Review: Deerfield Golf Club (Part 1)

If you're like most people, your only experience with the state of Delaware is paying the toll on I-95 to enter the state. Then 10 minutes later, you're through and into New Jersey, which is its own unfortunate circumstance. But there is actually more to Delaware than I-95. Not a lot more, this is the second smallest state, after all, but something. 

That brings us to Deerfield, a municipal golf course tucked into the northwestern corner of the state, just a couple miles from the Maryland and Pennsylvania borders. By and large, Delaware is a very flat state, even edging out Florida for lowest average elevation. But Deerfield is in the tiny sliver of the state off of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, and that means the course, weaving through dense forest, is actually very hilly. Deerfield was designed in the 1950s by William Gordon, who actually got his start in the 20s working for William Flynn. So there's the potential for some interesting design and strategy. It was originally part of DuPont, acting as a company course, before being purchased by the state as part of the surrounding White Clay Creek State Park. What does all that mean? Let's find out.

The first hole is not your typical friendly handshake; it's actually one of Deerfield's most interesting holes. The tee shot on this 520-yard par 5 is uphill to a blind landing area, with dense forest lurking left. There's a bit more room than you might guess from the tee, but not much. This isn't a wide fairway. There are no bunkers, but you'll want to favor the right side if you want any chance of getting to the green in two. The fairway doglegs sharply left about 150 yards from the green and plunges over 50 feet downhill to the green; tall trees occupy the corner of the dogleg, so there's no going over them. You either have to go around to the right, swinging a massive hook down toward the green, or go under. If your drive ends up on the left side, basically all you can do is punch a shot underneath the trees, taking the hill down to a spot about 30 yards short of the green. The green itself is small, reasonably undulating, with bunkers on each side and dense forest beyond.

The first hole.

Approaching the first green.

The first green.

The second hole is a mid-length par 3, playing to a slightly elevated green tucked into a corner of the property, with slopes falling away into forest both left and long, so it's best not to miss in either of those places. There are two bunkers left and one short right, and the green is a bit bigger than the previous hole, and a bit flatter.

The second hole.

The second green.

The third hole is a short par 4 playing up a big hill for the first 200 or so yards. That's obviously not a huge carry, but you'll want to make it, otherwise the second will be completely blind. There's a bit more room left than it looks from the tee, but less to the right, where trees will quickly encroach. The second shot will be a wedge into a very small green protected by two bunkers. 

The third hole.

Approaching the third green.

The third green.

The fourth hole is the longest par 4 at Deerfield, playing 435 yards over rolling terrain. The tee shot is downhill, with the fairway plunging into a valley about 250 yards out. If you want a relatively level stance, you'll have to lay up; using driver will leave you with a semiblind short iron from a downhill lie. That's not ideal, especially when the green is as elevated as it is, and tucked behind a cluster of bunkers short left. It's also not a very big green, and fairly undulating as well. Of course, approaching the green from 200 yards out also isn't ideal. That said, this hole does benefit from being relatively treeless, which isn't something most holes here can't say.

The fourth hole.

Approaching the fourth green.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is 400 yards, playing hard against marsh and forest right of a narrow, sloping fairway. On the left side, large trees overhang. This is not an easy tee shot, and accuracy is far more important than distance. The hole, fortunately, isn't that long. The second shot will be a short or mid iron up to an elevated, semiblind green with a cluster of small bunkers short and right. The green is fairly flat, so if you can hit the fairway, it's a reasonable birdie opportunity. But this is a very tough tee shot, maybe the toughest on the course.

The fifth hole.

Approaching the fifth green.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole, despite playing parallel to the previous hole and being the same length, plays quite differently. The tee shot is blind, but the fairway dives down to the left, swinging around a group of trees. The ideal drive is a low, slinging draw, taking the severe right-to-left slope down to the bottom of the hill. That will leave a wedge or short iron for the second, which goes right back up 50 feet to a semiblind green, sloped sharply from back to front and flanked by bunkers. This is the sort of hole that I would hesitate to call good, but it is delightfully quirky, and I appreciate it for that. 

The sixth hole.

Approaching the sixth green.

The sixth green from behind.

The seventh hole is a fairly short par 4, playing 345 yards, though the tee shot is uphill. The fairway is sloped severely from left to right, though not quite as dramatic as the previous hole. A bunker creeps in on the left side right where one might aim a drive, so it's best to skirt the right tree line or use a 3 wood to stay short of it. The approach shouldn't be much more than a wedge, which is good, as this green is not an easy target. It's small, narrow, undulating, and closely guarded by sand on both sides. 

The seventh hole.

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is listed as a par 3 on the scorecard, and at 225 yards it's certainly not the longest par 3 I've ever played, but this one is essentially a mini par 4. The tee shot is uphill to a small, semiblind green, and in case that wasn't enough, there are bunkers front right and left, leaving maybe 15 yards for you to scoot a long iron or fairway wood up onto the green. It's not a particularly difficult green, at least, but still, this is a lot for the average municipal golfer, and I'm sure 4 is a much more common score here than 3.

The eighth hole.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is 420 yards, but plays uphill the whole way. The fairway bends right around forest, so you'll want to avoid straying. Even a drive that finds the right rough, rather than fully slicing into the trees, may be blocked out by overhanging limbs. While the tee shot is fairly uncomplicated, the second is anything but. This green is maybe the smallest on the course, and there are three bunkers around it, one right and two left. Plus, you're coming from a long way out and 20 or so feet below, so good luck getting much elevation to hold the green. The ninth and the fourth are the only long par 4s at Deerfield, and while this is technically the shorter of the two, I think it's the more difficult.

The ninth hole.

Approaching the ninth green.

The ninth green.

That's it for this week, next week we'll take a look at the back nine.