Renault Vineyard (Egg Harbor City, NJ; Shearon): a photo tour (all holes up)

[Joe Bausch]

On Saturday I was joined by John Shi$ at the Jersey shore layout associated with the Renault Winery, called Renault Vineyard Golf (opened in fall 2004).  This was my first visit to Renault and I was pleasantly surprised.  I have played a handful of other Shearon designs and this might be my favorite.

Below is the routing at Renault, which even incorporates a couple of holes with the vines nearby (you tee off over them on No 7!):



Even with a few 'walk-backs', the course is easily walkable.  We played on this fairly busy Saturday afternoon in 4h20m total.

#1.  Par 4.  Pretty neat to start off with a cross-bunker on the opening shot!



Tee view:



I'm a big fan of the bunkering at Renault:



Approach shot from the left part of the fw:



Approach from the right  part of the fw:



From right of this green with two distinct levels:



#2.  Par 4.



The yardage book calls this a "punchbowl" green, but not quite a dramatic one.  It has a big thumbprint, however.

Tee view:



Approach shot from the right is an unobstructed view:



From left in the fw the 'eyebrow' bunker obscures the view:



From just short of the green:



From just over the green where the thumbprint is easily seen:



A shaved down area connects the 2nd green to the 3rd tee.

#3.  Par 3



With a decent wind from the right (the prevailing westerly shore breeze, I think), this hole was challenging.

Tee view:



From left of the green:



From right of the green:



Three more holes tomorrow.

[Matthew Petersen]

"An 'Arnold Palmer' beach bunker"? Huh?

[Mark McKeever]

Pretty neat looking start!  Looking forward to more Joe.

Being that its on a vineyard, I assume there may be pump houses in the playing areas.  Shi$ can you comment?

Mark

[Doug Braunsdorf]

Joe, thanks for posting this.  Renault is a very well done.  The property is not flat, but not hilly--somewhere in between.  The area around 18 green is probably about the lowest part of the course, and there is a small ridge that bisects the course roughly on that main y axis in the center of the picture, a little to the left of the tree line.  I think 11 or 14 green may be the highest point on the course.  

I think it was less hot and humid than the previous Sunday at Yardley!!

There are a very good use of strategic options on a lot of these holes-and yet, there is a lot of room to play.  
I think the course is successful in that one can have a good time playing it regardless of the shape of their game--as we'll see in the photos, there is a way around almost all the trouble.

Mark, I feel like I am missing a joke somewhere in there, but if you don't mind me stepping in for John, the vineyards are mostly on the bottom of the picture--surrounding 7 tee, and some behind 9.  It's been about three years since I've been there (was in VT this past weekend in 55 deg and rain!), and most of the vineyards are further out, closer to the main road.  

What is interesting about this place is the golf course is in Galloway Twsp.   If you were to go due west of the cluster of trees behind 10 tee, which IIRC is the clubhouse, and cross Bremen Avenue, it's Egg Harbor City.  

[Carl Nichols]

That's a very solid looking first hole. 

[Tim Martin]

Pretty neat looking start!  Looking forward to more Joe.

Being that its on a vineyard, I assume there may be pump houses in the playing areas.  Shi$ can you comment?

Mark

Professor- What is a pump house?

[Joe Bausch]

Pretty neat looking start!  Looking forward to more Joe.

Being that its on a vineyard, I assume there may be pump houses in the playing areas.  Shi$ can you comment?

Mark

Professor- What is a pump house?

Shi$ hits it thru pump houses these days.  Friggin' youngsters!

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Joe,

Glad to see you finally made it there.

Here's my thread from last year:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,49103

[John Shimony]

Like Joe, I really enjoyed this course.  Centerline hazards, undulating greens, and a couple faiways that crest hills through subtle saddles, very pleasant.  No pump houses were visible that day but all of my misses seem to be to the left, there may be pump houses to the right from which I would not have been granted relief

[mike_malone]

 If Shearon could resist placing greenside bunkers away from the green his courses would rise higher in my estimation.

[Mark McKeever]

Mayday,

Which holes are you referring to on this course in particular?

Mark

[Joe Bausch]

#4.  Par 5



Tee view:



2nd shot view:



Approach shot view:



From just over the green:



#5.  Par 3.



Tee view:



From the mound over the green:



#6.  Par 5.



