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A Trip Back to Cape May County

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Date: 6/27/2021

Time: 4:35 am

My alarm goes off. Not wanting to make a long day even longer – especially in the early morning hours – I had set the alarm to give me only 15 minutes to start my travels. I quickly wash up, brush my teeth, and change into the clothes I set out the night before. I head downstairs, grab some water and protein bars, and jump in the car. Success. By 4:50 am, I’m on the road.

My destination for the day.

I’m headed back to Cape May County. For those unfamiliar with the geography of New Jersey, Cape May is the vestigial tail at the southernmost end of the state. It juts out into the Atlantic, effectively sheltering the Delaware Bay to its west. It’s a frequent tourist destination in the summer for both beachgoers and golfers alike.

Back in 2018, on the day after Christmas, I made my first trip there. With limited winter daylight, I was able to play both Cape May National (a course I consider a “must play”) and Avalon Golf Club. Remembering how long the drive was, I do not want to leave myself multiple trips back to the county as I look to close out my journey.

With six courses remaining, I’m looking to play three of them. That would allow me to make a third trip to complete the county in the future. Armed with plenty of daylight provided by a long summer day, it seems reasonable.

Time: 6:32 am

First stop of the day, Number 111.

I arrive at The Pines at Clermont. My tee time is 6:38 am, so I hurry to get my clubs out of the trunk and head to the pro shop. The good news is that no one else is really here. There is one group that has already gone out, but the woman behind the counter lets me knows that there is no rush beyond that. That puts me at ease.

I get my clubs onto the cart, take a quick photo of the green to my left – presumably the last of the nine holes on this course – and make the short drive to the first tee.

The sun still rising over the course, lighting up the green at 9.

Pines at Clermont is a short course, playing at 2,202 yards from the back tees for a par of 31. There are four par-4s and five par-3s, with water potentially coming into play on a number of holes, most dangerously to the left of 7 and short of 9 green.

With the sprinklers still on, I get ready to follow the walkers.

I tee off on 1 – the first of the par-4s – and chase the group ahead of me. The par-3 2nd – only 127 yards from the back – continues in the same direction. After hitting the green and cleaning up a straightforward par, I head to the next tee. I notice that the group I was chasing is no longer in front of me.

I figured that perhaps since they were walking, and I was riding as a single, they decided to play the holes out of order to end my pursuit of them. Not giving it much thought, I tee off on the par-3 in front of me, hit the green, and collect another par. I keep it moving to the next tee.

When I get to what I think is the 4th hole, I realize the sign says it’s actually the 7th. The group wasn’t playing out of order – I am.

What I thought was the 3rd hole was actually the 6th.

I check the map and realize this presents an opportunity. After playing 7, I could actually play 5 and it would put me back by 3 tee. I get done at 7 and drive around the tee box at 8. I get on the path from 4 to 5, and thankfully, no one is at the tee. I tee off, hit another par-3 GIR, but only manage to three-putt for bogey. Nevertheless, no one is in front of me.

The routing at Pines at Clermont allowed me to play 1, 2, 6, 7, 5, 3, 4, 8, 9, skipping the group ahead of me.

Having played the three par-3s at the far end of the course, I finish out the par-4 3rd, 4th, and 8th and after a short wait on some sprinklers at the tee 9, I’m able to complete the round in just over an hour.

A look from 1 green, across the fairway of the actual 3rd hole.

I get back to my car and realize by completing the round quickly, I’ve just bought myself some more time for the day. While the Pines at Clermont was my only booked tee time, it was only 7:53 am and there was likely another 12 hours of daylight ahead of me. I push on.

Time: 8:25 am

Number 112.

I pull into the parking lot at the Cape May Par 3, throw my clubs onto my pushcart, and head inside. After paying up, I head around back to the first tee where the starter tells me that I can skip a group of juniors and join the threesome that’s already on the green at 2.

I yell over to them to let them know that I was told I could join them. I’m not sure how much they heard, but they got the gist from the fact that I was getting their attention from the tee box, and they made just enough room for me to hit my shot while still remaining perilously in my dispersion circle. Thankfully, I hit the green and the ball just rolled onto the back fringe.

I walk up, thank them for letting me join them, and we make our introductions. They are Tom, Jimbo, and Stanley.

From left to right, that’s Jimbo, Tom, and Stanley on 2 green.

Not wanting to hold the group up, I make my way to my ball and look to get up and down for par. It’s about 20 feet from the hole. I hit the putt, and it drops. Birdie start.

We all head over to the 3rd tee and get chatting. I let them know about my journey as well as my plan to play a few courses in the area on the day. We hit our tee shots on this 80-yard hole, and I stick mine to 4 feet. Everyone putts out, and I hole mine as well. Two holes in, two under.

The group takes an interest in my quest and we talk about golf in the area. The guys are regulars here at the Cape May Par 3. As we continue from hole to hole, I note that the greens are extremely well kept for a course of this nature, and the group takes some local pride in that fact. We discuss some of the subtle breaks from green to green, as well as some of the details about the course.

The Cape May Par 3 has a number of trees, but it’s generally an open field. Though the greens may look like flat circles, they are maintained well enough where there are breaks and reads to learn and take into account.

Tom and Jimbo let me know that the course used to be a vast area of asparagus field to one side, and a strawberry field in another area. It’s amazing to listen to the group describe the history of the area. As we continue our chat and close out the front nine, I break my streak of GIRs on both 8 and 9. While I got up and down on 9, I could only manage to two-putt on 8.

