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Shore Game

by Editorial Staff--South Jersey Magazine

The best golf by the beach

Following up on last month’s look at the best private and public golf courses in the tri-county region, we took a trip down the Parkway to see how our favorite Shore courses are doing. We polled our readers on their favorite places to play and found out what new things to expect in 2015. We’ve also provided rankings on the courses for slope, rating and yardage from the blue tees. Consider this everything you’ll need to know heading into your next round of golf. Well, everything except how to get rid of that nasty slice.

Shore Courses

Atlantic City Country Club
What readers say: “The winds make Atlantic City Country Club challenging. It’s different each time you play.”
What’s new: Lots of renovations, including those being made to the dining room, foyer and lobby. They’ve also added a new halfway house to the course.

Avalon Golf Club
What readers say: “Avalon is always busy, but has a great staff and is always family friendly.”
Fun fact: The course’s Super Wednesday greens fees include a cart and $5 lunch coupon.

Ballamor Golf Club
What readers say: “Ballamor’s course design and conditions make it a favorite to play.”
What’s new: Steve Shinn has joined the club as its new food and beverage manager.

Blue Heron Pines Golf Club
What readers say: “Blue Heron Pines has such good instructional programs for women and juniors.”
What’s new: The newly named Seven Tap and Tavern offers a new menu as well as banquet and wedding packages. The club also removed nearly 150 trees in an effort to improve turf health and better play.

Cape May National Golf Club
What readers say: “With lots of thickets and trouble nearby, Cape May is one of the more challenging courses at the Shore.”
Fun fact: The course is nicknamed “The Natural” because it surrounds a 50-acre private bird sanctuary.

Galloway National Golf Club
What readers say: “Galloway National is tough because there are so many blind tee shots.”
What’s new: Galloway National has a new director of golf, Jason Lamp.

Greate Bay Country Club
What readers say: “Greate Bay is a vintage course redone by a vintage course expert; it retains the charm and the hospitality you would expect with it.”
What’s new: The club has undergone a half-a-million dollar redesign and has hired Jack Whelan, the former executive chef of Harrah’s in Atlantic City.

Harbor Pines Golf Course
What readers say: “Harbor Pines is a forgiving-yet-fair test of golf with great greens.”
What’s new: Joe DiLuzio joins the team at Harbor Pines Golf Club as executive chef. Also, Debbie Stevenson, director of sales and marketing, has recently been certified in golf tournament planning by the Golf Tournament Association of America (GTAA). She is the only certified tournament planner in South Jersey.

Hidden Creek Golf Club
What readers say: “Hidden Creek’s length and undulating greens make it the most challenging private course.”
What’s new: Brian Valois joins the staff as executive chef and the club will be hosting this year’s USGA Senior Amateur Championship in late September.

The Links at Brigantine Beach
What readers say: “This is one of the oldest courses, but it never gets old playing a round here.”
Fun fact: The course is said to be the place where pros in the ’20s practiced before sailing out to compete in the British Open.

Linwood Country Club
What readers say: “Linwood is a challenging and fun course to play and they are always working to improve their conditions.”
Fun fact: Linwood has a reciprocal program arrangement with some of South Jersey’s premier private clubs, meaning folks in this area from participating courses are welcomed at Linwood to play and vice versa.

Mays Landing Golf & Country Club
What readers say: “Mays Landing is a beautifully laid out course.”
Fun fact: The course was designed by Leo Fraser, a former PGA president, and opened in 1962.

McCullough’s Emerald Golf Links
What readers say: “McCullough’s restaurant [the Library III] offers a comfortable setting, good food and service.”
What’s new: The club has completed a deck expansion that includes an enclosure. The 1,600-square-foot space fits up to 120 guests.

Sand Barrens Golf Course
What readers say: “Sand Barrens has great views and the staff knows how to treat guests.”
What’s new: Several trees were removed from the course; there’s a new fleet of golf carts with GPS trackers; and the bar area has been updated.

