Cape Region Golf Year in Review—2024
December 27, 2024
December 31 marks the end of this column’s twenty-sixth year and a busy twelve months of Cape Region golf.
January – The Rookery continues its tree removal program to help keep its turf green and healthy on its course and practice areas. Burton Christie is the LPGA’s new club fitter, with helpful advice for amateurs about fittings and grips. Southern Delaware Golf Club continues preparations for a spring opening. Cape Region golf courses are a big part of the Delmarva Peninsula’s tourism industry, in partnership with hotels in Sussex County and Ocean City, MD. LPGA veteran Lindy Duncan’s improved play helped her successful return to the Tour.
February – Belgian Manon DeRoey’s rookie year was a struggle, but not at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in New Jersey, where she made her first paycheck. The annual PGA Show featured hundreds of products, including some well-designed artificial turf options from Fiberbuilt Golf. LPGA golfer Haeji Kang shoots a 65 in her final round at the ShopRite alone and in under 2 ½ hours, jumping her up the leaderboard. The Rookery removes fill dirt from a pond expansion to add to the challenge of its thirteenth hole and build a bigger practice range.
March – The American Junior Golf Association announces a spring tournament at Rehoboth Beach CC. Delaware State University’s women’s golf team takes second at the national HBCU Championship. A large group of returning Cape varsity players begin practice for the new high school golf season. Sussex Academy beats Cape by a single stroke in the schools’ opening match at Kings Creek CC. The Vikings bounce back with great team scores in defeating Smyrna and Lake Forest.
April – The Children’s Beach House tournament starts the annual Cape Region charity event schedule. Cape’s record-setting low scores are not enough against its perennial rivals Caesar Rodney. The Vikings’ April matches include a first-ever match against Lower Cape May Regional and another single-stroke loss to Milford. Sussex Academy and Delmarva Christian stay on winning tracks.
May – The AJGA tournament at RBCC is a major success for the club and the youth organization. Cape finally wins a single stroke match, against Sussex Central. Local club competitions begin their seasons. Sussex Academy finishes its regular season at 13-3, with Delmarva Christian at 12-3 and Cape at 11-6. Southern Delaware Golf Club enjoys a successful soft opening. Indian River’s Sarah Lydic wins the Henlopen Conference Championship and her second individual state championship in four years. Delmarva Christian’s team finishes tenth and Cape finishes eleventh in the state tournament at Maple Dale Country Club.
June – Lancaster Country Club successfully hosts its second U.S. Women’s Open with record attendance. Sussex Central’s Maia Alinskas wins a national First Tee college scholarship. USGA Women’s Open volunteers make the event a success. Setting tee box yardages appropriately makes the mixed high school state team championship a fair contest.
July – NASCAR comes to the Women’s Open at Lancaster CC’s four tough par 3 holes, especially the downhill twelfth. Golf pro Ryan Diehl offers a wide range of services at The Foreland Club in Ocean View. Author John Riley’s fine biography about longtime amateur champion Bill Hyndman of Philadelphia, is a welcome addition to golf libraries.
August – Rehoboth Beach Country Club hosts the Williamson Cup competition among top juniors from the northeast and Canada. The Delaware Junior Golf Scholarship Fund awards its stipends for the coming fall semester. Lancaster CC’s sixth hole, with the creek on its left side, is no cakewalk at the Women’s Open. On the other hand, fans at the club’s eighth hole witness the tournament’s only hole in one.
September – The Delaware Women’s Golf Association makes a major donation to First Tee. Canadian Matt Blois starts a new golf fitting/coaching business, building off his prior online success. The huge new practice green at Lancaster CC makes a big impression with the U.S. Women’s Open competitors. The club’s seventeenth hole is a great place to see how the fans focus on their favorites.
October – Teams from nineteen clubs compete in the Kings Creek Ladies Invitational. The Lady Blue Hens Invitational returns to Rehoboth Beach CC to bring college golf to the Cape Region, with UD winning the individual and team contests. Deb Ronemus of Rehoboth Beach makes yet another ace at The Rookery, bringing her up to four out of five for the Milton course’s par threes.
November – Chris Fares of Alexandria, LA makes two holes in one in the same round at The Rookery. Two squads of club professionals compete in the inaugural Delaware Cup event, with the North team winning. Watching elite golfers warm up at the Lancaster CC practice range can help your own game. Dozens of Cape Region charity golf events raise a startling amount of money for a wide variety of deserving causes.
December –This year’s collection of what I don’t want for Christmas is once again stunning but not in a good way. On the other hand, local golf gift opportunities are even better than before.
Thanks for reading! I look forward to another year of writing about Cape Region golf.