We make the turn and I realize that there is no one at the 1st. Given that the morning was aging, and not wanting to risk a long wait at the end of the round, I run over to make up my missing hole. I stick the tee shot and make an 8-footer. Jimbo sees this play out, and when I get back, he asks, “Another birdie?” I confirm that it was. I’m back to -2, with the card looking like I started birdie-birdie-birdie. At this point, I think I might frame it.

We continue on the back nine and I ask the group how I should map out the rest of my day. The guys let me know that traffic going out to Ocean City Municipal may be difficult, especially since it’s a Sunday. I make note of that and try to finish out a very nervy closing half to the round. My lightning start is now completely in my head.

Nerves notwithstanding, my excellent walk with Tom, Jimbo, and Stanley continues. I learn that Stanley was an admiral in the US Navy – “of a whole FLEET” as Jimbo put it – and that his service travels took him around the world. We also talk about how Arnold Palmer served in the Coast Guard and was stationed right here in the Cape May area.

After a lengthy lag putt on 18, I finish the back nine in even par. I hit every green except for the one on 14, but was I able to scramble for my 3 there. I shake hands with the guys and thank them for a truly memorable round. While the course is only 1,862 yards, I walk back to my car feeling good about my two-under 52. More than that though, I take a moment to appreciate the experience I just had with an excellent group of local golfers, something I’ve come to treasure on the journey.

It’s just after 11:00 am. At this point, I’m certain I’m playing four courses, not just three. It’s just a question of which two to play. I take Tom and Jimbo’s advice into account and get back on the road.

Time: 11:39 am

Stop number 3 on the day, and Number 113 on the journey.

After a quick stop for a bite to eat, I arrive at Laguna Oaks before noon. The sign says it’s “a special par-3 layout”.

What makes it special?

Designed by Fred Langford, the course originally had 10 holes. It’s also the only course I’ve run into so far that has an Honor Box, allowing you to drop cash when no one’s around in exchange for an off-hours round of golf.

When I pay up, the gentleman in the pro shop lets me know that a couple holes have closed, but that work is being done to at least bring the routing back to nine holes.

The pro shop at Laguna Oaks, with the honor box prominently displayed.

When I look at the scorecard, I see that the holes are numbered from 10 to 18 (with “11A” and 12 being the ones that are closed). I ask about it and the gentleman explains that there were plans at one point to make the course an 18-hole layout with a number of homes also being built on the property. Alas, some hard times hit, and the plans were never fulfilled.

I move to the 1st tee of this now 8-hole par-3 (hole number 10) with the wind picking up. While there are a few groups out on the course, I walk the entire round in solitude. The holes that remain in play at Laguna Oaks play anywhere from 120 to 170 yards from the back tees. Longer hitters could probably get around the course with just a few clubs. Nevertheless, I decide to push my entire bag around on my cart.

Here are pictures of a few of the holes, along with their names – as designated on the scorecard – another detail that makes this place special.

10 – “Off Shore Dunes”
15 – “Sahara Field Goal”
16 – “Island Green”
18 – “Peninsula Waterfall”

I wrap up “Peninsula Waterfall” – the last of the eight holes in operation – and walk back to the parking lot. It’s 1:00 pm. There are only three courses remaining for me to play in the county. Thinking of what Jimbo and Tom said about the traffic to and from Ocean City Municipal, I wonder whether to save that for another day. I get in my car and use my phone to start navigating to the three options. I make a decision.

Time: 1:20 pm

I arrive at my next destination. I take a moment to record my thoughts.

I arrive at Heritage Links. I decided that if I was going to deal with New Jersey shore traffic returning north on a Sunday, I may as well save Ocean City municipal for last. After navigating to each of the remaining three courses, I saw that Heritage Links was a 15-mile ride north back up the Parkway. Whether I decide to call it a day after this fourth round and head back home or play Ocean City afterwards – which I fully anticipate doing – it would work.

Number 114, Heritage Links Golf Club… apparently also known as Heritage Golf Links.

After walking at the Cape May Par 3 and Laguna Oaks, I decide to take a cart again. It’s been a few hours in the sun, and since it’s only 1:30 pm and I’m looking to play again after this round, I figure I can use a break for a couple hours.

As I make my way onto the course, I’m glad I chose to take a cart. I see that in contrast to the three very flat layouts I’ve played so far today, Heritage Links has some decent elevation change throughout.

The gentle climb uphill starts at the 3rd hole, a par-3.

While there aren’t many trees running through the holes in the center of the course, there are other hazards to avoid, like bunkers lined with ornamental grasses, some holes with water, and a few native areas. The greens are beautifully shaped and contoured, but they roll amicably for the most part, stopping short of having any real teeth.

Back downhill on 4.
The green at 5, possibly my favorite on the course. I can see them never changing the hole location.

After squandering a driven green at the par-4 6th, and making bogey on the par-3 7th, I finish up with straightforward pars at 8 and 9. I feel good. Though they’re short courses – Heritage Links being a 1,900-yard par 30 – I feel incredibly accomplished knocking out four of the six I had left in Cape May County.

But it’s only 3:10 pm. I make the call to continue.

