Royals go 2-1 in first three 2026 matches

Delmarva Christian won its first match of the 2026 season March 26, with a 185-255 defeat of Mt. Sophia Academy at Delcastle Golf Club in New Castle County.

Sophomore Avery McCoy earned medalist honors for the Royals with her 41 on the par-36 front nine of the Ed Ault-designed golf course. The former county prison farm opened for golf in the early 1970s.

Donovan Balback, Elvis Millaway and Cole Parker all posted 48s to complete the team scoring. 

The Royals next hosted a tri-meet April 1 against Middletown High and Sussex Academy at Baywood Greens, Delmarva Christian’s home course. The hosts defeated Middletown 181-184, but lost to Sussex Academy 174-181.

McCoy once again led her team, this time with a 42 on the par-36 front nine. Balback and Parker scored next for Delmarva Christian with a pair of 45s. Gideon Woods’ 49 finished the team scoring for the day.

Haden Mazurek of Middletown won medalist honors for the day against all others, posting a nice three-over 39.

Delmarva Christian head coach Ray Davis said, “I'm super proud of everyone on my team for playing the game with integrity and composure. [A record of] 2-1 heading into spring break is a great start to the season as far as I'm concerned!”

The Royals’ next match is scheduled for Wednesday, April 15, for another home contest at Baywood Greens, this time against perennial powerhouse Salesianum School.

Baywood is once again hosting the DIAA State Championship in May. Several upstate teams are attempting to schedule matches at the Long Neck course to gain potentially valuable experience.

Sussex Academy picks up four wins

After winning their first match of the season March 24 against Milford, the Sussex Academy Seahawks won four more matches as spring break approached.

For the April 1 wins against Delmarva Christian and Middletown, Jordan Green led the Seahawks with his 43. Nicholas DeEmedio posted a 43 for the second team spot. Bodhi Williams shot a 44, with Ryan Kline’s 45 as the fourth and final score. 

The Seahawks hosted Smyrna at Kings Creek Country Club March 30, defeating the Eagles 171-211 on the par-36 back nine. 

Kline won medalist honors with his three-over 39, with Green taking second with his 43. DeEmedio posted a 44. Ryan Dostal completed the team scoring with his 45.

Aiden Shaffer of Smyrna was best scorer for the Eagles with his 48.

The Seahawks traveled to Hooper’s Landing Golf Course in Seaford March 26, when they defeated Laurel 170-287. 

Laurel fielded only two players, so the outcome was not in doubt. Nonetheless, Dostal earned medalist honors with a three-over 39 on the front nine. Kline was next with a 43. DeEmedio and Williams completed the team scoring with a pair of 44s.

The Seahawks’ next scheduled match is set for April 15 against Indian River at Kings Creek CC.

Blue Tees enters the launch monitor biz

Blue Tees entered the golf equipment market several years ago with a low-priced rangefinder option that became a huge success for the California company. Since then, Blue Tees added to its product lines with GPS systems, speakers for the golf cart crowd, additional rangefinder options and related accessories.

At this year’s PGA Show, Blue Tees unveiled a new entry into the launch monitor category with the Rainmaker radar-based product. 

I met Joe Picavage, a Blue Tees marketing manager, who went over the new product’s features and goals.

“It’s one of the most accessible systems,” he said, as he also stressed its flexibility.

The device’s adjustable stand permits a quick setup for either indoor or outdoor use, along with a water-resistant cover. It won’t help in a downpour, but it will give you time to retrieve it from a light shower.

The 4.3-inch display is large enough for golfers to stay where they are and glance at the results. More importantly, the display means there is no need for a phone, tablet or internet connection to see what happened.

The Doppler radar unit generates more than 20 performance metrics, including ball and club speeds, carry and total distances, launch angle and direction, spin rate, descent angle and more.

A USB-C charging system gives the device up to seven hours of battery life. A detachable remote control allows the user to change club and player data between shots. 

While the device can do its own thing, Blue Tees also made sure it connects to its Launch app. This arrangement stores session history, maps dispersion and more extensive performance data over time. It can also be paired with E6 Connect and GSPro for a full simulator experience, including course play and multiplayer options.

We also looked at the Player Pro golf speaker, an upgraded version of the popular product. 

The new model can track scores and display scorecard information without relying on a smartphone. Once synced with the Bluetooth app, however, it acts like an electronic caddy by making club recommendations. It even includes a round timer for those who enjoy feeling that little bit of pressure. Picavage said the magnetic mount was enhanced for a more secure attachment to carts and rails. 

Presales opened March 1, and retail availability at major outlets also began last month.