Shore Gate Golf Club – A Special Place in South Jersey

Shore Gate Golf Club – A Special Place in South Jersey
By Marian Castner


Anyone who had played golf in southern New Jersey will attest to the superior golf course found at Shore Gate Golf Club in Ocean View, Cape May County. Carved out of a pristine forest among the pine barrens, Shore Gate stands out as one of the “must plays” courses in our state.

Designed by Ron Fream and David Dale, whose work stretches from California to Asia, but is not found anywhere else on the East Coast, the course brings together a smooth blend of both bold and dramatic.

“This type of course is quite unusual for Cape May County, because it has quite a bit of natural changes in elevation,” says Harry Bittner, general manager and head golf professional. “It’s a unique combination of parkland and links-style golf course. There are seven lakes on the course, and the whole atmosphere here is pretty special,”

Bittner has been a part of the Shore Gate family almost from its inception, and a respected figure in south Jersey golf for more than 20 years. His leadership and expertise along with the support of the owners Doug and John Turner, have combined to make Shore Gate a remarkably well-run golf course.

“There’s only one home site and one back road visible on the golf course,” said Bittner. “It’s just an unspoiled golf experience.” One of the highlights of that experience is undoubtedly the long and difficult 9th hole, which Bittner calls “maybe the most dramatic hole in all of south Jersey.”

Shore Gate opened in 2002 to rave reviews and has maintained its first-rate standards ever since. It is the only golf course at the Jersey Shore to have been named to both Golf Digest and Golf Magazine’s lists of best new public golf courses in the United States.

It was recently ranked as New Jersey’s number four public golf course by Golf Digest in the magazine’s biennial Best in State rankings for 2009-2010.

The golf course is a true test for any skill level. Often referred to as a “thinking man’s golf course,” it features forced carries, pinpoint accuracy, length and, of course, the numerous water hazards. If that isn’t enough, there are undulating fairways, large waste areas, plenty of fescue and dramatic bunkering. You will likely use most of the clubs in your bag when you play the course.

“This course poses a challenge for even the most skilled players,” says architect Ron Fream, “However, if played from the right set of tees, Shore Gate is very playable for golfers of all levels.”

With tees ranging from 5,284 yards to 7,227 from the tips, there are options to suit any level golfer.

One feature that makes the course even more attractive is that with its southern shore location, play is open 12 months a year. Not only that, the course conditions are kept up during the winter – no temporary greens or tees -- making it an excellent and convenient choice for those seeking winter golf.

If Shore Gate is a big-time quality golf course, the vibe of the club is decidedly small and intimate. Some may even liken it to the “Cheers” of golf courses – a place where everyone knows your name, and you shouldn’t be surprised if you walk into the clubhouse and find the general manager behind the counter greeting you.

While Shore Gate is open to the public, there are a variety of membership opportunities available. Visit www.shoregateclub.com for more information about the club.

Shore Gate is a truly a special place and worth the trip no matter where in New Jersey or neighboring states you may reside.

Bethpage State Park – The Black Course Take Two!

Bethpage State Park – The Black Course

99 Quaker Meeting House Road, Farmingdale, New York 11735

Yards: 6684, Par 71 (White Tees)

Course Architect: A.W. Tillinghast

Website: http://nysparks.state.ny.us/regions/long-island/default.aspx

Score: 107 (56 out, 51 in)

Date: October 21, 2009

After playing the Black Course last October, I decided to make this trip an annual golfing event. This year we had three players making the pilmagamge to Bethpage State Park. Leaving the South Jersey area around 3:00 AM and at times driving excessively over the speed limit, arrived at the course at 5:30, making the drive in 2:30 hours. Driving into Bethpage, the first thing you notice is the grand scale of the place. This State Park is massive, and it's really undulating, wooded and rolling. Seems like the perfect place for a golf course (or five). We parked the car in line, got out and stretched and just waited until 6:00AM for the state worker to hand out the lottery tickets for your tee time reservation. We were the 22nd car in line. After we received our ticket, we drove up and parked at the club house and got in line at the ticket booth to get our tee time. We received the 9:51 AM tee time on the Black Course, now 6:30, we headed to the Oak Room for breakfast and watch the sunrise.