Time: 3:30 pm

After a shirt change, a protein bar, and a short drive that was thankfully void of the typical traffic Tom and Jimbo told me about, I arrive at Ocean City Golf Course. I make my quick stop in the pro shop to pay, and I head out to the first tee. I decide to walk again with my pushcart.

Number 115. It’s an airport AND a golf course. What could go wrong?

I make my way onto the first of the 12 holes. It’s the shortest of 11 par-3s at only 60 yards and sets the tone for most of them. The green is small and rolls very slowly, but this place isn’t about the conditions. It’s different. Ocean City is a beach town, and it’s clear that this a beach town golf course. The vibe is super casual. I see a couple people in t-shirts and sandals.

The wind bends the flagstick at the very short 1st hole.

I make my way around the “front six” in +2, with bogeys on 2 and 6. I notice that while there were people here when I started, I essentially have the course to myself from here on out.

I make the turn and continue pushing on through the “back six”. Fatigue is starting to set in. Between Cape May Par 3, Laguna Oaks, and the holes at Ocean City so far, I’ve only walked a couple miles and change, and I’ve only taken about 120 swings. But, I’m feeling it. My walking is now labored. My swing is becoming stiff.

After making a routine par at 7, I put my tee shot on 8 into the adjacent water hazard. While the courses have all been casual/executive style with limited challenges, that’s my first penalty of the day. I take a moment to breathe and recover, and I press on. I hit my third onto the green and putt twice to hole out. That’s also my first double bogey of the day.

I close out as best I can. I make bogeys the remainder of the way, with the exception of the par-4 10th.

Straightaway on the 10th. If not for the wind and the 9.5 hours of golf I’ve played up to this point, I would’ve taken driver or 3-wood on this 235-yard hole. As it was, I hit 6-iron, GW.

I get back to my car at around 4:45 pm. I’m exhausted. But there is probably another four hours of daylight, and only one course left for me to complete in Cape May County. The risk I run is either a) getting to the course with no available tee times, or b) the course only having a tee time that is too late to complete all 18 holes before sunset.

I would hate to start a round, not complete it, and have to drive back down on another day. Then again, if I head home now, I’m committing to a future trip back to Cape May County anyway.

I decide to go and take the chance.

Time: 5:12 pm

Though it’s a bit over-exposed by the sun in this shot, this is easily the best-looking entrance sign I’ve seen all day.

After a stop for a grab-and-go dinner from Wawa – an East Coast and New Jersey staple, for the uninitiated – I head back south, further into the county, and make it to Shore Gate. There are still just over three hours of daylight left and if there’s no traffic on the course, I’m confident I can finish. I head inside to get the verdict.

They got me out! The time of day dictated that I had to walk – since carts had to be in by 6:00 – but they got me out. The gentleman behind the counter let me know that I may run into a couple groups. My hope is that they’ll let me play through as a single.

Standing on the green at 1, the overall quality of Shore Gate is immediately evident.

Sure enough, I run into a group on the 2nd hole. As they stand around the green, I wait over my ball, just left of the fairway. They wave me up. Ten hours of golf, multiple hours in the sun, and I have to hit an approach shot into a green with an audience. Not my favorite scenario, but I realize it means I get to play through and beat the sunset.

I hit the green. I put my PW back into the bag and head up as fast as I can, which is really just a brisk walk given my current state. After a couple “nice shot” remarks, I say “thank you”, try to get a quick read on my putt, and then address the ball. I see there’s a right-to-left break, and I commit to the line. I take the putter back and through. The ball drops. Birdie with an audience. Another sweet memory on this incredible day.

I jog with the pushcart to the 3rd tee and set up to hit my tee shot as quickly as I can, hoping to put some space between me and the group I just played through. I promptly snap-hook my drive out of bounds. Snap-hook with an audience. Not sweet, but another memory.

Too fatigued to truly be phased, I continue on and discover that Shore Gate is an absolute gem. My slightly-worse-than-average play does not distract from the course’s beauty. Hole after hole is littered with outstanding design. Incredible bunkering, some waste areas, and the pines of southern New Jersey all frame this perfectly manicured layout. At this point, I’m almost focused more on where I can get good pictures to capture the landscape than how I’m playing.

The approach at 4.
7 is just gorgeous. Dog-leg right around a waste area. The green and pin are visible just over the furry dunes.

I make the turn at 7:00 pm. I realize that the light is fading, and my job isn’t done yet. Nine holes in an hour-and-a-half isn’t out of the question, but I can’t stop for long for any reason. My driver – the club I hadn’t used all day before this round – continues to be wayward. I tell myself that the score is irrelevant. I need to enjoy the course, keep the ball in front of me, and finish before it’s dark.

10th hole. I can’t stop, and neither can the beauty of Shore Gate.
Stunning surround at the protected green at 12.

Time: 7:43 pm

I get to 13, and I’m teeing off directly into the setting sun. Enough time has elapsed in this round where I would have finished any of the previous five courses I’ve played today. But Shore Gate isn’t an executive course. It’s a par-72 that plays over 7,200 yards from the back tees. I’m playing from the White tees, just shy of 6,400. It’s honestly my limit and I’m regretting not playing the 5,940-yard Gold tees.

However, I’ve only got about 1.25 miles left to walk over the remaining six holes. The end is (almost) in sight.

