Delaware Golf Communities

DELAWARE GOLF COMMUNITIES

As the first American colony to ratify the Constitution—signatories met at a tavern in the capital city of Dover in 1787— Delaware rightly proclaims itself the First State.

It is home to nearly 50 golf courses, which is impressive considering that Delaware is the second smallest of all the U.S. states. Delaware golf communities are well thought of, too, such as Heritage Shores, in Bridgeville, which is just 30 miles from Rehoboth Beach.

Its northerly latitude is offset climatically by the Atlantic waters surrounding it, which moderate temperatures year-round. The end result is four seasons of weather, including chilly winters, warm summers and ample precipitation, mostly in the form of rain.

Golf in Delaware

There is fine golf to be found throughout Delaware, but the lion’s share of top-rated courses is located in and around Wilmington, the state’s most densely populated region.

Among the 20th-century course designers who scored successes here are Robert Trent Jones and Dick Wilson, men with notably differing approaches to golf architecture.

When you think about Delaware, the du Ponts naturally come to mind. They were golf devotees, especially Henry F. du Pont, to the point where he built a private 9-hole course exclusively for the use of family and friends.

In the 1960s, Wilson was hired to expand the layout to 18 holes, which he did in skillful fashion. Known today as Bidermann Golf Club, it has a membership of about 300 and plenty of envious golfers angling for their chance to play it.

The Incorporation Magnet

Not every well-traveled golfer has made his or way to Delaware but it’s quite likely they’ve worked for one or even multiple companies incorporated in the state.

Nearly 1.4 million business entities are incorporated in tiny Delaware, including some 65 percent of all Fortune 500 companies. When privately held U.S. companies go public, about 80 percent of them will select The First State as a corporate domicile.

That unique legal status has been a steady source of Delaware’s public and private wealth, along with such industries as chemical wholesaling, commercial banking and credit card issuing.

Retirement in Delaware

Retirement in Delaware can be wonderfully pleasant and stimulating—a good-things-come-in-small-packages experience. Data from the 2020 U.S. Census shows the state with a population of approximately 1 million people and nearly one in five of them over age 65.

Prosperous state residents and second-home owners gravitate to posh coastal towns such as:

• Bethany Beach
• Rehoboth Beach
• Lewes
• Selbyville

The average home price in Selbyville is $402,500.

Rehoboth Beach, where President Joe Biden owns a vacation retreat, is a popular retirement destination known for its excellent beaches, diverse restaurant scene and vibrant arts community.

It offers a mix of historic and modern homes and has a stimulating boardwalk lined with shops, chic eateries and other amusements.

Those in search of a more citified experience would make Wilmington their first stop, taking advantage of cultural attractions that include museums, theaters and art galleries.

The city also has a diverse restaurant scene along attractive parks and gardens. A set of locales known as the Quaint Villages represent one the state’s most enthusiastically promoted leisure experiences.

They dot the map in a mid-state belt from Smyrna to Milford and offer a cobblestone ambience that harkens to Colonial times and draws upon Amish and immigrant Swedish roots.