By MIKE KERN
The South Jersey Shore has been part of my life ever since I can remember. Which is a long time. It wasn’t until I had my own family that I finally got to know what golf down there was like. And from then on that became a big part of my annual week or two by the sea. Over the years I’ve probably made as many friends in that area and played as much golf through them as I have closer to home. It happens. And it’s been a good thing. Because there’s a lot of really exception golf to like, even if some of those places are now only distant memories.
Hey, the landscape changes. If there’s one constant it’s that the options are always evolving in one way or another. It’s why I can’t help but think about how much I miss Blue Heron Pines East every time I drive past it. The site of the 2003 U.S. Amateur Publinks Championship that went to Brandt Snedeker, it hasn’t been around in about a decade. It was a victim of a change in ownership, when Roger Hansen opted to move on and build the private facility Hidden Creek. Which, by the way, is nothing short of outstanding too. It’s just different. The world continues to spin. Hidden Creek, by the way, has a new marketing director, Liz Norton-Scanga, who worked for the Hansen family when Blue Heron first opened a quarter-century ago. She will be a fine addition, having most recently worked for the group that ran Atlantic City C.C., Ballamor and Scotland Run. It’s nice having familiar faces moving on up.
In the past year or so there’s been a bunch of changes, much of it in the private sector, some of which might even impact at least a few of us along the way. That’s how it works. Wildwood Country Club is now The Shore Club, having been taken over by the members. And their initiative just might have saved the course from extinction. You never know. They have big plans, and there’s never anything wrong with that.
Just up the Garden State Parkway, the Union League has purchased Sand Barrens. A few years ago it got into the golf business by buying Torresdale-Frankford Country Club in Northeast Philly. Because it could. And the Union League has used a ton of money to make what was already a hidden gem into something even better, from the layout to the clubhouse. And it will only continue to keep doing so, since their goal is to be one of the best. I expect them to do the same with Sand Barrens, which apparently they plan to keep as a 27-holer. I can’t wait to see the finished product. Having the Union League in the mix has to be viewed as a can’t miss.
There’s also new people in charge at Linwood C.C. (fourth-generation restauranteurs from nearby Atlantic City) and the early reviews are all thumbs up. Again, new blood, especially when it was needed, has to be part of the equation every once in awhile. Sometimes courses, no matter how good, can for whatever reasons grow stagnant. And that’s even a bigger no-no in this economic climate. Survival often depends on it. Golfers can only hope that the change means more for them. Or else courses will close.
I have my favorites, you have yours. I often play in the summer, when I’m on vacation. But the shoulder seasons are often the prime time to tee it up. The weather’s just right, and so is the price. Don’t be afraid to shop around for bargains. The fall is always a good time to visit. I’ve been told many times by friends that you can play just about all year round. So far I’ve mostly taken their word for it, but I might have to see more for myself one of these winters. What do I have to lose?
Here’s a list of the places I would heartily recommend, which pretty much means all of them. What can I say? Yes, some are better than others. But I’m hardly a golf snob. And some have grown on me through my journey. It’s funny how you can come to appreciate a course the more you play it, or even when you play it for the first time in a long time. There’s usually something you see that you never noticed enough before. And it’s enough to bring you back, which is the whole point.
Seaview Resort, which also has undergone a change in ownership from Stockton College to a group from Florida, of course hosts the LPGA Shop-Rite Classic each spring. It’s merely the biggest sporting event in the area. And there’s not really a close second. The neat thing about Seaview is not just the fact that it has two wonderful layouts. But the hotel is worth staying at, if just for a night to get a feel for what it’s like to take a step back in time. What an experience. I’ve been fortunate enough to do it a couple of times while I was covering the tournament. I’ve also been fortunate to play the Bay Course each year at media day. And I’ve played the sister Pines Course enough to know that they’re both worthy. Did I mention the great food they have in the hotel, which includes the return of the Friday Night Seafood Buffet. You haven’t lived until you’ve had your fair share of lobster and champagne. And that’s just for starters. You can always trust me on matters of food.