Standing at the tee boxes at 13. My line is that giant, flaming ball of gas in the sky.
Fun photography tip: Unless you’re going for something “artistic”, try to avoid taking pictures where the sun is in front of you. This is the same hole (13), but instead of blaring directly into my camera lens, the sun is gently caressing the rolling characteristics of the fairway.
14. How good is this little par 3?

Time: 8:06 pm

I tee off at 15. With some luck, my ball manages to be in the fairway. But my swing is now being held together with some loose threads. I put my approach in the water. After a drop, I finish and move to the 16th tee where I do the same. My drive doesn’t even make it 200 yards, fails to reach the fairway, and ends up alongside some swimming turtles.

But it’s not about the score.

That 2+ miles I had walked up through the middle of my round at Ocean City was now about 6 miles total. The count of 120 swings of a golf club was now pushing 170. My burning quads and calves and my aching back notwithstanding, I keep moving.

Last hole.

I walk onto the tee box at 18 with the sun now completely below the tree line. There is a large section of waste area and bunkers to the right of the fairway that is now directly overlapping the likely landing area for my absolutely bone-weary driver swing. Sure enough, I hit a heel cut that starts on a good line but is moving towards the sand. I put the cover back on my driver for the last time, slide it back into the bag, and start my walk out to the final fairway.

I spend about two minutes looking for my ball in the low-light environment, thinking that for sure it ended up in the sand somewhere. After walking in circles a few times, I realize the ball had stayed in the fairway. Though it’s safe, I hit my drive absolutely nowhere in terms of distance. I’m left with a 5-iron into the green. I address the ball and hit another sapped fade that heads to the greenside bunker.

I walk the 180 or so yards to the bunker, grab my sand wedge and stand over the ball. I successfully scoop it out and onto the green. I tuck the wedge back into the pushcart and grab the putter for the last time. With no interest in stressing about the read on this last hole, I just step up and hit it. It misses on the low side. I clean up for bogey, put my putter away, and grab my camera again.

Time: 9:00 pm

Number 116 is in the books.

What an unforgettable day. What started out as a hope to play three Cape May County courses, turned into the reality of finishing all six that were unchecked when the day began. 74 holes played and roughly 7.5 miles walked. Five rounds solo, and one under-par round with an incredible group of regulars on a short par-3 course. A must-play gem discovered.

Cape May County is complete.

A Trip Back to Cape May County

Number 110 (Running Deer Golf Club)

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Date played: 4/6/2021

I was invited out for a weekday round at Running Deer by Chuck Wanamaker, who also had me out at Scotland Run in 2019. The course is just a 3.5-mile drive from Centerton Golf Club. In fact, if you walked off the 12th green at Running Deer and headed west-northwest through the forest, it’s only about a third of a mile to reach the 11th green at Centerton. As close as they are geographically, these two Salem County courses are worlds apart in terms of quality.

One thing about this journey that I’m not ready to burden myself with is ranking the courses I’ve played. For one thing, there are 169 public courses (as I’ve defined them) in New Jersey. I couldn’t possibly tell you the difference between what might rank a course 38th as opposed to 37th, let alone 138th as opposed to 137th. The gradations over 169 courses would become extremely fine.

Having said that, what I am comfortable doing is maintaining an unranked list of “must plays”. These are courses that immediately come to mind when I think about my journey. Running Deer absolutely makes that list with an indelible first impression. One of a handful of Ron Jaworski golf properties in New Jersey, it is far and away the best of the ones I’ve played to date.

Many public courses suffer from a lack of variety. Whether it’s multiple adjacent holes that just run back and forth like the line for an amusement park ride, or flat, unappealing terrain, you sometimes feel like you’ve seen the hole already. At Running Deer, you may not be able to find two visuals on the course that are similar.

There are short par 4s, forced carries for par 3s, water featuring in a number of places to make you tentative, and par 5s that are reachable in two but require excellent approaches. Whether natural or not, the end result of the terrain gives every hole a unique look. The bunkering alone really allows for even the straightaway holes – like 4, 6, 8, and 10 – to appear incredibly different.

The stretch from 9 to 12 are some of the most memorable in the state. Here’s a look:

10 – a short par 4 – going out on the left, the par-5 9th – with its massive waste area – coming back on the right, and the remote openness of the farmlands of Salem County in the distance.
Looking back at the green at 11, surrounded by hazards.
12 is a beast of a par-4 with a serious risk/reward decision off the tee. You can cut across the corner on the other side of the creek, but your ball must navigate a few pines.

To top it off, the green complexes are incredible. Many of the putting surfaces have significant undulations, some funnel-esque slopes, backstops, and tiers. Surrounding them are excellent bunkers and run-off areas. They’re also likely to be some of the biggest you’ve seen on a public course that isn’t a resort. Even if Running Deer were as flat and open as a parking lot, the greens alone would make it a great course.

If I haven’t made it clear already, let me be explicit: I highly recommend this course.

It’s not often you can see undulations on camera in afternoon sun, but I think it’s pretty clear on this green at 3.
Some video of the wavy character of 3 green.
The par-3 5th, set up with a sucker pin to tempt you into the pond.
The green at 7 is massive, measuring over 50 yards wide.
More waves on the green at 8.

Number 110 (Running Deer Golf Club)

Number 109 (Knob Hill Golf Club)

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A group of trees off to the side of 6 green.

Date played: 3/29/2021

My friend Matt and I wanted to get a round of golf in before an outing on Good Friday. We decided to take the Monday of that week off from work and head to Monmouth County to play Knob Hill.

