-Rehoboth Beach area. But don't let its length lull you into a fall sense of security, especially if the wind is blowing. While largely open in the front area of the course, the back features numerous protected wetlands that can reach out and easily snare a wayward shot. The course features some long, moderate and short Par 3s, short Par 4s, and two Par 5s. There are, however, a couple of holes that just don't quite feel like they belong on this course. One is the 271-yard Par 4 7th Hole. Even from the very back tees, all that is required is a 9-iron at most. But you must place the ball strategically because wetlands stand between the end of the fairway and green, with about a 10-yard opening to hit over the wetlands to a raised green. I made a 10 on this hole. Lucky Hole #13 is a 129-yard Par 3 from a slightly elevated tee to a very narrow green with water in front and wetlands to the right and behind the green. Choose your club wisely on this hole. Hole #15 is a 301-yard Par 4 which requires a tee shot of about 175 yards over wetlands to a fairway that doglegs sharply to the right. Go too far and you are in a narrow bunker to the left and short of the green, which again, has wetlands and Love Creek behind. Hole #16 is a 225-yard Par 3 in which the green sits about behind 30-yards behind a very narrow opening in the trees that stand about 185 yards off the tee. I often feel like a field goal kicker looking at a 55-yarder with 3 seconds left to win the game as I stand on the tee. Marsh Island is a great little course that will test your patience, as well as your short- and long-iron game. I should know, I lost 8 golf balls during my practice round!

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The Rookery
Milton, Del
Yards: 6139, Par: 71
Score: 45/46 = 91
Date: September 4, 2007

The Rookery is a challenging golf course that was conceived and is owned by Pete Oakley, the 2004 Senior British Open Champion. It is a long, very-wide open course that features plenty of hazards, including water, wetlands and sand traps. It can be especially difficult if the wind is blowing, but I was lucky and played it on a calm, but humid day. I walked, as I usually do, and The Rookery is favorable to those who lug theirs bags rather than riding in a cart.

I continued to hit my driver extremely well at The Rookery, which was probably one of the keys to my round. I managed to have short irons into a lot of the greens, but I couldn't make a putt to save my life. The front nine at The Rookery features two very quirky holes back-to-back. The Par 4 4th Hole is 290 yards from a raised tee, bit a large pond sits in the middle of fairway. It takes a tee shot of about 260 yards to clear the water, so I usually lay up with nothing more than an 8-iron off the tee, then another 8-iron to the large green. The 385-yard Par 4 5th Hole is a sharp dog-leg left that requires a lengthy tee shot to clear the woods on the left side of the fairway. If you do manage to get out to the dog-leg, you want to be on the right side of the fairway or else you have to hit over four or five pines that guard the green from the left. The back nine features three Par 5s, #s 10, 13 and 18, with 10 and 18 being 575-yards and 566-yards respectively. Holes #14 and 15 are both Par 3s, with 14 being 200 yards and 15 being a short 140 yards to an island green.

I have been playing The Rookery since it opened in 2001. It is a well maintained course and, although long, always a joy to play. It has been on my Delaware Labor Day week play list every year and I don't see that changing any time soon.

Off to Delaware

My golf bag is all packed and I'll be heading to the Delaware Shore tonight for nine days of sun, surf, and and GOLF!!! The annual Labor Day weekend family golf outing with my cousins is already scheduled for a 1:18 p.m. tee time on Friday at Baywood Greens, a course I have heard wonderful reviews about and have always wanted to play. I also plan to play at The Rookery and possibly Jonathan's Landing near Dover, another course I have heard great things about. If I am lucky, I will get in a fourth round this week, probably at Marsh Island in Angola, just west of Rehoboth Beach. I also plan to check out a couple of golf retailers, Ruddo's Golf and Clubhouse Golf in Rehoboth, to see if there may be any end-of-the-season bargains. Ruddo's is where I purchased my Odyssey White Hot XG #9 putter last fall. I'll post my rounds and my reviews when I return.