Two single-sex high schools in Delaware have golf teams in their spring sports programs – Padua Academy and Salesianum.
Girls and boys compete together for the other 43 Delaware squads. The distance differential between them makes tee box yardages a critical consideration, especially for the state team championship.
DIAA rules call for white tees for boys and red tees for girls. The girls’ tees are set at about 85% of the length of the boys’ tees.
The DIAA golf committee prefers to use this guide for each hole, depending on the course design and hazards presented.
For the 2024 DIAA State Championship at Maple Dale, the tee box differential was about 87%, with 6,110 yards for the whites and 5,363 yards for the reds.
Archmere Academy won the 2024 team title with its mixed squad. Tatnall School and Caesar Rodney tied for second, with Tatnall fielding an all-boys team and CR a mixed group. Polytech’s mixed team and Salesianum’s all-boys team tied for fourth.
Setting tee box yardages appropriately should make the mixed state team championship a fair contest.
I think it worked this time.
Scholastic golf awards
Several Cape Region high school golfers recently received postseason awards.
Sussex Academy juniors Austin Dostal and Dominic Piperno, and freshman Jake Hollerbeck of Sussex Central earned second-team honors in the Henlopen Conference. Cape Henlopen junior Jacob Gabbard received an honorable mention, as did Sussex Academy junior Quentin Bowman and freshman Trevor Clarke of Sussex Central.
Travers Johnson of Cape Henlopen won the DIAA Student Athlete Academic Award as a member of the Vikings golf squad. Recipients of this honor, sponsored by Crown Trophy of Glasgow, are active players for their team who also earn a high GPA in the classroom.
American Classic Kids Camp
Golf pro Sam Cresta and several volunteers will host the American Classic Golf Club Kids Camp Monday and Tuesday, July 8 and 9, for ages 7-12.
The $100 camp fee covers an introduction to the basics in two-hour sessions held from 5 to 7 p.m. both evenings.
Spots are limited.
For more information, email info@americanclassicgolf.com or call 302-703-6662.
Baywood Greens Employee Winter League makes donations
A few dozen Baywood Greens employees play a winter league series involving more than just bragging rights.
Each player’s contribution toward the purse for each round includes a set-aside for the league’s charity fund supporting local worthy causes.
This past winter’s fund raised $1,000 and was donated to two groups.
The First Tee – Delaware received $700 to benefit the youth support program that has a successful presence in southern Delaware. The remaining $300 went to Sonshine Equine Horsemanship and Therapeutic Riding Center in Millsboro.
Alinskas wins scholarship
Maia Alinskas of Long Neck, a member of the Sussex Central golf team, graduated recently with a fine academic record.
She is also active with the First Tee – Delaware.
Her efforts in the classroom, on the course and in community service did not go unnoticed.
She is one of 23 new members of the national First Tee College Scholarship Program. The winners of this competitive challenge had an average GPA of 4.0 and SAT scores of 1350. Selection criteria included interviews, financial need, chapter involvement and other community service.
In addition to financial support, Alinskas and the other recipients are matched with adult mentors and given annual professional development opportunities.
In the press release announcing the awards, First Tee CEO Greg McLaughlin said, “The scholarship program has grown significantly since it launched in 2020 thanks to our generous donors and sponsors. We look forward to supporting our scholars on their path to success.”
Local club competition results
Forty-three women in the Kings Creek CC Ladies 9-Hole group played a Far-Out game June 11, where the par 5 scores do not count.
In the first flight, Yona Zucker won first gross, with Sandy Neverett taking first net. Darci Whitehead took second net and Marie Murray finished third net.
Debbie Grant won first gross in the second flight, with Judy Rayner winning first net. Angela Strano finished second net and Chris Piasecki took third net.
In the third flight, Carol Loewen won first gross, with Polly Donaldson taking first net. Alicia Polsky took second net and Maureen Higgins finished third net.
Brenda Schilli won first gross in the fourth flight, with Donna Romer winning first net. Deb Hinderer finished second net and Tracy Gordon took third net.
The Mulligan’s Pointe Ladies group played a Nassau game June 11, with winners for the front nine, back nine and overall.
In Division 1, Valerie Grib won the front and Karen Feuchenberger the back, with Kathy Hudak the overall winner.
Kay Monack won the front nine for Division 2, with Donna Dolce taking the back nine and Susan Shockley winning overall.
The Kings Creek CC Ladies 18-Hole group played an individual Stableford game May 30.
For the first flight, Candy Robinson won first place, with Diane Shawver in second. Donna Deely finished third and Jean Chlastawa took fourth.
Shelly Conaway won the second flight, with Ana Dittel taking second. Leslie McClintick took third and Lesley Corydon finished fourth.
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Fritz Schranck has been writing about the Cape Region's golf community since 1999. Snippets, stories and anecdotes from his columns are included in his new book, "Hole By Hole: Golf Stories from Delaware's Cape Region and Beyond," which is available at the Cape Gazette offices, Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, Biblion Books in Lewes, and local golf courses. His columns and book reviews are available at HoleByHole.com.
Contact Fritz by emailing fschranck@holebyhole.com.