A semi-private course situated on the westbound side of Route 33 in Manalapan, Knob Hill actually teases travelers with a peek at its 15th hole, which has its green placed just a partial wedge shot from the road. The course is a wonderful option for the golfing public, and I’ll try to cover some of its memorable features in a bit. But the story of my time at Knob Hill is really about its 7th hole.

It is a straightaway par 5 that plays with a good deal of width for about 300 yards. A good drive put me in the fairway and about 175 yards from the green with the wind blowing in and across a bit. I took a 5-iron for some extra club, and though the ball started on a good line left of the flag, it seemed to quickly fail in the wind. I honestly thought it would die short in the water.

Nevertheless, it carried, landed, and stopped safely on the lower tier on the front right side of the green. I was on in two.

The pre-eagle has landed.

Having never made an eagle before, I really wanted this putt to sink. At the same time, it was such a difficult putt that part of me just wanted to park it close for a birdie. I notoriously leave lag putts short, and at just over 30 feet, I was psychologically in lag putt territory. I didn’t want to be struggling for a three-putt par.

I was left with a 33-foot putt that moved right to left, with probably five feet of break. It was also a couple feet uphill. I had a putt on a preceding hole the rolled out almost 40 feet on a much more level green. Given the uphill lie, I decided that same putting stroke should be just about right for 33 feet on this green. With my speed decision made, I took a couple looks at the break again, put my head down over the ball and made as good of a putting stroke as I could to at least ensure that I started it on the line I saw.

The ball made its way onto the upper tier, and started banking left quickly. I started to doubt my line and speed, worried that it would miss on the low side. But about five feet from the hole, it seemed to maintain its pace and definitely had a chance. I shouted “go in!”

It went in! The ball rolled in perfectly! After 20 years of playing golf, I finally had my first eagle!

Elated, we moved on to the 8th hole, where I immediately gave those strokes back. I struggled with the water-surrounded green, and would make double bogey. That’s golf.

From left to right: 10, 1, 9, 8, 7, 6

As its name implies, Knob Hill plays with a good deal of elevation change on a number of holes. The clubhouse is the highest point on the course, and whether you start your round on 1 or 10, your tee shots into either of these par-4 dog-legs will play to a pretty severe drop.

15, under some repair at the time. Route 33 in the distance beyond the green.

Other downhill holes include 15 and 17. The 15th is a downhill par 3 where over-clubbing coupled with a tailwind might put your tee shot into the passenger seat of a passing car. The 17th is a picturesque, drivable par 4, playing with some width, unless you choose to drive the green.

The 17th green is inviting.

The 12th is a very short par 3 – only 125 yards from the back tees – but plays about 20 feet uphill. Also playing uphill is Knob Hill’s closing hole. Though it tees off from elevated boxes, the 18th plays into a valley and back up the hill towards the clubhouse.

I would leave the undulating terrain of Knob Hill with a couple notches in my golf belt – another course played on my journey, and my first eagle.

Looking back from behind 18 green.
The 7th green, perilously surrounded by water. Short, right, and long are all dead.
Bright and bold flags at Knob Hill.
A great closing stretch of holes. Coming in from the top right, the par-5 14th moves left toward the entrance road. On the left side of the frame in the distance is 15, with 16 being the left-most, coming back to the horizontal centerline of the photo. 17 turns back the other way, and then 18 returns to the bottom-right corner.
Number 109 (Knob Hill Golf Club)

Number 108 (Seaview Golf Club – Bay Course)

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Seaview from the far corner over 2 green. You can see the resort and clubhouse in the background in the upper left.

Date played: 1/15/2021

Having carried over vacation days that I didn’t use during the COVID lockdown of 2020, I took the first forecast of warm weather in 2021 as an opportunity to take the day off and knock another course off the list. Heading to Atlantic County for only the second time on my journey, the Bay course at Seaview Golf Club would be my 108th destination.

Built in 1914, the Seaview Bay course is known to LPGA fans as the venue for the Shoprite Classic. In 1942, it also provided half the holes – along with some of the resort’s Pines course – for the tournament setup of the PGA Championship, where Sam Snead won his first major. While Donald Ross receives top billing for designing the Bay course, it more accurately credits its design to Hugh Wilson, with only the bunker work being installed by Ross a few years after the course’s completion.

Quality flags reminding you how old this historic course is.

My first round of the new year was an extraordinary one with quite a few highlight memories. I started the round with a birdie and would go on to card the most I’ve ever made in a single round. One of those was a chip-in from 25 yards on the par-4 14th. On 16, after essentially shanking a low bullet off the tee towards OB on the right, I watched it hit a tree and carom left into the first fairway bunker. I successfully scrambled from there to make par. It was just one of those rounds where it felt like not much can go wrong.

I had a great time being paired up with three members, two of which have either worked at or caddied at the course. It was fun to listen to stories of how the Bay Course has changed over the years, having been a private club until the 1980s. It was described by the members as a course that used to be pristine.

A look across the bay at Atlantic City.

Conditions have changed however, attributed in large part to increased traffic over the years since opening to the public. Among public courses though, it remains a beautiful layout and pretty well conditioned. Interesting views are always a bonus for a golf course, and you’ll get a number of peeks at Atlantic City from the holes just along the marsh area of Reeds Bay.