When the sun came up, we headed over to the driving range, little chilly but the sun was out and warning up, 50 degrees at 7:30 AM. We hit a bucket of balls then headed over to the first tee to hang out and wait for our tee time. As you wait and see others teeing off, you are watching from a balcony where everyone stands directly behind the first tee and watches golfers tee off on the first hole. As you wait for your chance on the tee box, more and more people show up to watch, you start getting more and more nervous, your stomach starts doing flips, your brain just keeps saying, don’t chunk it, whiff or banana slice it onto the first fairway of the Green Course. In addition, as you stand there fully knowing as a high handicapper, you really do not belong on this course, to make it worse, there is a sign confirming it.

Our 9:51 tee time was called, the starter cuts off your bracelet you receive when you play, your ready to go. Standing on the tee box with only 15+/- golfer watching us, you just look out and see a 40 to 50 yard drop on the first hole and the beauty of the surroundings, I hit a long ball to the left in the first cut. The Black Course was as tough as last year, walking and pulling the golf cart up and down this very hilly course was brutal and very exhausting. On a beautiful sunny and warm day, I shot an 18 hole score of 107, with 3 pars, hitting 5 fairways, 2 greens in regulation and lost 3 balls, not bad for a US Open Course! I was hitting the ball fairly straight missing the fairways in the first cut mostly. The course is very demanding off the tee, you MUST hit it straight. I tried to hit my approach shots short since you can not really run balls up onto the greens, and the greens are heavily protected by bunkers. On a few holes, it took me two or three strokes to get out of the deep bunkers, that was the majority of my extra strokes. My chipping was pretty good, getting the ball to stick on the green was fairly easy since the greens were soft. My putting was pretty good, the greens were really fast which didn’t allow me to be short as usual.

Designed by A.W. Tillinghast, Bethpage opened in May of 1936. The course was given 3 million from the USGA and was renovated from 1997-1998 by Reese Jones. The atmosphere walking up to the first tee could not get any better, especially with the signature Bethpage Sign which reads. "The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers." Right from the start you know that this course will test your game in every faucet. As you might expect with a top-notch course, it is immaculate. From the tee box to the greens you will not be disappointed with the maintenance of the golf course. The rough is long and thick, but still fair for the average golfer. The course is extremely long with narrow fairways and extremely large and in some areas deep bunkers. There is only one hole where water actually comes into play. Because of the length you will be hitting a variety of irons into moderate sized greens, surrounded by large bunkers. All of your tee shots will demand a great deal of accuracy and power.

Overall it is a world-class establishment and no golfer will walk away being disappointed. After the round, we walked around the club house looking at all the pictures, etc... and hit the extensive pro shop and had a late lunch at the Oak Room on the exterior deck overlooking the Black’s 18th Green.

Getting on the course (found this on the net): As for the "how," you have a couple options: 1) use Bethpage's tee time reservation system, 2) go the infamous route of trying to walk-on at the crack of dawn, which often involves camping out in your car, or 3) pay a huge premium to a little-known company that may be able to get you a tee time on your preferred day of play.

Before anyone can use Bethpage's reservation system, they must become a registered user. To register, you have to fax a copy of your driver's license AND write or type out all of the information that appears on the front of it, plus your telephone number (an email address would help, too), in case the image is unreadable via the fax.

If you're not a New York resident, you are also encouraged to include your Social Security number, which will become your reservation system account number. It's not required (they'll assign you a number, otherwise), but it will expedite processing. It usually takes between one and three days before you're officially "in" the system.

Again, out-of-state residents can only make tee times two days in advance of the intended date of play. (Note that when Bethpage says "two days," it means you can begin calling at 7 p.m. two days before you'd like to play. So, for instance, if you plan to play on a Saturday morning, you have to wait until 7 p.m. on Thursday night to make a reservation.) New York residents can reserve seven days out. Sometimes, it's good to call the night before you wish to play because there are often cancellations.

