Avalon CC

Avalon, NJ

'03 Fees: $79 wkdy high season, $87 wknd high season
Tee times 14 days in advance
White Tees: 5896, 68.4, 117
Blue Tees: 6325, 70.3, 122

Directions from Sea Isle: Take main road over bridge out of town to Route 9. LEFT onto Rt. 9 SOUTH. Course is several miles down on LEFT.

Fat Guy Notes:  This is the closest full length layout to Sea Isle and Avalon.  I haven't played it, but friends say it's really not worth what they charge you.   I guess you're paying a location premium since it's not too far inland from te beach.  My buddy Sullivan said it's been in better shape in the past couple years due to all the competition from the newer courses in the area, but the greens were pretty slow last he played it in July.  For the money, play Shoregate, Cape May National, or Sand Barrens instead?

Best Bar Nearby: In Avalon, the college crowd and divorcee's alike head for landmark hotel and lounge The Windrift (80th & the beach, 800-45-DRIFT). OR, Philadelphia Magazine recommends Rock'n Chair Restaurant & Bar (2409 Dune Dr). Season with Jazz, sprinkle with swing, spice with Raggae, and serve with gourmet burgers. Live entertainment nightly at this American bistro. Favorites include meatloaf with garlic mashed potatoes, crispy Long Island duckling, and a nice list of seafood.

I used to vacation in nearby Sea Isle City, where the hotspots for live bands and the college set are La Costa Lounge (JFK Blvd) and the Ocean Drive (Landis Ave). My haunt has been L.G. McNutley's aka Kix (63rd St) for cheap beer, live bands, a big dance floor, and a rowdy but older crowd.

Where To Grub: For dinner in nearby Sea Isle City, try Carmen's @ 43rd & Bayside. Carmen's has the biggest lobsters I've ever laid eyes on, or order the fried sampler or blackened swordfish. Mike's Seafood (also @ 43rd) has good steamers and better fried dishes. OR, Busch's, on Landis down around 86th St., where the same family has been serving large portions and great seafood for 120 years.

Also, in nearby Cape May, Philadelphia Magazine recommends The Blue Pig Tavern, at Cape May landmark and recently refurbished Congress Hall (251 Beach Dr @ Perry St, www.congresshall.com), featuring a raw bar and specialties like the Surf & Turf burger and Cape May Fish & Chips. There's also a zebra-print lounge, and a steamy basement nightclub called The Boiler Room. OR, Lobster House (906 Schellengers Landing Rd on Fisherman's Wharf, Cape May, www.lobsterhouse.com) is everything you'd need in a Hollywood seafood restaurant movie set. Nautical and romantic, from the low, beamed ceiling to the glass-encased ship models. Start with Old-Bay spiced Bloody Mary's, clams casino and oysters Rockefellar. For the entree', stuffed lobster and baked potato. OR, Crabby's (1413 Rt 50, Belcoville, near Cape May) got '02's Best Of Philly for hard shell crabs. The quintessential roadside crab shack-- indoor picnic tables, beer, and fries.

Alternative Weekend Trip: Wanna take a walk back in time to the '50's glory days of the Jersey Shore? Stay at recently remodeled Starlux Motel in Wildwood (www.thestarlux.com,  609-522-7412). Modern architecture, boutique Mid-Century furnishings, kitschy plastic palm trees, and affordable off season rates @ $69-$149/night. Take in the sights and smells of Wildwood's 30 block boardwalk. Grub & booze at modernist Blue Olive Restaurant & Martini Bar (3601 Atlantic Ave). The eclectic menu will delight many international tastes including Italian, Pan Asian, French plus Contemporary American seafood that's out of this world! Check out the old school burlesque feel of Gentlemen's Club Hurricane East. Hit party dive bar #1 Tavern (1st & Atlantic, N. Wildwood, www.supertullynut.com), and order the house drink, the Tully Nut. '50's Doo Wop style meets fine dining at Royal Grille Cafe (@ Port Royal Hotel, Palm Rd & the beach). OR, Oceans Restaurant at Pan American Hotel (5901 Ocean Ave) where lite fare meets Rat Pack cool. Play a 2nd round at nearby Shoregate GC. Hangover grub at Big Ernie's Diner (Garfield & Atlantic) or Wildwood Diner, or pizza at boardwalk institutions Mack's AND Sam's. For further diversions, do a "Doo Wop" architecture trolley tour sponsored by the "Doo Wop Preservation Society" (www.doowopusa.org), dedicated to preserving Wildwood's '50's architecture.