Elks Lodge donates to First Tee - Delaware

Representatives of Elks Lodge 2540 of Lewes presented a check for $1,800 to the First Tee - Delaware Aug. 6, during a First Tee summer session at Kings Creek Country Club.

The money supports scholarship stipends for children’s participation in First Tee programs in southern Delaware, especially in the Georgetown, Lewes, Milton and Rehoboth Beach areas. 

First Tee - Delaware’s sessions take place locally at eight Sussex County golf courses and 18 Sussex County schools, as well as locations on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

The nonprofit youth development organization uses golf to impart life lessons and character-building assistance to children. In 2023, First Tee - Delaware offerings served more than 30,000 youth in Delaware and two Maryland counties.

Elks Lodge community initiatives focus on children and veterans. For more information about the fraternal organization, go to elks.org.

Cape Region First Tee programs for this fall include sessions at Rehoboth Beach beginning Wednesday, Sept. 18.

For more information about First Tee sessions or to make your own donations, go to firstteedelaware.org or contact Scott Allen, PGA, at ScottTFTDE@gmail.com.

Duca Del Cosma

Dress well, feel well, play well is a great formula for most golfers.

No, really.

I always feel better about my chances when I step onto the first tee in a nice outfit. I know I am not alone in feeling this way.

This attitude is among the reasons I enjoy checking out the high-end fashion side of the golf apparel companies that attend the PGA Show each January in Orlando, Fla. These businesses understand this mindset and are committed to their artistic vision.

At the 2024 show, I stopped by the Duca Del Cosma booth once again. The Dutch company combines fine Italian leather with refined color schemes and classic designs, built with Portuguese craftsmanship. This year, it celebrates its 20th anniversary.

I met Evelien Lauwers, the Dutch company’s manager director for North America and global sales. She showed me a great example of Duca’s fashion sense on the women’s side, the Belladonna ($199).

Offered in navy and white, the Italian Nappa leather uppers feature a reinforced top strap that buckles into place. It’s a very old-school look from above, but the spikeless Airplay outsole is up to the minute. A mix of nub and traction points provides a good base for the swing.

The Avanti is a spiked model with a sharp contrast between its embossed white upper, and the red sole and trim elements ($279). Lauwers highlighted its stability elements incorporated into the Airplay 6 outsole.

Among the men’s collections, I liked the Dandy model the best ($249). It draws attention to itself with a black-and-white houndstooth top piece fitted over the white upper, itself highlighted by an homage to wingtips with its tiny leather holes. It won a 2023 award from Golf Digest magazine. 

Lauwers said the shoes sell at more than 200 locations throughout the United States. The company also does a brisk business with direct-to-consumer sales at ducadelcosma.us.

Duca’s shoe designs always make me smile. I think they would do the same for you.

PGA Junior Girls Championship

Congratulations to Avery McCrery of Wilmington for her victory in the Girls Division of the 48th PGA Junior Championship, held July 30-Aug. 2 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. She posted a six-under total in the four-round contest, winning by two strokes.

McCrery won the 2023 DIAA State Golf Championship at Baywood Greens as a rising junior at Tower Hill School. She has committed to attend Duke University in 2025.

Sawyer Brockstedt of Rehoboth Beach, who took second in the 2024 and 2022 DIAA golf championships, also competed at Congressional, but missed the cut. She has committed to attend Notre Dame in 2025.

Local club competition results

The Mulligan’s Pointe Ladies played a Nassau game Aug. 6, in two flights.

Maxine Ansbach won the front nine for the first flight, with Brenda Lewis winning the back nine and Karen Feuchtenberger winning overall.

In the second flight, Terese Kane won the front nine. Tammy Findlay took the back nine and Sue Ahern won the overall category. 

The Kings Creek CC Ladies 9-Hole League played a team 2, 1, 1 game Aug. 6. This format uses the two best scores for the par fives and the single best scores for the par threes and fours. 

Deb Chase, Polly Donaldson, Junita Wilson and blind draw Kim Parks won first place. 

Shelly Conaway, Atom Irwin, Beth Andrews and Margaret Rebarchick took second, with Kim Parks, Dot Filbert, Tish Brey and Ellan Hylton finishing third.

The Kings Creek CC Ladies 18-Hole league played an individual net Stableford game Aug. 1 in hot, muggy conditions.

For the first flight, Gale DiBona took first place, with Jackie Everett in second, Lesley Corydon in third and Jean Chlastawa in fourth.

Katie Heintz won first place in the second flight, followed by Kathleen Nilles in second, Linda Kelleher in third and Lori Guitson in fourth.

For the third flight, Melissa Soper took first place, with Shelly Conaway in second, Margaret Moore in third and Darci Whitehead in the fourth spot.