The Bay Course is open and shorter. But it’s a Donald Ross, so you don’t have to say much more. It’s a shotmaker’s layout, with plenty of doglegs. The wind is almost always a factor, and the greens are tricky. I love it, because it’s playable. And you get to play the same holes the best women golfers in the world challenge once a year. Not bad. The Pines is tree-lined, as you’d expect, although they have taken a lot of them out. I think it’s made the place better, sort of like what they’ve done at Oakmont and Philly Cricket. The Bay and Pines are polar opposites. But they’re both worthy tests, so you can’t go wrong with either. The closing stretch at the Pines is particularly stern. But the Bay has some holes along the water overlooking the AC skyline that is pretty tough to beat. In a perfect world you play all 36 in one day with a lunch of crab cakes in between. It will be a keeper.
Shore Gate might be the hardest public course in that region, especially if you make the mistake of playing it from the wrong set of tees. I should know. But it’s a really good layout, with a lot of character and a nice flow. There’s more than enough sand, so chances are you will find some. It has a memorable set of par 3s. The second hole is a par 4 that bends 90 degrees left with a drive over water. The ninth is a little bit like the 18th at Pebble Beach, a par 5 with water all down the left side. And the par 4 18th is about as good a finisher as you’re going to come across. In my world 5 is a decent score there. In my book, Shore Gate is a must-do at some point. It’s that entertaining. But it’s going to bite you. The lone question is just how much. You should know that going in. It in no way should keep you away. So you’re not going to break the course record. And if you play well think how much more satisfied your insides are going to feel.
I haven’t played the Vineyard at Renault in too long. My bad. I’ll try to do something about it. I’ve heard that Kevin McCarty, a really good guy, is back in charge. Which means the place should be in good shape, after a few years of people wondering about the ownership situation. I was there when this place opened, and even played with designer Ed Shearon. It’s got a really nice mix of holes, and no two seem to go in the same direction. There’s a par 4 with a split fairway. There’s some good par 3s, including one where the tee box keeps moving to the left and toward the green to give players of all abilities a reasonable chance. Wonderful touch. And there’s a dogleg par 4 that bends around, well, the vineyard. So you can pick a grape if you want for sampling. More to the point, you can buy some wine, which I usually do, at the gift shop. They’re worth taking some home. Or you can take the tour, if you want to be enlightened. Again, something different. They have a hotel and an award-winning restaurant, so you can make a day and night of it and not be disappointed. You might actually want to make it two nights. And its location on the White Horse Pike makes it the closest shore course to Philly. In case that kind of stuff is important to you.
Speaking of which, Blue Heron is almost as easy to get to. This was the place that basically jump-started the influx of high-end public golf in that area back in the early 1990s. And after a few years of kind of treading water, Ron Jaworski came in and changed everything. His presence allowed it to regain its rightful stature among the competition. First thing he did was remove much of the excess gunk that was making it not so enjoyable. Not only does it look better, it plays better. The back nine especially has some really tough holes. I don’t think I’ve ever been on the par-4 10th in two. The 14th might be the signature hole, with a second shot over the wet stuff. Really good. But there’s enough shorter holes that you can have birdie opportunities if you’re hitting it fairly well. I nearly aced the par-3 fourth (which is followed by another wonderful par 4 with water down the right), after taking a lesson from the pro at the time. Of course I haven’t nearly aced it again, so once will probably have to suffice. And Jaws, as you’d anticipate, did a great job putting in his Seven Tap Tavern. The level of hospitality is never in doubt when he’s involved. And it shows.
Twisted Dune is unlike most anything you’re going to play, particularly at the Jersey Shore. It looks like something you’d fine in Great Britain, right down to the deep rough and blind shots and fun quotient. You probably will lose some balls. I know I do. But you’re probably going to hit some shots that will leave you wanting more. It really is a taste treat, if only for its uniqueness. There’s a few holes you can get, a few that are going to get you and the rest could go either way. So have at it. If the wind is blowing it can get a little hairy. The 16th and 17th are an indelible near-ending. First you have a mid-range par 3 over some terrain you don’t want to be in. And there’s bunkers protecting the green in all directions. Then you get a par 4 where the second shot, most likely with something around a 7-iron, is a forced carry over a bunker to a green that’s not necessarily a gimme two putt. I guarantee you will walk off knowing that you just played something you’re not going to see every day, unless maybe you head to Scotland or Ireland. Hard to put a proper value on that.