Tee view:



2nd shot view (your first chance to visit the vineyard right, played as an environmentally sensitive area):



Approach shot view:



From just over the green:



Three more later.

[JeffTodd]

That's a very solid looking first hole. 

I agree. In my opinion it's the best opener in public golf in South Jersey. Wide enough to get everyone safely off the tee (which is nice at a course with no range), yet rewards good positioning with a favorable approach.

Thanks, as always, for the tour, Joe. When I lived in NJ, Vineyard was one of my favorite public options.

[John Foley]

Joe - our group has done 2 trips to AC and in both we enjoyed Renault tremendously - lots of very solid golf holes with not many that we're stinkers. Highly recommend it to any in the area.

[mike_malone]

 Mark,

  I played it once, but from the aerial it looks like 11 and 14 are holes where those green side bunkers are disconnected. In the photo for #5 the left front bunker is floating out there. I like Shearon's efforts at creating fun golf. I have played Riverwinds many times and always look forward to a return. My winter golf buddies love Renault so I expect to see the course more often.

[Joe Bausch]

Now for my favorite three hole stretch at Renault.

#7.  Dogleg left par 4, where you drive over the vineyards (not a very long carry, but unique!).



Tee view:



Some will like this touch, others less so.



A decent drive leaves this view in:



From short of the green:



From just over the green:



#8.  Par 4.  Lots o' options here.



Tee view:



From the left fw:



From over the green:



#9.  Par 4. 



Tee view:



Approach shot view, where I do really like the 'mirage bunker' as the yardage book calls it:



From short of the green:



From just over the green:



Back nine starts tomorrow.

[Jim Johnson]

Joe, thanks for the tour. Great pics. I know how time-consuming these things are, so good on ya.

Question re: hole #8 ... what do you think of that hole? Looking at your aerial view, it doesn't appear that there's much to gain by going down the left (narrower) fairway.

[Mark McKeever]

Did Shi$ drive the green on 8?

redanboy

[Joe Bausch]

Question re: hole #8 ... what do you think of that hole? Looking at your aerial view, it doesn't appear that there's much to gain by going down the left (narrower) fairway.

The green slopes from right to left, so the short shot from the left I think is easier.

My drive was slightly left of the green, maybe 15 yards short.  Shi$ killed a drive, the ball bounced front right on the green and rolled off a few feet.  I think my next shot was easier than his to this middle pin.  I'm sure he'll weigh in.

[Carl Nichols]

Is the vineyard OB? 

[Joe Bausch]

Is the vineyard OB? 

No.  It is played as an environmentally sensitive area, so similar but not exactly like a lateral hazard (you are not permitted to play from the vineyards).

[Rory Connaughton]

Joe

  So far it looks like a fun very playable course with some interest off the tee.  how big a factor is the wind on that site?
Given the width and location I suspect its big?

Mike, not sure what you are referring to with respect to the greenside bunkers or are you referring the Shearon courses generally?
From these photos, looks like little more than a mower's width

[Joe Bausch]

Joe

  So far it looks like a fun very playable course with some interest off the tee.  how big a factor is the wind on that site?
Given the width and location I suspect its big?

We had a nice breeze that day.  Very early on we saw how challenging the par 3 3rd hole was with a right-ish pin location and the (prevailing, I'm assuming) westerly wind requiring starting the shot way over the pond (for a righty that plays a draw). 

That same wind also made the 7th awfully tough, pretty much playing directly into it.

[Joe Bausch]

#10.  Par 4.



Tee view:



Approach shot view to a very fun pin this day:



From the mound over the green:



#11.  Par 4.



Tee view:



Approach shot view to another tough pin, all the way back on a small tier:



From short and left of the green:



From over the green:



#12.  Par 4.



Tee view:



Approach view:



From left of the green:



Three more tomorrow.

[Doug Braunsdorf]

I like this twelfth hole a lot.  Unlike the 4th hole at a nearby club that is oft-discussed, this hole provides strategic options to the player and a clear reward for the player willing to take the risk. 

Challenge the several bunkers right successfully, and be rewarded with a clean look up the long axis of the green. 

Bail left, and have a slightly longer approach, a slightly odd angle, plus water to contend with right, if [you] were to push the approach too much. 

I don't mind the strip bunker right of the green, I think it's more there for weaker players, to keep them out of the water and keep them moving along.  I am not certain how pace is here. 

This hole also plays basically from East to West, into the prevailing wind.