Disc golfers clean up Cape Henlopen State Park course

While the snow from the Blizzard of 2026 has melted away, the tree damage is still all around, including on the disc golf course at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes.

Answering the call to clear the fairways before the nice weather kicks in were a group of volunteers passionate about the increasingly popular sport. They took to the pines with saws and trimmers in hand March 9-10.

“We were cleaning up for the last two days. We've been cleaning out from the Blizzard of 2026, as we're calling it,” Miguel Garces said. “There was a lot of damage with the snow and with the wind, and it really impacted the course, so we had to do a lot of our repair work.”

The course sustained damage similar to other places in the area, but Garces said because a lot of the trees are pines, they have shallow roots.

Volunteers remained respectful of the laws governing the park.

“We were using hand saws and cold pruners, and we use some small, electric chainsaws just to clear some of the larger trees,” Garces said.

Pointing to a thick pine on hole 14, Garces said the largest trees need gas-powered chainsaws.

“We are not allowed to use those at the state park, so the state handles that,” he said.

Garces said after the cleanup there are really only a couple of holes that need to be cleared, and he is confident that will be before the end of the month.

“State employees have been very helpful, and we anticipate they'll be able to get to our holes within a week or two,” Garces said. “They’re still in the middle of doing a lot of the cleanup at the park, and they have to prioritize certain areas before they get to the disc golf course.”

Among those in the group of volunteers were Princz Kimmerlin, Brandon Roach, Steel Glanden, Chris "Eagle" Peters, Brandon Haas, Ryan Dunhamn, Chuck Legates, Miguel Garces, John Lester, Del Walsh and Curlett Walsh.