One of those courses that has grown on me since my initial impression is McCullough’s Emerald Golf Links, which was built on a landfill just down the road from Twisted Dune mainly due the efforts of the former mayor (Sonny) of Egg Harbor Township. I’ve actually had the pleasure of playing it with him. Maybe it just took time to mature. All I know is that it’s come a long way, at least for this mid-handicapper. And again, when the wind blows it’s not a pushover. Quite the contrary. The eighth and ninth are a big-time finish to the front side. Especially the ninth, about a 170-yarder over a pond. It can be hard to take the club back on the tee. There’s a blind uphill tee shot where you might be aiming at a passing cloud. But my favorite hole, in fact one of my favorite holes anywhere, is the par-4 15th, a sharp dogleg right. But a really good player has the option of trying to take it over the trees and drive the green. Hackers like me just try to put it down the middle and leave themselves a wedge in. Which, surprisingly as it might sound, I’ve been able to do more often than not. So I’ve had birdie ops. And birds. What I can’t figure out is how I almost always manage to somehow screw up the next hole, a 115-yard par 3. Nobody said it has to make sense.
Atlantic City is one of those places that gives me goosebumps every time I go there. Seriously. It’s always been one of my faves, even before it was sold by the Fraser family and some of the holes were changed or added. There’s two real short par 3s that nevertheless can end in bogeys or worse. Don’t ask. And the stretch of holes on the back nine along the bay are as aesthetically pleasing as it gets. If the wind isn’t helping you the par 3 15th can be an absolute bear. I love the short dogleg right par 4 that precedes it. Of course I can make a 3 or a 6 there. There is a forced carry if you try to bite off too much from the tee. So choose wisely. And when you’re done, the view from the dining room looking out on everything is a postcard waiting to happen. Sometimes it’s those extra perks that stick out.
Ballamor is another place that took me some getting used to. It can be hard, but I try not to judge courses that way. Not fair to them. It’s not their fault if I can’t handle it. But sometimes you play it for the first time in awhile and you come to appreciate it more than you did before. Such was the case with me this year. I don’t know why, but it just felt more playable. Maybe it was the company. Or the fact that we were playing in the late afternoon as the sun was setting. You have to hit some shots here to have a realistic chance. The one thing you have to keep in mind is that most of the greens have some sort of ridge running through them. And if you’re on the wrong side of the cup you can easily 3-putt. Sometimes you don’t even have a fair shot. So be it. Still a fine test. And the 18th is the only way to close. It’s a par 5 with water covering the right side and sand traps to the left. If you can navigate that you are left with a short approach. But there’s still plenty of trouble around the green to deal with, and the green has some serious movement to it. Other than that …
The setting at Cape May National is as natural as it gets, and several of its holes usually make any list of the top 18 down there. What more do you have to know? Harbour Pines is always in wonderful shape, and it too has more than a few holes that will keep you coming back. The 10th, a par 4 with water on the left and woods on the opposite flank, comes readily to mind. If you’re looking at private options, Greate Bay is certainly something to consider. It’s come so far since the days when it hosted the Shop Rite. And even back then it’s closing hole ranked as the toughest on the LPGA Tour. Something to be said for that. And they have many membership options to fit all needs and budgets. Pat Croce’s longtime business partner, Mark Benevento, does a great job running the place when he isn’t busy opening more of his mini-golf courses to add to his already prolific empire.
And, if you want to get beat up, try to find a way to get off on Galloway National, one of Tom Fazio’s best. It was tough when it opened and it remains something that should be on anyone’s bucket list. Just to say you gave it a try. The opening two holes, a dogleg par 4 followed by a par 3 over marshland, and the closing two, a long par 3 preceding another dogleg par 4, are nothing short of outstanding. Over the years it has more than lived up to its reputation. Just make sure to pack some extra balls.
That should be enough to keep you busy. Give them all of a shot. You’ll be better off for it. Tell them the midget from Northeast Philly sent you. Or take me with you, and I’ll supply the comic relief. See you again in the spring. Until then, happy holidays.