In addition to a $4 reservation fee, the green fee is:

Weekdays: $50 (NY residents) $100 (non-residents)

Weekends: $60 (NY residents) $120 (non-residents)

Your second option for getting on Bethpage Black, as mentioned above, is to try and walk on, as all of the first hour's tee times (which begin at 6:30 am), and one slot per hour thereafter, are made available on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the Bethpage brass.

Walk-on hopefuls typically arrive at Bethpage in the afternoon or early evening the day before they wish to play, backing their cars into the designated and numbered "overnight" parking spaces. At about 6:00 pm, a Bethpage official hands out wrist bands, one per car, which confirms the order for the next morning's ticket dispersement.

It is these tickets, handed out between 4-4:30 am, which allow you to purchase your round of golf. It used to be that only one player in the group needed a ticket, but now every person has to have their own ticket. [Note: If you want a caddie ($60 plus tip) or locker room use for the day ($10), pay for them at the same time as your green fee as you probably won't have time to get through the long cashier line again.]

Overnighters should consider bringing a tent or sleeping bag, too. Cars aren't conducive to sleeping, and, if you choose to bed down on the root-laden grassy area near the parking lot, you'll need more than your golf towel to stay warm and comfortable.

Better yet, get a hotel room nearby. Remember, only your car has to stay put to maintain your place in line. As long as you're back before the tickets are handed out in the morning, you're golden.

From our experience and stories from people we know, if you're one of the first few cars in line, you'll likely get out in the morning. Later arrivals will likely get out, too, but it probably won't be until the afternoon. Either way, if you go this route to get on Bethpage Black, you'll be spending a good deal of time just waiting around, so bring a good book and/or some good beer.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention one other option for getting on Bethpage Black, though it's better suited to those for whom money is not an object. An un-named company sells Bethpage Black packages that include the green fee and round-trip transportation from Manhattan for $750 ($400 per person for a foursome). At 15 times the in-state green fee, it is a huge premium, but convenience does have its price.

FROM THE WEB SITE: Bethpage State Park, a mecca for public golf featuring five 18-hole regulation golf courses including the world-renowned Black Course which was the site of the United States Open in 2002, will again host the U.S. Open in 2009. Bethpage State Park was developed from an estate owned by the Yoakum family and other properties. The Yoakum family leased their estate to the Lenox Hills Corporation which subsequently used the property to build the Lenox Hills Country Club. In the early 1930s, the Bethpage Park Authority purchased the Lenox Hills Country Club and other adjacent properties to build what we now know as Bethpage State Park. Famed golf course architect A.W. Tillinghast was hired to design and oversee construction of three new golf courses (Black, Red and Blue) as well as modify the Lenox Hills Course which became the Green Course. Due to the increased demand for golf, the Yellow Course designed by Alfred Tull was opened in 1958. Approximately 300,000 rounds are played annually on the five courses at Bethpage, all of which start from the Clubhouse area.

The Black Course is a difficult and challenging course that should be played only by low-handicap golfers. The course is for walkers only and its slope rating is one of the highest in the northeast. This was one of the last courses designed by master golf course architect A.W. Tillinghast, and is said by many to be his finest work. The Black Course served as the site of the 102nd U.S. Open Championship in 2002. Our National Championship will again return to the Black in 2009. The narrow fairways, high roughs, well placed bunkers and small greens help to make this an extremely difficult course. The Black Course is closed Mondays for course maintenance except holidays.

COURSE CONDITION: The course was in excellent shape, except for ball markers in some of the greens. No divots in the tee boxes or fairways, and the greens were lighting fast.

FACILITIES: Bethpage State Park provides top notch practice facilities (NOTE: no drivers on the driving range), pro shop, locker room, restaurant, tennis courts, hiking trails, bridle path and picnic area.

SHOT OF THE DAY: Hole #11, Par 4, 421 Yards: Hit my second shot short to avoid a mis-hit into the sand trap, I had a 30 yard pitch shot. Took out my 9 iron and chipped the ball to about ten yards past the pin and it slowly rolled back to the pin to about 12 inches, tap in for par.