In trying to find a course to play, I debated whether it would be worth playing Seaview in winter conditions. Greens were recently punched, and – being a links-style course – the native grasses lining the lateral limits of many fairways were cut accommodatingly low. But $39 for a course that costs well north of $100 in prime season was too good to pass up. Overall, it was great value for a winter round and easy to see why this history-laden course should be a “must play” for any public golfer.

Boldly welcoming you to the Bay Course.
This helpful plaque explains everything.
Love everything about the signs here, especially the small plaques indicating whether the hole was a part of the composite layout for the 1942 PGA Championship.
A look back at the first of the par-3s, the 7th. In the background, you can see the teeing grounds tarped off in preparation for the upcoming season.
Staring into the sun, you can see the gentle contouring of the green at 10.
Number 108 (Seaview Golf Club – Bay Course)

Number 107 (Wedgwood Country Club)

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Date played: 12/3/2020

Having wrapped up at 12:25 at Westwood, I raced over to Wedgwood Country Club to make my 1:00 tee time. I rushed to get my clubs and pushcart out of the trunk, ran into the pro shop to pay for the round, and was able to get onto the course right away. The sun was projected to set at roughly 4:30 that afternoon. While no one else was visible from the first tee, I wanted to make sure I kept good pace, not knowing if I would have enough daylight to finish.

Wide open spaces.

The front nine at Wedgwood plays with a great deal of width. Most tee shots have generous landing areas and there are plenty of places where you can miss wildly and still be in play with a shot at the green. The highlight of the front nine to me is the 3rd hole. Unless you’re playing from the back tees, driver is not necessary on this par 4 and could even be a dangerous choice as water lies 50 yards short of the green all the way up to the front edge.

Is this the tunnel to the 7th at Wedgwood, or the entrance to hell?

The graffiti on the arch of the tunnel on the way to the 7th hole says “Abandon all hope”, but this would’ve been a more appropriate warning at the entrance to the back nine. Where the front plays relatively open, the back nine plays far more tightly with a number of tree-lined holes. There is OB left on 10, 11, 17 and 18, and not much room to miss in that direction.

It’s mostly tight from here on in, but you catch a bit of a break in a bit.

The only semblance of reprieve on the back, apart from the par-3s, are 13 and 14 which do have some width. But even 13 is a beast of its own, a long par 4 with a forced long approach. Playing at 435 yards from the back with water in play from the tee, coming up short to avoid the water altogether will leave an approach shot of about 180 yards. If they could stretch the tee boxes back 75-100 yards, it would be a fun par 5. As it stood, it was another deeply black number on the scorecard.

Being a weekday, there were certainly fewer golfers than normal, even for a winter round. Nevertheless, I only caught up to groups ahead of me a few times, and they quickly kept moving. After being battered by the closing half of Wedgwood, I walked up 18 with enough light to finish. Thirty-six holes of golf completed, and two Gloucester County courses checked off the list.

18, into the setting sun.
A look back at 7. Not sure what Dante was worried about. It was pretty tame.
11 green from 13 tee
The 17th. Anyone else feeling claustrophobic?
Legend has it the statue refused to move, so they just built the practice green around him.
Number 107 (Wedgwood Country Club)

Number 101 (Hendricks Field Golf Course)

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Date played: 9/22/2020

Do you remember the scene in Forrest Gump where he was running across the country? Red shorts. Sweaty, yellowed shirt. Scraggly beard hanging below hyper-focused eyes. He said he just felt like running. He didn’t explain his purpose. Viewers simply witnessed his inexplicable need to continue running – compelling him and leading him through his journey.

And in some ways, I understand that unrelenting urge to accomplish something. To triumph.

My golf journey hasn’t been as eventful. Nor has it been Oscar-worthy. And there is no way my wife would let that beard happen. But it’s my journey, nonetheless. Call it a bit of wanderlust – an attainable adventure across the Garden State.

I don’t always have something new to say. The grass is green. The ball is white. And the sky is almost always blue. But it’s the little things that keep me going. I meet fellow golfers, play interesting courses, or just experience New Jersey locales that I likely may have never visited otherwise.

Blue sky over Hendricks Field

Having finished at Darlington early enough in the afternoon, Brian and I decided to see if Hendricks Field still had available tee times. We hopped in our cars, made the 40-minute drive south to Belleville, picked up lunch along the way and got to Hendricks. Thankfully, after a short wait, we were able to walk on.

Brian and I have played a few times together since connecting over Twitter. Over the past couple of years, I’ve gained several new, regular golf partners. I’ve also met interesting characters, like Kermit, who unknowingly started me on this quest after telling me he was already on it. At Hendricks, we were joined by a single, whose name I unfortunately can’t remember. Some new friends stay, while others are fleeting and sometimes fascinating details in my story.

Our unnamed third, teeing off on the 3rd, with a buck just a stone’s throw from the tee box

The courses are all a little different, but it’s nuances of each outing that stick with me the most. Whether it’s the people I play with, the shots I hit (or didn’t), or the intriguing details about the golf in my home state.

For example, did you know Hendricks Field was originally designed by Charles Banks, one of the prominent architects from America’s “Golden Age” of golf course design? Shortly after we played there, Hendricks underwent a renovation which honored Banks’s legacy of thoughtfully crafted holes, while also incorporating new features to support environmental sustainability (i.e. grass that requires less water and pesticides).

