Garden Golf Experience
Baywood Greens is not just a round of golf—it’s a walk through a living botanical garden. With blooming beds lining the fairways, every shot is set against an explosion of color and water views.
Golf Course Review & Scouting Report
Baywood Greens
Long Neck, Delaware
Established
1998
Architect
Bill Love with Rob Tunnell; later modifications by Brian Ault (Ault-Clark Associates)
Access
Public
Par
Par 72
Length
5,401 – 6,983 yds
Green Fees
$$$
The verdict
Baywood Greens, Delaware’s Floral Oasis
No Delaware itinerary is complete without a round at Baywood Greens. This public resort-style gem dazzles with gardens, water, and service—expect scenic drama and pristine conditions every step.
Course DNA
Difficulty
73
Scenery90
Conditioning93
Shot Variety75
Walkability62
Green Complexity78
Wow Factor84
Design Quality70
At a glance
Quick facts
Course Designer
Bill Love with Rob Tunnell
Year Opened
1998
Notable Features
Acres of man-made ponds and heavy landscaping
Primary Grass
Bentgrass (greens and tees)
Practice Facilities
Expansive range, short game, putting green
Water Hazards On
Virtually every hole
State Ranking
#3 in Delaware (Golf Digest 2025)
The design
The architecture
Baywood Greens brings resort-course flair to Delaware, with an eye-popping display of ornamental gardens, rolling fairways, and man-made lakes shaping the play and visuals at nearly every turn. Bill Love’s routing winds through the Baywood community, maximizing water hazards as visual and strategic anchors without overwhelming less experienced players from forward tees. The result is a course where every shot is staged, every landing zone carefully sculpted, and no hole repeats the same test twice. High presentation standards and creative landscaping define the experience far more than minimalist, sandy, or natural design philosophies.
Bill Love is known for stylish, playable public designs, often weaving natural and constructed elements for striking effect—Baywood Greens is his most lavish resort-oriented work in Delaware.
Defining features
- Acres of man-made ponds and water carries
- Signature floral landscaping on every hole
- Multiple risk-reward par fives
- Dramatic island fairways and green surrounds
- Strategic bunkering complementing water lines
- Expansive practice and short game facilities
Hole by hole
Signature holes
Hole 4
Long View Arches
PAR
4
YARDAGE
462
This 462-yard par 4 is a brute, demanding a forceful drive followed by a long approach to a green framed by water and flower beds. The stretch tests both distance and precision, serving as the course’s opening statement on true challenge.
Play it smart
Favor a steady tee shot to the heart of the fairway—laying up left risks flirting with water, and a miss right can compromise the approach angle. Conservative plays are rewarded.
Where it bites
A miss left can find the water, while short approaches risk contoured run-offs and penal bunkers.
Course management
Shots to think about
Windy day
Club up for exposed approaches—Baywood’s ponds amplify gusts.
Par-5 second shot
Lay up to comfortable wedge yardage rather than risking water carries.
Intimidating water carry
Commit fully to the shot or bail safely—hesitation sinks scores and balls.
Tucked pin on elevated green
Aim for center green; safe putting beats flirting with run-offs.
Missing a green short-sided
Accept par or bogey—riskier recovery shots here are highly penal.
Approaching a narrow, flower-lined green
Take an extra second to visualize shot shape and avoid overfiring.
On the day
What to expect
Conditions
Expect lush, emerald fairways and tour-quality greens—attention to detail is obvious everywhere.
Pace
Typical resort pace; rounds often run over four hours, especially in prime season.
Vibe
Resort-elegant, highly managed, and service-driven with friendly but polished staff.
Dress code
Collared shirts, golf slacks or appropriate shorts; resort-course standard.
Before you tee off
Your game plan
01
Pack Extra Balls
Water lurks almost everywhere—bring more than your usual stash.
02
Dress For Photos
You’ll want to pose for pictures with the gardens and dramatic water hazards.
03
Warm Up Early
Take advantage of the comprehensive practice facilities to get ready for precision shots.
04
Check Tee Markers
Choose the tee that fits your driving distance—challenging from the tips.
The lore
How it came to be
- 1998
Baywood Greens opens to the public after several years of construction and planning.
- 2025
Designated host site for the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA) State Golf Championship.
Stories & legends
What makes it special
Community Ties
The unique routing threads through the Baywood residential community, giving many homes panoramic fairway and water views—a design intent from inception to foster a connection between golfers and residents.
Leading The State’s Golf Scene
Baywood Greens has become Delaware’s signature public-access destination, anchoring the state’s best-of lists year after year, and is a staple for the DIAA state high school championship.
Water, Water Everywhere
Water is Baywood’s calling card: nearly every hole confronts players with ponds, streams, and island targets that demand careful strategy, turning even routine shots into memorable moments.
For the group chat
Fun facts
1
Features over 300,000 annual flowers and plantings each spring/summer
2
More than a dozen bridges span the course’s extensive ponds and water features
3
Regularly voted Delaware’s best public course by GolfPass and TripAdvisor users
4
No two holes are parallel, maximizing privacy and scenery
5
The club hosts hundreds of weddings every year thanks to its garden setting
Build the trip
If You’re Building a Delaware Shore Golf Escape
CourseAccessWhy it's on the listTrip
Bayside Resort Golf Club
Public – Resort Guest Access
Regional flagship, highly rated and polished
Bear Trap Dunes
Public
Fun mix of nines, coastal setting
Eagles Landing Golf Course
Public
Excellent value, eco-friendly layout
The Rookery South
Public
Solid local daily-fee option
Stay in Bethany Beach, Ocean View, or Fenwick Island for easy golf access and a lively beach-town scene.
Course DNA
If You Like Baywood Greens
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Strong DNA Match8.2
Old North State Club
New London, North CarolinaConditioning
Why it matches: Old North State Club is a natural next stop after Baywood Greens: it offers similarly polished playing surfaces.
Strong DNA Match8.3
SentryWorld Golf Course
Stevens Point, WisconsinSceneryConditioning
Why it matches: What links these two? Makes the landscape part of the experience and puts the same premium on presentation — a familiar feeling, expressed in SentryWorld Golf Course's own setting.
Strong DNA Match8.0
Boothbay Harbor Country Club
Boothbay, MaineSceneryConditioning
Why it matches: If Baywood Greens is your kind of course, Boothbay Harbor Country Club is worth a look because it makes the landscape part of the experience and puts the same premium on presentation.
Community Sentiment
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