The Salt Pond

Par 61 gets a bad reputation among golfers who equate length with legitimacy, but The Salt Pond makes a strong case against that prejudice. Set in Bethany Beach on Delaware's quiet southern coast, this layout leans into its executive format with intention — the challenge here comes from precision rather than power, and from a coastal environment that rarely gives you a still, straightforward shot.

Bethany Beach sits in the heart of Delaware's "Quiet Resorts" stretch, a lower-key alternative to the boardwalk bustle of Ocean City to the south or Rehoboth to the north. The landscape is defined by tidal marshes, salt ponds, and low coastal scrub, and a course bearing that name is almost certainly shaped by — and playing around — that kind of wetland scenery. Wind off the Atlantic is a genuine factor here, turning what might look like a routine short iron into something that requires real thought.

For vacationing families, beach visitors looking to squeeze in a round, or golfers who simply enjoy the craft of the short game, The Salt Pond offers a relaxed but genuinely scenic day on the Delaware shore.