At the time of writing, I am about 75% of the way through my journey. As I close it out, I will see more green, white, and blue along the way. I look forward to what I might learn and who I’ll meet on the next course, each detail adding a little more color to my journey. Subtle moments shading and painting a picture of the New Jersey landscape.

Located in Belleville, Hendricks was the last course I needed to play to complete the Essex County publics. As I move on to courses in other counties with my own hyper-focused eyes and Gump-like determination, I am grateful for the opportunity to do something I love and tell the world about it.

He didn’t hate it, but he was not impressed
Number 101 (Hendricks Field Golf Course)

Number 100 (Darlington Golf Course)

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A look at Darlington from above. The center of the frame is the tee box at the 3rd. Bottom of the frame is 17 along the green pond, with 18 up the left.

Date played: 9/22/2020

For the milestone that was the 100th course on my journey, I would meet up with my Twitter golf buddy, Brian, at Darlington Golf Course in Mahwah. Something of some old stomping grounds of mine, I used to work at Stryker just down the road, and had actually been to the driving range at Darlington. It would take another 17 years before I played the course.

The driving range has seen better days. At the time of playing, it was no longer open.

There are a number of memorable holes, starting with the very first. I don’t play par 5s particularly well, but I love the mere mention of them. Playing downhill and under 500 yards from the White tees, the first at Darlington is a great par 5, and a perfect way to ease you into the round as you walk down to the lowest point of the course’s acreage.

I really enjoyed the middle third of the course, as you start to play towards and around the highest elevation on the property. This stretch starts with the 7th, which plays downhill almost the entire way to the green. There is room to send it for most golfers, but longer hitters may not have enough runway and can opt for something less than driver off the tee. The 8th will play back up the same the hill with plenty of room to miss right, though you could be left with a lie in one of several bunkers.

You’ll make the turn with a straightaway but narrow-feeling par 5 on the 9th, and then it’s back up the hill with a wide open tee shot on 10. The 11th is another terrific three-shot hole, and my favorite on the property.

The view from 11 tee, with the Sheraton Hotel and office complex – another place I’ve worked – in the backdrop in the distance.

Set along the crest of the elevation on the course, it may be reachable for the longest hitters, as the approach would play somewhat downhill. If you choose to get there in three shots, a decision will need to be made about where to send your second. The fairway splits before it reaches the green, so there is a bit of room to spray. A route directly towards it will play to a narrow fairway tract, while the path to the right offers plenty of room to land. If you choose to lay up to avoid the forked fairway altogether, you’ll be left with somewhere in the neighborhood of 110 yards to the green.

The middle third finishes with a relatively mid-to-long range par 3, playing at about 175 yards from the White tees. From there, the final stretch of holes continues to form the perimeter of the course, running downhill to the low point again, with 17 winding around a pond, and 18 playing back up the hill to the clubhouse.

18 green, with a look at the clubhouse.

When I think about it now, it’s a crime that I wasn’t playing the course regularly after work in the summer all those years ago. I was living alone, with no real obligations to anyone but myself. At the time though, I was only a few years into playing golf, and the courses I played were limited to pitch-n-putts, par-threes, and executive courses. I was hesitant to branch out any further for fear of embarrassing myself.

While you may not completely embarrass yourself at Darlington, it can certainly be a trying course. The slope from the White tees we played is 130, and from the back tees at just over 6,800 yards, it’s 135. In retrospect, the slopes are an accurate testament to the test the course offers to the average golfer. There is room to land tee shots, but the framing of the tree lines can make them psychologically daunting. The greens roll fairly but need to be respected.

When planning for the round on the night before, I wondered if we’d be able to knock another course off the list. I thought Hendricks Field would be a good option, and when we checked tee times, there was availability that would make an afternoon round possible. We chose not to book anything on the chance that we might not be able to make both rounds happen. As we wrapped up in Bergen County just after 1:00 pm, we decided to make the 35-minute drive south into Essex County with the hope of making the 36-hole day happen.

Will we make it?
Number 100 (Darlington Golf Course)

Number 99 (Shark River)

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Date played: 7/12/2020

A month after playing the South course at Charleston Springs, I met up with Walt again at Shark River. Located out in Neptune, the course is a couple miles from the ocean on the eastern edge of Monmouth County. Walt set us up with an early tee time, so I knew the drive would mean an early alarm, but I didn’t think anything of it.

Some people shy away from early morning tee times, but I have no trouble setting an alarm for 4:00 am and making a 2+ hour drive to make the first tee time of the day (like I did at Cape May National). I’ve played 5:30 am and 6:00 am rounds before a day at work. While it’s gotten difficult as I’ve gotten older, I enjoy being out with the dew-sweepers and still having the day ahead of me after a round of golf. So, when it comes to being on time for a round, I’m pretty reliably at the course before I need to be.

At Shark River, I was anything but on time for our 6:18 am. I would arrive at the course pretty much right at our tee time. I rushed to get the clubs and push cart out of the trunk as fast as I could. I threw on my shoes, and basically ran to the first tee. By the time I got there, everyone else in the group had teed off. I quickly got my driver, ball, and tee out of the bag.

I meant that quite literally.

This was as cold as you could be for the opening tee shot of a round. Nevertheless, not wanting to hold everyone up, I teed the ball up and swung. Somehow, the golf gods spared me embarrassment, and sent a low-flighted ball off the face of my driver and onto the fairway. Most of the round went generally smoothly as well.

