Cape Region golf year in review – 2025

Dec. 31 marks the end of this column’s 27th year and a busy 12 months of Cape Region golf.

January – LPGA golfers enjoy a birdie fest in the first round of the 2024 ShopRite LGPA Classic, after struggling for pars the week before at the U.S. Women’s Open. The wind on the Seaview Course roars back and asserts itself during the second round. Southern Delaware Golf Club prepares its new range facility for a spring opening. Cape senior Jake Gabbard makes another ace at Midway Par 3. LPGA caddie Paul Heselden discusses the challenges and rewards of working on the pro tours.

February – The 2025 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla., returns to full strength after a down period. Demo Day gives MGI Carts and Cobra Golf a chance to show off their stuff outdoors. Cape Region golf simulator providers help locals prepare for the season during bad weather. American Classic Golf Club professional Sam Cresta discusses the success of his new instruction book. Southern Delaware GC opens its practice facility, while First Tee Delaware opens registrations for its junior programs. 

March – My annual chat with one of Ping’s lead engineers covers its new line of drivers, fairway woods, irons and putters. Jondo Sports is a new entry into the crowded sunglasses market. Flightscope’s new range finder incorporates player data for a customized caddie experience. A senior-heavy contingent fills half of a promising Cape Henlopen golf squad for the coming season, with new coach Bill Geppert at the helm. Sussex Academy’s Seahawks also look loaded. Cape’s 165-190 win over Smyrna is only three strokes above the 2024 team’s lowest score.

April – Cape’s golf team continues to go low, with scores not seen in nearly 20 years. The Sussex Academy team keeps pace with a 155 total score March 31, five strokes below its best in 2024. Cape wins a senior-only match at Heritage Shores and takes the Cape May-Lewes Ferry for another winning chapter in its Cape-to-Cape series against Lower Cape May Regional. Sussex Academy loses its first match of the year against perennial powerhouse Polytech. Cape finishes April at 9-1, while Sussex Academy returns to winning. Cape Region ladies’ leagues start their seasons.

May – A timbering operation for an expansion of a residential subdivision just east of The Rookery creates a startling change in local scenery. The Cape and Sussex Academy teams continue to win matches, with scoring records broken in a memorable tri-match with Sussex Central. Cape wins an unprecedented playoff match against Polytech to win the Henlopen North title, with Sussex Academy repeating as South title winners. Cape defeats Sussex Academy for the Henlopen Conference title, the Vikings’ first since 2004. Sussex Academy takes fourth and Cape finishes fifth in the rain-shortened state championship. Sussex Central’s Jake Hollerbeck wins the boys’ title.

June – Diane Herndon of Rehoboth Beach chats about her USGA and state golf association experiences, and shares her impressions as a rules official at the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont. Jake Hollerbeck and Ryan McNett compete in a major junior tournament at Merion Golf Club near Philadelphia. 

July – Plantation Lakes hosts the 74th Delaware Amateur, continuing a Cape Region tradition of hosting significant amateur tournaments. American Classic GC crowns the champions of its spring league. Sarah Kemp’s short game at the ShopRite LPGA Classic shows why she and other LPGA pros would have no problem winning against scratch amateurs. Cape Region athletes are heading to Des Moines, Iowa, for the National Senior Games. Peninsula G&CC wins the Delaware Interclub Pro-Am.

August – Interviews at the ShopRite LPGA Classic show how pro tournaments rely upon avid volunteers. Former state champion, Indian River grad and current Wake Forest golfer Sarah Lydic wins the GAP Women’s Championship. Dave Marshall’s tennis and pickleball shop opens a new golf simulator option. Sarah Brockstedt of Rehoboth Beach discusses her preparations for freshman year and NCAA Division I golf at Notre Dame. It’s club championship time at Cape Region clubs.

September – Braden Shattuck wins his third Delaware Open, this time at Bayside Resort in Selbyville. A trip to Idaho and Washington State golf courses gives me a distance excuse when playing at sea level. Dethatching and aeration are vital maintenance elements for local courses in late summer/early fall. 

October – More than 30 girls participate in the first Delaware High School Girls Golf Invitational, a potential step toward adding girls’ golf to Delaware’s scholastic athletic programs. Rehoboth Beach CC hosts the Lady Blue Hen Invitational, with the UD women successfully defending their 2024 triumph. Bear Trap Dunes is the site for the Delaware Mid-Am and Mid-Open tournaments.

November – Club pros from all over Delaware compete in the second annual Delaware Cup at Rehoboth Beach CC and The Peninsula. The American Junior Golf Association announces its return to the Cape Region next spring.

December – This year’s collection of what I don’t want for Christmas is once again stunning but not in a good way. Cape Region juniors celebrate a fine season with the Philadelphia Section PGA Jr. Golf League. 

Thanks for reading! I look forward to another year of writing about Cape Region golf.