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Harbor Pines Golf Club
Played On 05/10/2018Great layout and conditions
The greens are fast and true. The fairways are somewhat wide and forgiving on longer holes, and tight and demanding on shorter holes. Conditions are some of the best in the AC area right now.
Ocean County Golf Course at Atlantis
Played On 10/14/2017One of NJ's toughest - a shame they won't invest in it
With a little hope for a pleasant surprise, I decided to do my annual recon mission at Atlantis.
Atlantis is a tough, demanding 7000+ yard track (from the tips) that will challenge the best of golfers. A truly great layout with 15-18 being a great stretch to finish a tight match.
Most greens are elevated, undulating and well-bunkered. There are several strategically placed fairway bunkers and a few holes that play over water. The fairways are somewhat tight and some require leaving the driver in the bag off the tee to put the ball in Position A. Like I said, a great layout.
That's the good news!
The bad news is the course is run by the county and not maintained properly.
The greens are never true! Often soft and spongy, making the par saving putts you will likely need to make several times throughout your round is more challenging (usually requiring more luck than skill) due to the condition of the greens. They are often hairy and slow too.
Many of the greens are next to cart paths and a shot that "just misses" will find hardpan and roll until it hits a tree, the woods or worse. If they would just put grass around the greens, the problem would be solved.
I know I'm beating a dead horse here because the course has been in the same shape for nearly 20 years. My guess is, sadly, it will remain this way for the next 20.
Be careful when reading reviews. If the greens aren't "hairy and bumpy", the locals call them "fast and true". FAST is relative and likely means the ball MIGHT make it to the bottom of a slope that it would usually stop on.
Unfortunately, better golfers seeking good, fair challenges should continue to look elsewhere and hope that this course is turned over to a golf management company that would put it into the condition that would let it be enjoyed the way the architect intended.
Cream Ridge Golf Club
Played On 10/06/2017A very boring round of golf
First, the layout is about as boring as you can get. Many holes are dead straight with tree lined fairways. Pretty much grip and rip. Don't miss the fairway, because there is hard pan that will let your ball run under the trees every time.
I don't remember a single hole, because none stood out.
The pace of play was horrible. They jam the course with twosomes and threesomes instead of creating foursomes. The course was filled with senior citizens playing very slowly. We placed a call to the pro-shop asking for a ranger to help. Not sure if one was sent out, but the pace did not improve. 9 holes took 3 hours. We walked off after four hours (12 holes). AWFUL!
The driving range is a field with 3 flags with no indication of distance.
The best thing I can say about the course is that the greens were in pretty good shape.
We won't be returning.
Scotland Run Golf Club
Played On 10/04/2017A nice track - worth playing! Challenging!
A great layout. There are bunkers throughout the course. Some sand, some waste - all well placed. The course is designed to force the player to think about the best place to play to. The SMART longer hitters will not always choose driver from the tee.
The greens were in pretty good shape. It was somewhat obvious that they were recently aerated, but they were almost back to perfect. Maybe if they had rolled them they would have been perfect.
The course had large putting green and short-game practice green. The range did not have tees, which indicated to us that they did not want you hitting driver. A bit shocking for a course of this quality. The range itself was a waste area with a few "green areas" as targets.
Vineyard National Golf Course
Played On 10/03/2017Always best public greens in AC area!
If you want good greens, this place never disappoints! They are often very firm and somewhat fast. The firmness helps prevent ballmarks and makes for a great day of true rolls with the short stick.
The bunkers need to be redone - avoid them at all costs!
Several interesting holes. Some reachable par 5s and challenging par 3s.
Pace of play can get a bit slow in late afternoon.
There is no driving range. I usually swing by Blue Heron to hit my bucket first.
The putting green is very big and usually in the same shape as the greens on the course. They permit chipping on the putting green.
Cranbury Golf Club
Played On 10/02/2017Toughest 6100 yards around! Unfortunately, plays slow!
The length of the course is only 6,100 yards (par 71), but it is a very wisely used 6,100 yards.
The architect uses doglegs to prevent bombers from overpowering the course. There is a 290 yard par-4 risk/reward hole and at least 2 par 3s over 200 yards.
Except for one, the par 5s are not very long, but without an absolutely perfect drive over the corner of a dogleg, most are not reachable. Kudos to the architect here!
The greens are always in great shape and roll true. Usually fast and firm, but sometimes a bit soft the day after rain.They are well bunkered and surrounded by thick rough. You rarely find a pin in a flat spot, so getting up and down is easy.
Unfortunately, the pace of play here is horrible. They let singles, doubles, threesomes and foursomes out. Many seniors on the course. The issue is likely be the difficulty of the course itself, but it isn't helped by jamming the course with small groups.
The driving range is irons only and the putting green is usually much slower and bumpier than the greens on the course.
Suneagles Golf Club
Played On 09/25/2017Nothing special, but worth a visiting occasionally
The greens were aerated and top-dressed. I'd expect them to be ready in about two weeks.
The rough was deep and penalizing, but the fairways are wide enough to warrant penalizing rough. Most bunkers have decent sand.
There are a few challenging holes mixed in with several easy holes. The par fives are reachable for longer players (even from the tips).
The fairways were a little shaggy.
The tee boxes need work and leveling. There are several bare spots, the grass is too long and it is often difficult to find a flat spot.
The greens did not have any obvious issues and I would expect them to be in good shape after healing from aeration (assuming they roll and cut them low).
Twisted Dune Golf Club
Played On 08/23/2017PLAY ELSEWHERE! Not kidding!
