Shore Gate GC
Ocean View, NJ (just inland from Wildwood and Sea Isle)
2002, Ron Fream & David Dale
Pro 7230, 136, 72
Championship 6835
Men's Long 6300
Directions: From A.C. & Points North:
GSP S to exit 17/Sea Isle City.
L onto Sea Isle City Blvd, heading W toward Ocean View
Go through the light @ Rte 9
Entrance on L
Tee times 14 days in adv
'05 Fees: $99 Wknd Ride High Season (July), $95 Wkdy
$69 Wknd 14:00 Twilight
Golf Magazine 2002 Top 10 New Courses You Can Play
Golf Digest 2004 Top 10 New Upscale Courses
Per my buddy Tom S., this thing is a lunch-eater. More sand than Sand Barrens. He spent 1/2 the day in fairway bunkers (and he's an 11). LONG from the Blues. Bunkers on such severe slopes he's not sure how the sand stays on the sides. You play the 1st and think, "this thing's not too bad," then it spends 17 holes stealing your lunch money.
Per a Washington Golf Monthly article, Shore Gate features dramatic elevations and rolling terrain. Combination of parkland and links holes. Wetlands, and 7 ponds and lakes.
T&L Golf Review: Immediately takes it's place among the best courses in the state. Position counts more than power on this highly strategic and beautiful layout set amidst 245 acres of forest and wetlands that are more naturally undulant than the South Jersey norm. The bunkering is as purposeful as it is artful, especially around the highly intriguing, oft-tiered greens.
Golf Magazine Review: A firebreather gouged from a thickly wooded, sand-blasted site. A visually striking stage best played from a carefully chosen set of tees (there are 5, stretching from 5284 to 7227 yards). Fream's greens, most of them large, wavy, and undercut by swales, are entertaining and unpredictable. To survive, players must avoid numerous ponds, enormous waste bunkers, and vertical sand-flashed mounds alongside the fairways.
Golfcourse.com Review: Links-style track has rolling, tree-lined fairways. Numerous bunkers and moguls located strategically throughout the course, and water comes into play on several holes. Add to this large and well undulated greens, and the result is a challenging round. Architect Ron Fream designed it to play from 5,250 - 7,230 yards, with 5 sets of tees. Twilight and destination packages are available.
Best Bar Nearby: I used to vacation in nearby Sea Isle, where the hotspots for live bands and the college set are La Costa Lounge (JFK Blvd) and the Ocean Drive (Landis Ave). Our vacation haunt was L.G. McNutely'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 serves the biggest lobsters I've ever seen, or order the fried sampler or blackened swordfish. OR Shawn recommends nearby Mike's Raw Bar for great steamers and better fried seafood dishes. OR Busch's, on Landis down around 86th St., where the same family has been serving large portions of great seafood for 120 years.
For more local spots to crash, booze, & grub, see Fat Guy's Wildwood NJ Golf Weekend