SUGGESTIONS AND COMMENTS: If you get a chance to play the Black Course, no matter your handicap, go and do it. I read numerous blogs and articles on the Black Course, warning golfers how hard it is and only highly skilled golfers should play it. Well, I have a 19.1 handicap and loved it, and will play it again. Do you need your A+ game and extra balls, yes, if you love golf, you will love this course and want to play it again and again. Anyone can play it, just keep my motto in your mind, “Bad Golf Quickly”, just keep moving and you will not have an issue. And remember, walking only, NO GOLF CARTS. Did I get a physical and mental beating, hell yea, and it was worth it! There is a half way house between holes 5 and 6 which also can be accessed half way down fairway #11 on the left side.

GOLFNERDNESS: Walking only (or pull/push carts), no motorized golf carts on the Black Course. Go play it, don’t worry about your handicap, just keep pace. We had three 18+ handicappers playing and a 8 to 12 handicapper playing and we keep pace with the foursome in front of us and the foursome behind us waited on one par three hole. Walk and play the same links of the past champions, Lucas Glover and Tiger Woods!

GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT: I found this online the week before I left and it was very helpful so I decided to post it here:Hole #1, Par 4, 429 Yards: Take 3 wood (1st hole) tee it up high so you don’t top it. This hole should be a 3 wood & 5 iron.

Hole #2, Par 4, 354 Yards: 3 wood and 6/7 iron... whatever you think your 2nd shot yardage is its one extra club... over the green & left is safe. So play it that direction.

Hole #3, Par 3, 158 Yards: Depending where the tee is (up / down) will dictate which club you pull... NO MATTER WHAT- PLAY TO THE FAT PART OF THE GREEN - IE - THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE GREEN.

Hole #4, Par 5, 461 Yards: Pull driver- aim center of the fairway- don’t try to play left - just hit the fairway is fine. The remainder of the whole... just make sure you play up the right side (don’t be scared) aim off the part of the glacier bunker (on the right side of the bunker) that looks like a pair of nuts (no joke), and continue to play along the right side the whole hole.

Hole #5, Par 4, 423 Yards: This one is not as long as it looks. Just poke Driver / 3W out over the center of the waste bunker (don’t try and clear it along the right side) - and take one extra club on your 2nd shot. Back of green is safe here!, so play it long.
Refreshment House, stock up here, there is no half way house after nine holes!

Hole #6, Par 4, 386 Yards: If you’re hitting driver straight - hit driver. If not hit 3 wood, if not hit 4 iron. Just make sure you are straight on this one. The hole really opens up nicely once you get up the hill- you’ll have to dial in your irons on this one... THIS TIME TAKE ONE CLUB LESS!!!! it plays down hill and with the wind... back of the green is big trouble.

Hole #7, Par 5, 502 Yards: A harmless par of 5 - except for the 3 acre wide glacier bunker. Just play it center of the bunker and get in the fair way. Than you can hit 3w, 4 or even 5 as your lay up, don’t go over the green, to the right and short is safer than left and long.

Hole #8, Par 3, 191 Yards: A long and beautiful par 3. It plays MUCH longer than it looks. It’s either 3 w or 4 iron. - the green is about 30 yards deep, so use the whole green. Don’t worry about over, short is where the trouble is.

Hole #9, Par 4, 385 Yards: Driver definitely, wide open fairway - do not go left. Should be a 9 iron / 8 iron in.

Hole #10, Par 4, 434 Yards: You have to hit driver if you want to have a chance at getting to the green in 2. This is a long par 4. Make sure you pick a club that will get you to the green on the 2nd shot. - bunkers in the front, false back in the rear.

Hole #11, Par 4, 421 Yards: Should be driver then mid iron, just make sure you stay out of the fescue on the right. Take 3 w on tee if you’ve been hitting it straight.Refreshment House half way up the 11 fairway of the left side.

Hole #12, Par 4, 432 Yards: You can clear the bunker - go for it.

Hole #13, Par 5, 480 Yards: You won’t reach the 1st bunker on your first shot, and on your second shot you should be able to clear the 2nd bunker on left. 2nd shot- aim to the left side of the fairway - easy chip for your 3rd shot.