SOFT, BUMPY and SPONGY! The greens are simply AWFUL!
You can feel them give way to your weight as you walk. You can look at the footprints created by your last step.
A ball will "wiggle" or "snake" it's way down a hill - they do not roll true and you are at the mercy of whatever hole it hits on the way to your target.
As everyone knows, the bunkers are still filled with construction-grade sand (including pebbles). I have never seen them look as though they raked them - so, more often than not, you are playing off of a hard-pan comprised of sand and pebbles!
The rest of the course was in fair condition. The tee boxes are a bit beat up - probably getting a lot of play due to summer.
Unless there is wind, the course is not very difficult at all. Wide fairways and big greens.
Way too many choices in the same area, for the same price or less...
Ballamor, Harbor Pines, Blue Heron, Vineyards, Seaview... the list goes on an on.
If you wanna play a FAIR round of golf - go somewhere else until these greens are ready for prime time again.
Hanover Country Club
Played On 07/17/2017Beware of the early morning round!
We had the first tee time and the guys were already out mowing fairways and tee boxes.
Unfortunately, nothing was done to the greens. They were covered in dew. LOTS OF IT! When I asked if they were gonna be whipping the greens the ranger said "We don't do that here. Never had. Would be nice, but we don't". The greens were slow and wet for about 2 1/2 hours (15 holes for us).
The fairways and tee boxes were in good shape. The rough was challenging - deep and thick. There were some bare spots around a few greens. Bunkers are decent and playable.
Hitting and STAYING IN the fairway is key!!! Unpaved cart paths and hard pan come into play if you miss some fairways by LITERALLY a few feet (grossly unfair - you must know to avoid these bare spots as if they are hazards).
At the end of the day, I feel the MOST IMPORTANT parts of a golf course are the greens. No matter how good you are, you can't score if you can't putt - and putting on a wet greens that leaves a roster tail means - YOU CAN'T PUTT! The course has challenging greens which are usually fast and true - one of the reasons we play the course. Getting above the hole is usually a mistake here - as it should be! Today, even from above the hole, you had to hammer putts to get there! BAD!!!!"
We will be playing our morning rounds elsewhere if there's even a chance that there was a morning dew.
Ballamor Golf Club
Played On 06/30/2017Never disappoints!
If you wonder what it's like to play on courses in "tour condition", Ballamor is one of the few public courses in NJ that can give you an idea.
Always in great shape, the greens are fast and true. The bunkers have perfect sand! The fairways and fringe are cut tight and the rough is plentiful and tough.
Hands down, one of the top 5 public in NJ!
Brigantine Golf Links
Played On 04/03/2017Great greens - but, that's all
The greens are shockingly good when compared to the rest of the course. The bunkers were also in good shape - filled with plenty of real sand.
The tee boxes are patchy and not level. However, they are working on a couple of them (leveling and re-sodding). The fairways also need work. The rough is non-existent. Lots of of hard pan.
The layout is not bad, but nothing special.
A decent course for working on your wind game, but not in same league as several other courses in the area.
Seaview - The Bay Course
Played On 02/11/2017Greens are STILL AERATED!!! Awful!
It's February - I get it. Courses aren't in perfect shape... but, their greens ARE STILL AERATED!!!
You wanna roll the ball in the hole from six feet? Good luck! They are literally like a Chinese Checker board.
It was so frustrating, we gave up on them after the front and began chipping/putting with 7-irons on the greens.
The cart guy said, "Yeah - this is how they are in the winter". Well, that's all I have to hear to avoid this place "in the winter".
A waste of a perfect February golf day!!!
McCullough's Emerald Golf Links
Played On 09/22/2016A decent links course
The course was in pretty good shape. A couple of greens had some dead spots (down to the dirt) that forced specific pin locations - the rest were in great condition.
Missing the fairway can be costly. The fescue is high in some places.
There are 4 or 5 blind shots. There are poles and signs to guide you. If you are a long hitter, sometimes these guides aren't the best line to take.
The windier it is, the harder the course will play!
LBI National Golf & Resort
Played On 10/19/2015One of the few good ones in Ocean County
The greens roll true and quick.
The fairways were in great shape. The tee boxes had been recently aerated, but were decent.
Smart placement of tee shots will help scoring. Shoot for the flat landing areas and avoid the awkward lies in the rolling fairways.
Blue Heron Pines Golf Club
Played On 10/15/2015Great condition, full golf facility
Complete with a range, putting green, practice bunker/green and chipping/pitching green this facility is definitely somewhere a serious golfer should check out.
The greens are perfect and run pretty quick. Some of the hole locations were very tough if you got on the wrong side of the pin.
The fairways and bunkers were perfect. Tee boxes had been aerated, but were level.
Lakewood Country Club
Played On 10/13/2015Decent public course for the price
The course layout is not bad. It is fair for the most part.
Two exceptions:
1 - A giant tree in the center of a tight fairway).
2 - Hard pan areas with no grass around some greens (miss the green by a few feet and run 30 yards into punishing trouble).
The small undulating greens can be tough.
A few fairways are a little short on grass right now.
The greens have been running a little slow lately - they had them better in the summer.
Not a bad place to play if you just wanna kick it around with some buddies.
Pace of play can get slow if you go in the morning. Fewer players in the afternoon makes for a faster round (4 hours or so).
Hi Ted,
Thank you for playing at Lakewood Country Club. We appreciate your feedback and if you'd like to further discuss, please email us at Lakewoodccnj@gmail.com. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you!