
Getting To Know: Delbrook Golf Club
An Insightful Interview With Dan Piecha, Director of Golf
By Brian Weis
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 Course officially opened on July 21, 1928 as an 18-hole private club. In 1945 the City of Delavan purchased the course and has operated it since. As one of the oldest courses in Wisconsin, Delbrook has undergone a number of changes, including a renovation to 27 holes in 2001. By combining the new holes with the old, Delbrook offers a unique combination of traditional and modern design throughout all three courses. Depending on which two nines you play, the course ranges from 5,163 to 6,642 yards with par of 70.
With four sets of tees, the golf course offers a challenge to the skilled golfer but will not overwhelm the less experienced.
Delbrook is also the home of Greenie's Clubhouse one of the most popular restaurants in the area. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, Greenie's offers daily specials along with Monday Rib Night, Friday Fish Fry and Saturday Steak Night. Greenie's also offers full bar service.
If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
Delbrook is the only municipally owned golf course in Walworth County. Golfers of all ages and abilities are welcome. Each week we change our course rotation where two of the 9's are combined for an 18 hole course and the third or "off 9" used for 9 hole play. This is nice for beginners or casual golfers looking to play 9 holes. They don't get slotted in with what may be more avid golfers, eliminating some of the pressure or apprehension they may feel.
Delbrook has also been described as a "Hidden Gem" and a "Great Value" by those visiting the course. This goes beyond the course and conditions but extends into Greenie's also. You won't believe what you're getting for the price.
What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
To start, check the hole yardages before choosing which tees to play. Although the overall yardage may not seem that long there are a few holes on each nine that play long fro the back tees.
You also want to avoid missing long on almost every hole. Getting up and down from behind the greens is no easy task. Also, if you play the South Course stay below the hole on #9. You're going to be there anyway if you miss your first putt from above the hole.
Any recent changes to the golf course? Or any upcoming changes?
Delbrook just completed renovations on the bunkers. In the fall of 2019 we are planning to pave all of our cart paths. Other projects being planned are barrier netting for the practice range and renovation of the chipping area. There are also plans to do some renovations in the clubhouse.
We also recently put a greens roller in our equipment fleet. Our greens have always been in fantastic condition. The roller will only improve their condition. In addition to adding a little more pace we are noticing a truer roll also.
Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
The one thing I am most proud of at Delbrook is the condition of the golf course. Even with limited resources our Superintendent, Darren Dase, and his staff maintain the course at a level not expected at a municipal course. Along with that we really like to give our visitors the feeling they are at their hometown course. From when you first walk into the pro shop and throughout your day at the course we try to make everyone feel at home while here.
What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
There are a couple but I would probably say #9 on the South Course. It's a short par 4 that runs along Second Street, which is out of bounds on the right. Along the left side is a pond running the length of the hole. There is the risk reward option on the tee, but the second shot requires you to stay below the hole. The green has the most slope of any on the course. If you're above the hole and two putt you've done something.
What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
My favorite hole is #4 on the Middle. I'm partial to par 3's because of the potential for a hole in one. This is a 125 yard hole from the White Tees with a green that has some movement to it. Don't miss long or right, the green slopes away from you on those shots. I really like when there is a front left pin position. You can't see the bottom of the flag and you have a very small area to hit to. If you hit it at the pin you're either going to be very happy or very disappointed when you get to your ball.
Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
The Cuban Panini is one of the best sandwiches on the menu. Smoked pork, braised pork belly, and ham covered in Swiss and American cheese, topped with tomato, pickle and mustard on grilled panini bread. And it's only $8.99 with chips.
For the traveling golfer, do you have lodging onsite or partner with any area hotels?
We don't have accommodations at the course but there are a number of places to stay within a 5 minute drive of the course. The City of Delavan also has a number of Bed and Breakfast places close to Delbrook.
Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
This depends on which course rotation you are looking at. In 2001 Jeff Selgren shot a 62 playing the North and South courses. On July 4, 2015 Scott Nieuwenhuis shot a 63 playing the Middle and South courses. We don't have any information on the lowest score on our North and Middle combination.
Back Tee Stats
Par: 70
Yardage: 6642
Slope: 127
Rating: 71.3
More Information
Delbrook Golf Club
700 South 2nd Street
Delavan, Wisconsin, 53115
262-728-3966
www.delbrookgolfclub.com
Revised: 12/20/2019 - Article Viewed 13,553 Times
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About: Brian Weis
Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.
As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.
Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.
In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.
On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.
Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.
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