Golf in Delaware
Overview
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This page explains golf in Delaware. The sorter handles the local question by city or ZIP.
Golf in Delaware
Delaware has a handful of public courses clustered in the central and southern portions of the state, including Maple Dale Country Club in Dover, which offers public play. The state's small size means golfers can reach courses in neighboring Maryland and Pennsylvania within a short drive, and the season is generally year-round in the southern part of the state.
Published local price
Deerfield Golf Club (Newark, DE; public 18-hole); Player's Card members (monthly fee) play weekdays for $30 and weekends after 12pm for $40; standard walk-in rates vary; rates vary by season and tee time
deerfieldgolfclub.com · as of 2026Where to go
Golf score
44th of 51 states for retirement golf
Golf score blends year-round playability (34%), playable access (16%), affordability (16%), course pedigree (12%), and statewide course density (22%).
Courses
A sample of marquee courses across Delaware, with where to play and how to book.
Rolling hills, wide fairways, and big greens · Ed Ault
A friendly county-run course just outside Wilmington, with rolling hills and roomy fairways. Walking is welcome here, and the rates stay easy on the wallet.
Opened 1971 · $ · Slope 121
Wooded, rolling terrain at Delaware Park · Arthur Hills
A polished daily-fee course at Delaware Park near Wilmington, set on wooded, rolling ground. Five sets of tees let you pick a length that fits your game.
Opened 2005 · $$$ · Slope 141
Water comes into play on several holes · Ed Ault
A longtime public favorite in Smyrna, in central Delaware between Dover and the Wilmington suburbs. Water shows up on several holes, and five tee sets keep it fair from any length.
$$ · Slope 128
Famous flower gardens and timbered bridges · Brian T. Ault
Known as the Augusta of the North for its lush flower gardens, this Long Neck course sits in Delaware's beach country near Rehoboth. Manicured fairways and timbered bridges make for a memorable walk in the park.
Opened 1998 · $$$
Sandy dunes and native wetland grasses · Rick Jacobson
Three nines of dunes-style golf in Ocean View, minutes from Bethany Beach. Bentgrass fairways wind through sandy hollows and native grasses, with a mix-and-match layout that keeps things fresh.
$$$ · Slope 130
Bay views with a peninsula 18th green · Jack Nicklaus
Delaware's first Jack Nicklaus Signature course, set on the water in Selbyville near Fenwick Island. You get bay views, forested corridors, and a dramatic finishing green that juts into the water.
Opened 2005 · $$$$ · Slope 148
Seven holes along Indian River Bay · Jack Nicklaus
A gated Jack Nicklaus Signature course on the Indian River Bay near Millsboro, open to property owners and their guests. Seven holes run dramatically along the water, with marsh and wildlife all around.
Opened 2006 · $$$$ · Slope 143
We've mapped 7 courses across Delaware so far.
What Delaware costs
Cost of living
100
BEA index, U.S. = 100
State income tax
~4.5% state income-tax planning rate
Social Security
Not taxed
How people start
Most metros list city-run courses with published fee schedules. Those set the affordable floor before any private club enters the picture.
Many courses post a reduced weekday senior rate and a season pass. The difference between pay-per-round and a pass is the number that usually drives the yearly cost.
In warm states the season runs most of the year; in cold ones it is a few months. The yearly cost is rounds-per-year times rate, plus cart and equipment.
Common questions
Delaware has a handful of public courses clustered in the central and southern portions of the state, including Maple Dale Country Club in Dover, which offers public play. The state's small size means golfers can reach courses in neighboring Maryland and Pennsylvania within a short drive, and the season is generally year-round in the southern part of the state.
Delaware has a cost-of-living index near 100 (U.S. = 100), about a 4.5% state income-tax planning rate, and does not tax Social Security. The full state guide breaks down property tax, sales tax, and long-term-care costs, each sourced.
Sources
The life your money is for