Hole #14, Par 3, 151 Yards: Take one extra club... it should be a 7 iron, NOT AN 8, the green is huge, you will not overshoot it w/ a 7 iron.

Hole #15, Par 4, 430 Yards: Play this one as a par 5- it’s a driver then 3w /4iron hole. Just make sure you club up to get it up to the green.

Hole #16, Par 4, 457 Yards: Take 3 wood or long iron for this one... but driver will be more fun. Make sure you commit to a yardage on 2nd shot, left of green is bad, right of green is bad - short ok.

Hole #17, Par 3, 195 Yards: Club up- aim back left - its the only bail out spot, make sure you get it there.

Hole #18, Par 4, 394 Yards: Take Drive or 3 wood. Club up to get it on to the elevated green - long is good here - so make sure you club up!

This is by far the second hardest course I have ever played behind Merion Golf Club – East Course.

Some information contained within this blog post was taken from outside sources, blogs, websites, etc..For all your local golf information, check out http://www.twooverpar.com./

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Quickie at Cohanzick Country Club

Cohanzick Country Club
Bridgeton-Fairton Road, Fairton, New Jersey 08320
Yards: 6001, Par 71 (White Tees)
Course Architect: Unknown
Built/Open: Unknown
Website: http://www.allforeclub.com/
Score: 91 (45 out – 46 in)

Date: October 2009

I played Cohanzick Country Club, a public course located in Fairton, New Jersey managed by the Allforclub. Not expecting to play, just stopped in to check out the course, I decided to tee it up. When I got out of my car the parking lot had one car, I walked around to find a maintenance guy and asked if they were open. I headed out as a single and played the entire 18 holes in two hours and five minutes. I shot an 18 hole score of 91 on an perfect sunny but brisk day in the high 60’s with 5 pars, hitting 4 fairways, 3 greens in regulation and lost 4 balls. My driving is getting better, little rusty the first few holes due to not warming up. My mid and short iron game was average, today my iron shots were cutting right. My putting was pretty good with one 3 putt and 3 – one putts. This course was pretty beat up, the tee boxes were a mess and the cart paths were bumpy with pot holes and lots of exposed tree roots! There were a few nice holes and a few boring holes, I just wanted to play it since I heard they might possibly close anyday now.

FROM THE WEB SITE: Hills and tight tree-lined fairways make this early 1900's par 71 course an intimidating layout for the average golfer. Nestled along the scenic Cohansey river this challenging course can be quite deceiving in several spots due to the hilly terrain and ravined par 3's. Greens are medium size, which is unusual for a course built in the early 1900's.

COURSE CONDITION: This place needs a makeover and new maintenance staff. The tee boxes are hacked up pretty bad, 17th tee box was all dirt, no grass to be found. The fairways and greens were in average shape with the rough just loaded with weeds and bare spots.

FACILITIES: CCC provides practice facilities (driving range, even though I didn’t see one, not sure if it is really there and a putting green), dinning, and very limited pro shop.

VALUE vs COURSE CONDITIONS (1 thru 5 – 1: awful how could they charge me to play here to 5 excellent all around facility would definitely be back): Well for $19.00 with cart, I give it a 2, you get what you pay for!

SHOT (HOLE) OF THE DAY: Hole 6, 158 yards, Par 3: I pushed my drive right and the ball ended up on the steep down slope of the 10th tee box. I was about 20 yards away from the flag stick and since the grass was pretty deep, I took a chop swing at the ball. The ball came out hot and hit the flag stick like a line drive and the ball stopped about two feet from the hole. Tap in for an unlikely par.

SUGGESTIONS AND COMMENTS: This course is an older course, they are losing business and some golfers I spoke to thought the course was closed already. Go there and play it before they do close for ever. It could be a great course with maintenance and re-routing some of the confusing holes.

GOLFNERDNESS: Signage would be a good idea, it was my first time playing and I got lost a few times even with a course map. With that said, I was the second single to tee off and finished the front nine in 1:05 and the back in 1:00, 2:05 round was awesome.

GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT: Familiarize yourself with the course layout, you’ll need it. Some of the fairways are tight, and watch a few bunkers that linger around a few of the greens.

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The Come Back Kid @ Medford Lakes Country Club

Medford Lakes Country Club
Oak Drive, Medford Lakes, New Jersey 08055
Yards: 5832, Par 71 (White Tees)
Course Architect: Alex Findlay
Built/Open: 1929
Website: http://www.medfordlakescountryclub.com/
Score: 91 (47 out – 44 in)
Date: September 2, 2009

I played Medford Lakes Country Club again, just two weeks from my first crack at this private club located in Medford Lakes. I have gone to the range numerous times with my kids, played down in Bear Trap Dunes and purchased the driver I used at Bear Trap since my last visit to Medford Lakes. I arrived 35 minutes before our tee time and actually didn’t run around like an idiot. I headed out to the driving range to find zero balls, when back to the pro shop and asked the cranky manager for balls, ‘$3.00 please’. Are you kidding me, the members here have to pay for range balls!! I reluctantly gave him $3 bucks and left for the range. Hit 75% of the mini bag of dirty balls they gave me and off we went to the first tee. I shot an 18 hole score of 91 (102 two weeks ago) on an perfect sunny day in the high 70’s with 7 pars, hitting 7 fairways, 5 greens in regulation and lost 1 ball. My driving is getting better and better with the new Nike SQ Dymo driver with the regular flex shaft. My mid and short iron game was average, my second shots were killing me. My putting was pretty good considering they must have recently aerated the greens since my last visit. Zero - 3 putts, two – 1 putts on the dry / bumpy/top dressed greens. After the round, it felt really nice to have made up 11 strokes from the previous round.

FROM THE WEB SITE: In the late 1920s, Medford Lakes was a vacation community in the New Jersey pines, some 18 miles southeast of Camden. One of its prominent citizens, Leon Todd, believed that a golf course was needed in order to provide residents and summer visitors with a complete range of recreational and sporting opportunities. In 1929 the Medford Lakes Development Company acquired the 115-acre Shrider farm. Alex Findlay, scarcely an unknown quantity in southern New Jersey, was brought in to lay out nine holes. His skillful use of both water and trees gave the course, though on the short side and with few changes in elevation, both interest and charm.

COURSE CONDITION: The teeing areas were green but a little messy from the aeration, the fairways were cut short and in good condition, the ball was sticking without much roll most likely from all the wet weather from the past weekend. The rough was either 2 to 3 inches high which was difficult to get the ball out of, but not impossible. The greens are relatively flat, but slight un-noticeable undulations and the top dressing from the aeration had the ball moving all over the greens.

FACILITIES: MLCC provides practice facilities (driving range, putting and chipping greens), dinning, and pro shop. The range is rather small and tight, but fine for a quick warm up before your round.

SHOT (HOLE) OF THE DAY: Hole 18, 484 yards, Par 5: Drive straight down the middle, 2nd shot, lay up just before the horizontal water hazard, third shot on the green, 50 foot lag putt to 12 inches, tap in for par. A great way to end the round!

SUGGESTIONS AND COMMENTS: This course is an older traditional course. Little short and a few holes are tight, but the bunkers and water hazards are well placed. The three employees we spoke to in the pro shop were old cranky SOB’s. We felt like a bother to them. My playing partner knew the bartender for 20+ years and was talking to him before the round, he suggested to eat elsewhere after the round because the food was horrible. One bright light, the cart girl (blonde) was super nice, and a 10 out of 10 in the looks department!

GOLFNERDNESS: Real nice course, cranky employees (except the hotty cart girl), seems to be an older membership still. Hole #13 has a house with a tennis court adjacent to the tee box. There were three toddlers on the tennis court beating the shit out of each other screaming at the top of their lungs with no one around, thats what you want to hear while teeing off.

GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT: Keep an eye on the hole layouts at the top of the score card, there are water hazards in some un-expecting locations.

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Soggy Day at Bear Trap Dunes, I'll Take It!

Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club
7 Clubhouse Drive, Ocean View, DE 19970
Yards: 6377, Par 72 (Kodiak [3187] / Black Bear [3190] - White Tees)
Course Architect: Rick Jacobson
Built/Open: 1999
Website: http://www.beartrapdunes.com/
Score: 82 (42 out, 40 in)
Date: August 22, 2009

I played Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club, a semi-private club located in Ocean View, DE over the weekend. I have gone to the range once a week with my kids and played once last week which didn’t turn out so well. I headed down to the Delaware shore for a long weekend and left my clubs at home, not planning on playing golf. I was talked into playing, I used the rental clubs from the club, no golf glove, bag of shag balls to use and no golf shoes. The clubs were Nike irons, Nike SQ DYNO driver, Nike 3-wood (Senior flex), Nike rescue club (Ladies), and Nike putter. Not expecting much, we headed out. Without any pre-round warm up except two practice swings on the tee box, strange clubs, none of my golf accessories, I shot an 18 hole score of 82. The day was hot and muggy with temps in the high 90’s, 10 pars, hitting 10 of 14 fairways, 6 greens in regulation and lost 1 ball. My driving was awesome with this driver, hit every fairway on the back nine! My mid and short iron game was average considering I was using unfamiliar clubs. My putting was average, one - 3 putt, four – 1 putts on the wet greens from the insane thunderstorm from earlier that morning. The 82 is the second lowest score I have ever recorded. I will be looking to purchase that Nike driver!!

FROM THE WEB SITE: 'Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club offers one of the area’s most unique and memorable golf experiences on the Eastern Shore. Winding bent grass fairways lined with native wetland grasses drift into natural sand dunes. Impeccably groomed oversized greens and four strategically placed sets of tees beckon golfers of every skill level.'

COURSE CONDITION: The course was in great shape, the fairways and teeing areas were lush and green but really soggy. The greens were in excellent shape and but rolling super slow because of the thunderstorm earlier that morning.

FACILITIES: Really didn’t utilize the facilities this time around (no time). The chipping and putting greens are adjacent to the driving range.

SHOT OF THE DAY: 10 Pars, 10 out of 14 fairways, with 3 missed birdie putts, it is hard to decide.

SUGGESTIONS and COMMENTS: If you are playing here early, bring drinks and a snack, the refreshment cart starts late.

GOLFNERDNESS: Didn’t have any of my own equipment, its good to be forced to try different equipment! But I still will keep my Ping Zing2’s!!

GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT: Keep the ball in the fairway and you will score!
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Medford Lakes Country Club - Hot Hot Hot!

Medford Lakes Country Club
Oak Drive, Medford Lakes, New Jersey 08055
Yards: 5832, Par 71 (White Tees)
Course Architect: Alex Findlay
Built/Open: 1929
Website: http://www.medfordlakescountryclub.com/
Score: 102 (54 out – 48 in)
Date: August 18, 2009

I played Medford Lakes Country Club, a private club located in Medford Lakes, my wife’s family were members of the club for over 30 years. I have gone to the range once a week with my kids, so I really can not consider that practice. I arrived 5 minutes before our tee time (as usual) and rushed around getting to the pro shop and then out to the first tee (10 Tee). I shot an 18 hole score of 102 on an extremely hot, sunny day in the high 90’s with 1 par, hitting 5 fairways, 1 green in regulation and lost 5 balls. My driving was bad the first nine and got better on the back nine. My mid and short iron game was average, I chunked a few due to lack of practice. My putting was pretty good, one - 3 putt, three – 1 putts on the dry / fast greens which were baking in the sun. All in all, it was a nice day out playing a new course even if the wheels fell off the last few holes.

FROM THE WEB SITE: In the late 1920s, Medford Lakes was a vacation community in the New Jersey pines, some 18 miles southeast of Camden. One of its prominent citizens, Leon Todd, believed that a golf course was needed in order to provide residents and summer visitors with a complete range of recreational and sporting opportunities. In 1929 the Medford Lakes Development Company acquired the 115-acre Shrider farm. Alex Findlay, scarcely an unknown quantity in southern New Jersey, was brought in to lay out nine holes. His skillful use of both water and trees gave the course, though on the short side and with few changes in elevation, both interest and charm.

