Getting To Know: Delbrook Golf Club

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with Dan Piecha who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
Delbrook Golf Club consists of three 9 hole courses all with par of 35. We utilize all three nines to offer a different 18 hole layout each week. Our North, Middle and South Courses all offer a blend of holes from the original course design from 1928 and newer holes that were added in 2001 when the course was renovated to 27 holes. With four sets of tees our 18 hole layouts can play from yardages of 5163 to 6642.

Delbrook practice areas include a driving range, short game area and practice putting green.

Delbrook Golf Club is also the home of Greenie's Restaurant. This full service restaurant and bar serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our pavilion area is available to groups of up to 250 people with Greenie's Restaurant providing full food and beverage service.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
Delbrook offers a mixed course design from the traditional park style holes to holes reminiscent of a links course. With four sets of tees the course offers a challenge to the low handicap golfer but can also be played at yardage that does not overwhelm the less experienced golfer.

With 27 holes available Delbrook does not have an issue with slow play. We schedule our tee times 9 minutes apart which allows for a nice buffer between groups. We also have the option of "spinning" groups to different back nines if necessary. Our regulars typically play 18 holes in 4 hours or less and even on our busiest days a 4 1/2 hour round is unusual.

Delbrook is also very accessible. With the potential of three starting holes walk-ins are usually on the course relatively quickly and only at our busiest times will someone not be able to reserve a time within an hour of their preferred starting time.

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
First of all the yardage on the scorecards can be deceiving. Each of our nines has one or two shorter par 4's and one par 3 that plays under 150 yards. Also, there is only one par 5 on each course. These par 5's have yardages of 534, 580 and 590 from the back tees and are only reachable in two by the longest hitters.

The green complexes can be tricky and getting up and down can be difficult if missed in the wrong spot. Long is never good since most of the greens are slightly sloped toward the fairway. Missing left or right isn't much better. This will usually result in a shot that requires an understanding of the subtle breaks in the green. Keeping the ball below the hole will usually provide a straight forward chip.

On the greens below the hole is always preferred. Although our greens are not super slick downhill and sliding side hill putts can get away from you leaving a longer second putt than you might expect.

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
The condition of the course has been steadily improving over the past several years. Our Course Superintendent Darren Dase has done a great job bringing the course along since he came on in 2007. The condition of our greens and the distinction between our fairways and rough are not what someone may think of from a municipal golf course. Putts roll true and with decent pace and the fairway define each hole from the tee.

We have also been going through a renovation project on our bunkers recently. We have completely redone several, eliminated others, converting them to grass depressions, and added new sand to some of the original bunkers. We still have a large number to go but we have been making steady progress on the one are of the course we have had issues.

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
The most talked about hole is the par 5, fifth hole on the Middle Course. From the back tee the hole plays 580 yards. The entire right side of the hole plays as a lateral hazard from tee to green. The tee shot plays up hill and must be hit about 250 yards to clear the rise in the fairway where you can see what lies ahead.

The second shot is downhill and must negotiate a small gap between the hazard on the right and a grove of trees on the left. Guarding the left is also a tall oak that can knock down a shot hit too low. Laying up to the gap is an option but leaves a shot of 200 yards to the green which can't be seen from the bottom of the hill. The green is guarded by three bunkers starting on the right front and wrap around the right side of the green. The hazard on right continues behind the green and leaves only 15 or so yards behind the green. Once on the green the putting surface looks flat but you need to be aware of what is actually uphill or downhill and what effect the hazard to the right might have on your putt. Five is a good score on this hole but double digits are common.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
My favorite is the 9th hole on the South Course. It is a short par 4 of only 325 yards from the back tee. The hole plays along 7th Street/Hwy. County O. The street along the right side of the hole is out of bounds. To the left is a pond that comes into play from the tee. It is a classic risk reward. Long hitters can try to knock it on from the tee but a miss left is wet and right is out of bounds. A layup into the fairway will leave what looks like a simple approach. However the is a bunker directly in front of the green and two more on the right side. Pin location and knowing that any approach to the front half of the green will move severely right to left needs to be considered. Anything above the pin leaves a difficult downhill putt. If the pin is in the front half of the green a downhill put could easily run off the green if hit just slightly too firm. The same is true for a putt from the right that is even a little past pin high. The hole can either make or break your round.

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
Although Greenie's Restaurant offer breakfast, lunch and dinner a few items truly stand out. The Oriental Cashew Salas has fresh broccoli, red and green peppers, mushrooms, baby corn, pea pods, red onions, crisp mixed greens all tossed with George's special dressing and topped off with black olives, green onions, tomato and tender pieces of grilled chicken, chow mien noodles and cashews. The Prime Rib Panini or Smoked Brisket includes caramelized onions, mushrooms and Havarti cheese on grilled panini bread and is served with a creamy horseradish sauce. Greenie's also offers a variety of homemade deserts but the homemade Brad Pudding truly stands out.

Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
Jeff Selgren holds the course record of nine under par 62 from a round in 2001. He shot 31 on the North Course and 31 on the South. At that time the South played to a par of 36. Current U.S.G.A. yardage guidelines has two of the holes on the South that played as par 5's at the time playing as par 4's now. We have also changed the routing of the course a little and the South layout Jeff played is no longer in play. I've been at Delbrook since 2006 and the lowest round under our current layout I've heard of is a 68.

Back Tee Stats
Par: 70
Yardage: 6642
Slope: 127
Rating: 71.3

More Information
Delbrook Golf Club
700 South 2nd Street
Delavan, WI, 53115
262-728-3966
www.delbrookgc.com