Shark River would be my 12th public course played in Monmouth County, which has the most of any county with 19 total. The course is another example of quality golf in the area. I’ve often thought about which county should be deemed to have the best public golf courses, and while I have yet to submit a vote, I can tell you that Monmouth is definitely in the running.

Here are a few shots from our early morning round.

Number 99 (Shark River)

Number 98 (Charleston Springs – South)

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Date played: 6/7/2020

It took almost four years, but after playing the North course at Charleston Springs in November 2016, I finally made it back to play the South course. I was invited back by my Twitter golf buddy Walt Blasich who is quickly becoming my tour guide for the best public courses in Monmouth County!

Conditions were beautiful at the North, and the South is no departure. Both layouts are some of the most finely maintained public courses you’ll find in the state. You immediately get a sense of that as you walk off the back steps from the pro shop and look onto the flawless (and massive) putting green.

The putting green is big enough to accommodate all golfers waiting to tee off on both courses

If you love a good golf bridge, you’ll cross one on the long walk to the first tee, a great way opportunity to get your mind in the right place before the round. A short uphill walk through the woods after the bridge, and golfers are emptied out into the clearing that is the South course. Where the North is laid out in links style, forcing golfers to contend with many fescue-lined holes, the South is a sprawling parkland course. Although there are trees to deal with, the fairways are quite generous and there are a number of very open holes.

A walk across the bridge on the way to the 1st tee on the South course

From a design standpoint, the way the 6,377 yards (from the Gold tees) are spread across the 18 holes is done really well. The par 3s play as long as 195, but also as short as 115 on the 11th, something most courses shy away from. Of the twelve par 4s, there are four that play over 400 yards, but then there are also a couple that are drivable for long hitters, like the 294-yd 10th. You might be able to lodge a complaint about the par 5s as three of them are between 499 and 505 yards. But whether it’s differences in the way elevation or direction changes from tee to green, they are each truly unique.

A front pin location on the 11th, with the drivable, par-4 10th in the background

As I mentioned when writing about my time at the North course, Charleston Springs is definitely held in high regard. I don’t know that the South measures up to public resort-type courses (e.g. Ballyowen and Crystal Springs), but I think it would be unfair to put either of the two layouts in that category. Nonetheless, it certainly ranks highly in the very next tier and should be considered a great option for public golfers.

A look back at 18
Number 98 (Charleston Springs – South)

Number 97 (High Point Golf Club)

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Date played: 5/15/2020

Golf has a way of presenting you with moments which remind you that you never really have it all figured out. My round at High Point Golf Club would be that moment. While there is no way any of us can see such reminders coming, mine would happen at a time when the world was turned upside-down by something it couldn’t see either.

It was May 2020. The invisible terror that was the COVID-19 pandemic had spent the better part of six months tearing through the world. In New Jersey, the spread seemed to have peaked in early April. After the positive case average remained steady for the month, the numbers were finally dropping in May. Restrictions started to ease, and golf courses in the state began to re-open.

High Point Golf Club was a late addition to my list of courses. Though I started compiling the list in late 2015, I didn’t know High Point existed until sometime in 2019. Though it was surely online somewhere, I forget at this point where exactly I heard about it. Nevertheless, after a bit of research, I confirmed that it was in fact public and made sure to keep track of it. As we came out of the lockdown, it was one of the first courses to make tee times available, and I decided to book a round with my good friend Ed.

Protocols had changed. Out of caution, everything a golf course needed to facilitate public rounds of golf was still being managed outdoors. Golfers checked in with the starter to confirm their tee time and then needed to return to their cars until they were called. After a short wait, we got word that we could head to the first tee.

Hole 1 from the tee. Just waiting for the fairway to clear so I can overdraw one into the water.

The course is situated around a grouping of small lakes, and water features immediately on the opening tee shot. It’s a par 5 where you must land in a fairway area that runs out at about 260 yards. The largest of the lakes runs up the left side, and your approach must cross it to reach the second landing area or the green.

The routing continues from there to wind around and cross over the lakes, and water will realistically be a hazard on holes 4 through 8 on the front, and 10, 14, and 16 through 18 on the back.

The 16th is great drivable par 4. The view from the tee is deceptive, making it seem as though you must go for the green or bust. While the landing area looks perpendicular to the route from tee to green, it actually runs diagonally to provide some room, albeit narrow.

Hole 16, where you decide whether to drive the green, or pump one OB at that house on the right. I know what I’m picking.

The course finishes on two unusual notes and has a couple noteworthy distinctions. The 18th is a par 3 and the course plays to a total par of 73. Both are qualities I don’t remember having seen in other NJ publics to this point in my journey. High Point is also the northernmost public golf course in NJ. Tucked away in the northwest corner of the state in Sussex County, it’s just a couple miles east of the Delaware River and about five miles from the northern border to New York. It is also situated at the highest elevation of any golf course in the state.

As mentioned, my round at High Point would remind me that despite what I thought up to that point, I had not figured out golf. I would enter the round as a 10 handicap, and yet I would post a 106. I put five balls out of bounds, three in the water, and five times, I found a way to three-putt. It would be my highest score since 9/14/2014. “Golf is hard” is not just a hashtag. At times on this quest, it is a sobering slap in the mouth.

Number 97 (High Point Golf Club)