Shadow Isle - New Jersey

[Mike_Cirba]

I'm intrigued hearing of a new club in Colts Neck NJ by Jerry Pate called Shadow Isle (awful name, though...unless it's actually an island in the middle of the state?  ).

Pate's work has received good reviews elsewhere, and this is his first foray into the northeast.  From the look of the website, www.shadowisle.com the holes look to be interesting for a development course, except for a preponderance of water holes.

Has anyone played there yet?  Impressions?

[Mark Brown]

Mike,
 
Fortunately for the developer, and unfortunately for most of us, over water to golf views add the most value to the premiums on homesites -- probably about a 30% increase from just a golf view. And since RTJ many golfers get charged up by the challenge of water and many don't think a "championship" course is possible without 7 or 8 holes with water -- once again the back 9 at Augusta influence -- 5 out of 9 holes and Amen Corner. These people have plenty of money for balls and it inflates their handicap for member-guest tournaments. Oh well...

Since his shoulder problems about 20 years ago and the downfall of his playing career, Pate has become a good architect and a much more humble person. I did a LINKS interview with him over dinner and really enjoyed talking with him. He also knows the construction end.

[JSlonis]

Mike,

Thanks for the link.  This is the first I had heard about this course.  I agree with you on the name thing...I was totally unaware that the rolling farm land of Colt's Neck does indeed include an "ISLE"  Go figure...

[Matt_Ward]

Mike:

What's amazing is how many courses are in Colts Neck ...

Hominy Hill
Pebble Creek
Colts Neck GC
Due Process Stables
Shadow Isle

And more importantly -- how a number of them are highly rated ... especially Hominy Hill and Due Process Stables.

[TEPaul]

That 10th hole looks to be very interesting in concept--matter of fact, quite a bit like the "Lion's Mouth" concept on the 9th at Fox Chapel that hopefully will be restored. The green swale and contour on the green would seen to make the options of playing off that fronting center bunker interesting!

[Tom Ferrell]

Jerry lists Seth Raynor as his primary architectural influence, so the "Lion's Mouth" similarity is likely more than coincidence.  I've had the chance to play a couple of rounds with Jerry and also to play on a few of his courses.  Kiva Dunes is an excellent track, IMO, with good, strategic holes and a creative routing over a small piece of land.  I also like Ol' Colony in Tuscaloosa and Limestone Springs outside of Birmingham.  One could easily do a "Jerry Pate Trail" trip to Alabama, with Kiva, Steelwood, Ol' Colony, Timberline and Limestone.  Great stuff.

Keep an eye out for Flagstaff Ranch, coming this spring as well.

TOM

[Andy Hughes]

And more importantly -- how a number of them are highly rated ... especially Hominy Hill and Due Process Stables.

Matt, how is Hominy Hills? I seem to recall people raving about it years ago--of course, these were Poconos people...

[Matt_Ward]

Andy:

Hominy Hill is the best taxpayer-owned layout IMHO in New Jersey. Now, if the situation should change at The Knoll / West then that might affect how I see things.

The Colts Neck layout is always in top condition and I salute the Monmouth County Park Commission and the folks at Hominy Hill in maintaining the qualities that Trent Jones provided for Henry Mercer many years ago when the club started as a very exclusive private layout.

Hominy is in flat land but the qualities of the holes are well done. The starting sequence is simply Ok but once you get to the par-5 4th the elevation of the golf is there to see.

I am a big fan of the par-4 8th and I think the meat of the layout is the stretch in the heart of the course. The weak link? The closing hole -- could have been a tad better.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Mike Cirba,

I believe Jerry Kluger, a regular contributor on GCA.com, played and rated the golf course last year.  I was going to join him but was preoccupied with other distractions.  Perhaps he'll post his assessment.