Sea Oaks Country Club
What readers say: “The restaurant at Sea Oaks has a big selection and good food.”
What’s new: In addition to a new golf cart fleet, Sea Oaks has a new executive chef, Paul Dimm, manning the kitchen.

Shore Gate Golf Club
What readers say: “Shore Gate is by far the toughest course in South Jersey.”
What’s new: After a trial basis last year, the course has fully implemented a “12 after 12” program, offering guests the chance to play 12 holes instead of 9 or 18, after noon every day.

Stone Harbor Golf Club (pictured)
What readers say: “Stone Harbor’s layout makes it one of the most challenging courses you’ll play.”
Fun fact: Each hole here was designed using inspiration from Greek mythology and have names like “Prometheus” and “Pomona.”

Twisted Dune Golf Club
What readers say: “At Twisted Dune, you pay for your mistakes.”
Fun fact: Twisted Dune is a bonus club in Empire Golf Management’s Club Max Membership Program, which gives members playing privileges at four exclusive private golf clubs.

Wildwood Golf & Country Club
What readers say: “Wildwood Golf & Country Club is in excellent shape and they have great people [working there].”
Fun fact: While stationed in Cape May with the Coast Guard in the summer of 1951, Arnold Palmer played several rounds at the course.

The Vineyards
What readers say: “Having the winery and solid dining options makes this course a true destination.”
Fun fact: There are several stay-and-play packages offered here that include a room at the hotel, two rounds of golf and $100 in food credits.

Shore Courses by the numbers:

SLOPE
Galloway National Golf Club: 142
Cape May National Golf Club: 136
Stone Harbor Golf Club: 135
Harbor Pines Golf Course: 134
Atlantic City Country Club : 133
Ballamor Golf Club: 132
Shore Gate Golf Club: 132
Hidden Creek Golf Club: 131
McCullough’s Emerald Golf Links: 130
Sea Oaks Country Club: 129
Blue Heron Pines Golf Club: 128
Sand Barrens Golf Course: 128
Wildwood Golf & Country Club: 127
Greate Bay Country Club: 125
The Links at Brigantine Beach: 125
Linwood Country Club: 124
Mays Landing Golf & Country Club: 124
The Vineyards: 123
Avalon Golf Club: 122
Twisted Dune Golf Club: 122

RATING
Shore Gate Golf Club: 74.9
Ballamor Golf Club: 74.5
Harbor Pines Golf Course: 73.1
Cape May National Golf Club: 73
Galloway National Golf Club: 73
Mays Landing Golf & Country Club: 72.5
Atlantic City Country Club: 72.3
Hidden Creek Golf Club: 72.1
McCullough’s Emerald Golf Links: 71.7
Stone Harbor Golf Club: 71.7
Wildwood Golf & Country Club: 71.5
The Links at Brigantine Beach: 70.8
Avalon Golf Club: 70.7
The Vineyards: 70.2
Sea Oaks Country Club: 70.1
Twisted Dune Golf Club: 70
Blue Heron Pines Golf Club: 69.8
Linwood Country Club: 68.8
Greate Bay Country Club: 68.1
Sand Barrens Golf Course: 67.6

YARDAGE
The Vineyards: 7,213
Sand Barrens Golf Course: 7,100
Sea Oaks Country Club: 6,950
Cape May National Golf Club: 6,905
Shore Gate Golf Club: 6,794
Greate Bay Country Club: 6,761
Twisted Dune Golf Club: 6,759
Ballamor Golf Club: 6,681
Galloway National Golf Club: 6,645
Mays Landing Golf & Country Club: 6,624
Atlantic City Country Club: 6,577
Hidden Creek Golf Club: 6,581
McCullough’s Emerald Golf Links: 6,535
Stone Harbor Golf Club: 6,509
The Links at Brigantine Beach: 6,507
Harbor Pines Golf Course: 6,503
Linwood Country Club: 6,349
Avalon Golf Club: 6,325
Wildwood Golf & Country Club: 6,287
Blue Heron Pines Golf Club: 6,207

Published (and copyrighted) in South Jersey Magazine, Volume 12, Issue 1 (April, 2015).
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