South Jersey Country Clubs: No matter what Jersey Shore town you’re partial to, there’s no shortage of unique and challenging golf courses nearby. But before you book your tee time, there are some things you should know. Which is why we reached out to several of these fine courses, both public and private, to find out what’s new and notable around the greens, clubhouse and beyond. We also asked several area pros and experts to give us their opinion on what makes golfing at the Shore such an experience. We can’t help you with your swing, so we figured this was the least we could offer. Hidden Creek Golf Club Architects: Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore Rating: 72.1; Slope: 131 Yardage: 6,581 Membership fee: Unavailable What’s notable: Hidden Creek is already gearing up to host the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship in 2015. What the pros are saying: “What makes Hidden Creek so special is that they didn’t move much land around when building the course, so it’s a very natural masterpiece. Each hole is its own fare; when you’re out there, you’re somewhere special, you don’t feel like you’re in New Jersey. It’s the hidden gem.” Article continues below advertisement Ronald Norman 728 x 90 Stone Harbor Golf Club Architect: Desmond Murhead Rating: 71.7; Slope: 135 Yardage: 6,509 Membership fee: $4,100 What’s new: The club is pushing the farm-to-table approach in their restaurant, using local fisheries and farms in the Cape May County area. Galloway National Golf Club Architect: Tom Fazio Rating: 73; Slope: 142 Yardage: 6,645 Membership Fee: Unavailable What the pros are saying: “Galloway is certainly one of the better golf courses around; it’s a pretty exclusive place and high-ticket item … it’s also very challenging.” Atlantic City Country Club Architects: John Reid, Willie Park Jr., Howard Toomey, William Flynn and Tom Doak Rating: 72.3; Slope: 133 Yardage: 6,577 Greens fee with cart: $99 weekdays, $225 weekends What’s new: Atlantic City redesigned their bar to provide golfers with a state-of-the-art beer tap system, including 10 new beers on draft. What the pros are saying: “[The courses in the area] rival any golf in the world. The most historic course is the Atlantic City Country Club. It has a great mix of architecture and challenges, all while sitting on the bay with the beautiful view of Atlantic City in the background.” Avalon Golf Club Architect: Bob Hendricks Rating: 70.7; Slope: 122 Yardage: 6,325 Greens fee with cart: $89 weekdays and weekends What the pros are saying: “I played Avalon recently; it was playable for just about anybody. It was a good intermediate course and not too tough, so anybody can play it.” Ballamor Golf Club Architect: Dan Schlegel Rating: 74.5; Slope: 132 Yardage: 6,681 Greens fee with cart: $95 weekdays, $105 weekends What the pros are saying: “I’m familiar with most of the South Jersey Shore courses, but Ballamor stands out because of their good course conditions and difficulty.” Blue Heron Pines Golf Club Architect: Stephen Kay Rating: 69.8; Slope: 128 Yardage: 6,207 Greens fee with cart: $88 weekdays, $99 weekends What’s new: Blue Heron Pines renovated their bar, named the Seven Tap Tavern, to include a new tap system, a new bar top and new televisions. Cape May National Golf Club Architects: Robert Mullock and Karl Litten Rating: 73.0; Slope: 136 Yardage: 6,905 Greens fee with cart: $89 weekdays and weekends What’s new: They are planning on a ladies locker room, workout gym and bunker renovation this year, and have done a lot of work on the golf course like planting new trees. Last year, they completed the solar panels for the golf course. Greate Bay Country Club Architect: Willie Park Jr. Rating: 68.1; Slope: 125 Yardage: 6,761 Membership Fee: $3,000 What’s new: Greate Bay recently renovated the ballroom and the majority of the clubhouse over the winter. They also welcomed a new chef who previously was executive chef at Harrah’s. Harbor Pines Golf Course Architect: Stephen Kay Rating: 73.1; Slope: 134 Yardage: 6,503 Greens fee with cart: $89 weekdays, $109 weekends What’s new: Harbor Pines is providing brand new golf carts with built-in GPS systems for their golfers. The Links at Brigantine Beach Architects: Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek Rating: 70.8; Slope: 125 Yardage: 6,507 Greens fee with cart: $75 weekdays, $85 weekends Linwood Country Club Architect: Herbert Strong Rating: 68.8; Slope: 124 Yardage: 6,349 Membership fee: Unavailable What’s new: New live entertainment is scheduled for the season as well as the introduction of a new dinner menu. Mays Landing Golf & Country Club Architect: Leo Fraser Rating: 72.5; Slope: 124 Yardage: 6,624 Greens fee with cart: $58 weekdays, $74 weekends What’s New: Mays Landing offers a short and familiar course for an affordable rate—also a “quick play” rate that includes five holes, a bucket of balls and food and beverages after you play. McCullough’s Emerald Golf Links Architect: Stephen Kay Rating: 71.7; Slope: 130 Yardage: 6,535 Greens fee with cart: $80 weekdays and weekends What’s new: The Library III now has a location at McCullough’s and they’ve extended the outside deck to provide a good spot for outdoor seating. Shore Gate Golf Club Architects: Ron Fream and David Dale Rating: 74.9; Slope: 132 Yardage: 6,794 Greens fee with cart: $75 weekdays, $95-$125 weekends What the pros are saying: “Shore Gate is very tough and challenging; [you’ve] got to be precise.” Twisted Dune Golf Club Architect: Archie Struthers Rating: 70.0; Slope: 122 Yardage: 6,759 Greens fee with cart: $79 weekdays, $99 weekends Wildwood Golf & Country Club Architects: Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek Rating: 71.5; Slope: 127 Yardage: 6,287 Membership fee: $4,650 What’s new: The club introduced a series of new membership plans including: twilight memberships (can play after 3 p.m. in peak season and after 2 p.m. in off season), 5-play memberships (can play the course five times for a discounted rate), weekday membership (Monday-Thursday) and a seasonal Down the Shore membership (appeals to people just down for the summer). The Vineyards Architect: Ed Shearon Rating: 70.2; Slope: 123 Yardage: 7,213 Greens fee with cart: $79 weekdays, $95 weekends Sea Oaks Country Club Architect: Ray Hearn Rating: 70.1; Slope: 129 Yardage: 6,950 Greens fee with cart: $92 weekdays, $107 weekends What’s new: The club just expanded the outdoor patio behind the grill, overlooking the 18th hole. Sand Barrens Golf Course Architects: Dr. Michael Hudan and Dana Fry Rating: 67.6; Slope: 128 Yardage: 7,100 Greens fee with cart: $89 weekdays, $99 weekends
Posted on: Tue, 03 Jun 2014 13:47:55 +0000
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