COURSE CONDITION: The teeing areas were lush green, the fairways were cut short and the ball was running on the fairways. The rough was either 2 to 3 inches high which was difficult to get the ball out of, but not impossible. The greens looked relatively flat, but slight un-noticeable undulations had the ball moving all over the fast, dry greens.

FACILITIES: MLCC provides practice facilities (driving range, putting and chipping greens), dinning, and pro shop. I didn’t get to utilize the facilities, maybe next time.

SHOT (HOLE) OF THE DAY: None, played like crap!

SUGGESTIONS AND COMMENTS: This course is an older traditional course. Little short and a few holes are tight, but the bunkers and water hazards are well placed.

GOLFNERDNESS: Real nice course, didn’t like teeing off on 10 to start the round.

GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT: Keep an eye on the hole layouts, there are water hazards in some un-expecting locations.

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Hot and Muggy Day @ Pine Hill Golf Club

Pine Hill Golf Club
500 West Branch Avenue, Pine Hill, New Jersey 08021
Yards: 6,248, Par 70 (White Tees)
Course Architect: Tom Fazio
Built/Open: 2000
Website: http://www.golfpinehill.com/
Course Ranking: 18th in New Jersey (Golf Digest State Rankings 2009-2010)
Score: 109 (52 out – 57 in)
Date: July 26, 2009

I journeyed out to play Pine Hill Golf Club, wondering if I would finish a complete round of golf (see golfnerdness below). Do to my recent relocation, I have not touched my clubs in about two months. I shot an 18 hole score of 109 on a hot, muggy, sunny day in the high 90’s with 2 pars, hitting 6 fairways, 2 greens in regulation and lost 3 balls. My driving was real good on the front nine, then I reached the 11th tee and the wheels fell off until my drive on 18. I hit 6 fairways out of 13, only one tee shot was unplayable. My mid and short iron game was average, my distances are still off due to lack of practice. My chipping was average, the few I miss hit didn’t hurt me. My putting was bad, eight - 3 putts, the dry / fast greens keep the ball rolling to the hole and past, not short as usual. All in all, it was a nice day out on the golf course.

FROM THE WEB SITE: Set atop southern NJ's highest point, Pine Hill Golf Club will astound. World renowned golf course architect, Tom Fazio, designed a property that is both beautiful and challenging. With 18-holes boasting distinctly different characteristics, PHGC has received numerous national accolades and has rightfully taken its place among America's greatest courses. Built upon the site of a former ski resort, the 43,000 square foot clubhouse provides panoramic views of the surrounding landscape and Philadelphia city skyline.

COURSE CONDITION: The course is playing in championship caliber condition as usual. The teeing areas were lush green, the fairways were cut short and the ball was running on the fairways. The rough on the other hand was either 4 to 5 inches high or tall fescue which was impossible to hit the ball out of. The greens looked undulated but the ball was not moving much even though they were dry and fast.

FACILITIES: Top notch practice facilities (driving range, putting and chipping greens), dinning, pro shop and staff. Great practice area, I hit a few balls prior to the round.

SHOT (HOLE) OF THE DAY: Hole 18, Par 4, 371 Yards. Smoked my drive right down the middle of the fairway leaving about 100 yards in. A nice way to end a long, hot and tiring day.

SUGGESTIONS AND COMMENTS: This course is tight and is surrounded by junk if you’re not in the fairway or first cut. The ball nestles down deep in the dense rough and if you don’t watch where it goes, you will never find it. The tall thin strip of fescue which surrounds a lot of the traps and waste areas actually comes into play more then I had expected. Check out the facilities and if you have time, have lunch or dinner on the outdoor patio looking over the course and the Philadelphia skyline.

GOLFNERDNESS: I have played this course about 8 to 10 times, only finishing a complete round 3 or 4 times due to illness, family illness or weather related issues. If you have a junior playing from 150 yards in, give the parent a break, $120 is steep for a junior to play.

GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT: Keep the ball out of the rough and fescue and you will be able to score low. For the high handicapped, this will be a very difficult course, take your lumps and play it!

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