Golf in Wilmington

Golf is a sport of physical precision and aerial dynamics, won and lost upon the pendulum of your swing. Use today's Groupon to brush up on your golf physics and practice blasting balls with your refined stroke. For $30, you get a 30-minute video swing analysis (normally $50) and large bucket of balls ($10) from Par Breakers Golf Academy, a $60 total value. This comprehensive indoor golf facility is a short 30-minute golf-cart trip from Philly in Oaks.

A traditional layout of kempt bent-grass fairways and greens, Wedgwood Country Club's gently rolling 18-hole course wends through a dense thicket of trees, bunkers, and ponds. Measuring 7,100 yards from the farthest tees, the par-72 course eases clubbers into the round with a relatively open front nine before testing their accuracy and squirrel diplomacy on a tight, tree-lined back nine. With four sets of tees, the course presents a par-hunting test to all players, from beginners to those who can wallop a drive more than 300 yards.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-72 course

• Total length of 7,100 yards from the back tees

• Course rating of 74.4 from the back tees

• Slope rating of 133 from the back tees

• Bent-grass fairways and greens

• Four sets of tees per hole

• Scorecard

Pasadena Golf Center lets visitors create the satisfying thwack of a club hitting a golf ball in one of two locations. They can make out the sound on the 18-hole mini-golf course—where ears will also pick up the sound of trickling waterfalls and the gurgling of landscaped streams and ponds—or at the driving range. Golfers can manipulate a variety of clubs there since targets are set up at different lengths, and 20 of the range’s 34 hitting stations are covered to provide shade during warm months and heat during cold ones. In addition, a full setup of lights let them swing away into the evening or when Apollo's chariot of fire is in the shop. To assist in swing mechanics and proper alignment, the center organizes lessons led by Golf Academy of America–certified instructor, Brett Francisco.

Pasadena Golf Center is also equipped with a nine-station batting cage that challenges visitors with baseball pitches of varying speeds as well as slow- and fast-pitch softball. A 1,600-square-foot patio nearby can facilitate birthday parties or other special events.

Rolling hills, wooded terrain, and shimmering waterways serve as the canvas upon which Beckett Golf Club’s 27-hole, 9,577-yard golf complex shines. The swath of verdant playing grounds forms three distinct nines that golfers mix and match to create varied 18-hole rounds. The longest layout, the blue course, confronts players with bends and jumps in the form of dogleg fairways and water hazards on three holes. A fast-starting swing is a must for golfers starting on the red course, where the first hole—a 498-yard par 5—is also the layout’s most difficult, bending sharply to the left with a lush patch of trees that prevents shortcuts and golf-cart drag races. The shortest of the three nines, the white course puts water in play on two holes and revels in the rolling fairways and medium-size greens that characterize the entire 27-hole layout.

The 18-hole course at Chapel Hill guides golfers along lush fairways framed by dense tree lines and confronted by water on 11 holes. Six holes—beginning with No. 1—demand precise course-management skills when navigating shots around the stream that cuts through their fairways, demanding that players lay up, muscle their shots over, or swap their golf ball out for a beach ball. Laid end-to-end, the course measures 6,089 yards from the blue tees, the farthest of four available for play on each hole.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 70 course
• Total length of 6,089 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 69.7 from the back tees
• Course slope of 125 from the back tees
• Four sets of tees per hole

Springfield Golf Center's 18-hole course encompasses 6 par threes, 10 par fours, and 2 par fives. Its many shorter-length holes make the course ideal for beginners or advanced golfers looking for casual rounds. For practice, players can head over to the driving range or sign up for lessons with P.G.A. professional Michael Beal. Springfield Golf Center is also home to a Mayan-themed mini golf course.