Jersey Shore - northern reaches

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

Growing up a Philly boy, the Jersey shore stretched from Cape May to LBI... heck that was even North by some people's estimation.  It was until recently I realized there were even beach towns above that (Matt Ward: I know, I really need to get out more and check out North Jersey). 

Have always heard about Hollywood Golf Club, but how about some of the others in that area?  Reading Brad Klein's "Discovering Donald Ross" course I know he spent some time at Deal G&CC, but how much is left? 

How about Spring Lake GC?  I've seen the layout attributed to two of the Philadelphia School - Geo. Thomas and Tillinghast? 

How about Navesink and Rumson... what's their story?

[David_Tepper]

Wayne -

Monmouth County Parks System operates 6 public golf courses, with Hominy Hill likely the best of the lot.

www.monmouthcountyparks.com

Bamm Hollow is a 27-hole country club in Lincroft built around 1960. Looks like the course is now managed by Troon Golf.

www.bammhollowcountryclub.com

DT

[Mike Sweeney]

Growing up a Philly boy, the Jersey shore stretched from Cape May to LBI... heck that was even North by some people's estimation.  It was until recently I realized there were even beach towns above that (Matt Ward: I know, I really need to get out more and check out North Jersey). 

To be honest, as an Avalon kid, going to the Dead Dog Saloon in Sea Isle was a BIG TRIP.

Hollywood is very good, kind of the old anchor of North Jersey similar to Atlantic City CC. I have been to a couple of weddings at Spring Lake, but never played it. Looks very tight and looks like it has been chopped up over the years. Similar to Shawnee I doubt there is much Tilly left but that is a guess.

[Matt_Ward]

Wayne:

Yes, there is sand and clean ocean water north of LBI !!!

On the golf front -- let's take the public scene first.

Hominy Hill has already been mentioned and it's a fine public alternative. You can also add Sea Oaks in Little Egg Harbor Twsp and the Vineyard at Renault in the same area is also worth a look.

Just up from those locations is Eagle Ridge -- 27 holes in the Lakewood area and if you need to play the best northern shore option -- head to Pine Barrens in Jackson Twsp.

On the private scene -- Hollywood is the cat's meow for me. Spring Lake is a fine member's course but I would not make a special visit just to play there. Navesink and Rumson are for the most part flat courses with a few holes of note -- but not worth making special trip plans (at $4+ per gallon of gas). That may be the way to determine if a course is really special -- is it worth the gas to burn to get and play there.

You also left out Medeteconk National -- also in Jackson. Solid effort via Roger Rulewich hand -- although attributed to RTJ.

[Dan Chapman]

Matt,

Pine Barrens is completely private now, is it not?  Also, have you played the new nine at Eagle Ridge?

[Matt_Ward]

Dan:

Thanks for the news -- I did not know Pine Barrens went completely private this year. I'd still recommend it if Wayne and others play it if possible.

I have walked the property where the new nine at Eagle Ridge is. I like what they've done and hope to play it next weekend when I visit some friends in the Point Pleasant area.

[Dan Chapman]

I agree with you on Pine Barrens, definitely my top choice in the area.  Unfortunately the course has a tendancy to be soggy, though maybe they've improved upon that.  I've enjoyed the original 18 at Eagle Ridge and also hope to play the latest nine soon.  I liked Metedeconk a great deal, but I only played it once and it was a while back.

[Jerry Kluger]

Matt put me on to Sea Oaks and I tried it and I really enjoyed it.  Has anyone else played it and what did they think?  Double green, big par 3s, risk/reward par 5s, really interesting - housing and flies were the only downers but some bug spray and focus on the course took care of them.

[SPDB]

Matt:
You're losing it. You even mentioned Point Pleasant, but somehow you failed to mention Manasquan River, which outside of Hollywood is probably the best in the area.

[Dan Herrmann]

It's not really at the shore (I think it's 15 miles inland), but the private Metedeconk National Golf Club has been quite well reviewed.  It's right off I-195, one exit east of the Six Flags exit. 

[Matt_Ward]

SPDB:

Hold the phone amigo.

On another thread where I posted my top 50 metro courses -- Mansaquan River was among such an elite grouping.

Forgive me for the omission but I have not forgotten the Brielle layout.

Gents:

Sea Oaks is worth a play -- so is Vineyard at Renault as two quality public options.

[Peter Sayegh]

I grew up in Brielle-two doors from Manasquan River. Only "legitimately" played it a dozen times, but hit balls on every hole hundreds of times. Even so, I've always thought it overrated by others. The front nine is very entertaining, particularly because of the elevation changes on every hole. The back, while playing closer to the river, is VERY flat and never really comes close enough to the water to be memorable. I know they reworked the eighteenth years ago, but I haven't heard of any other recent changes.

Bamm Hollow was highly regarded twenty years ago and while I don't remember much of its details, I know I wasn't bowled away by it.

Hominy Hill always was my favorite in the area and, to me, the toughest. Some of the guys on here can tell you that when the rough is grown out there, it's as brutal as any track in the state.

And for those who weren't familiar with the "northern" Jersey Shore, I can report that anyone living south of LBI was considered a redneck and probably beached in Maryland.

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

I grew up in Brielle-two doors from Manasquan River. Only "legitimately" played it a dozen times, but hit balls on every hole hundreds of times. Even so, I've always thought it overrated by others. The front nine is very entertaining, particularly because of the elevation changes on every hole. The back, while playing closer to the river, is VERY flat and never really comes close enough to the water to be memorable. I know they reworked the eighteenth years ago, but I haven't heard of any other recent changes.

Bamm Hollow was highly regarded twenty years ago and while I don't remember much of its details, I know I wasn't bowled away by it.

Hominy Hill always was my favorite in the area and, to me, the toughest. Some of the guys on here can tell you that when the rough is grown out there, it's as brutal as any track in the state.

And for those who weren't familiar with the "northern" Jersey Shore, I can report that anyone living south of LBI was considered a redneck and probably beached in Maryland.

Toushay. 

[Dan Herrmann]

My bride spent the first 25 years of her life sunning herself on the beaches of Long Branch.  Now, she laughs at the time she wasted by not playing golf!

And, in the spiit of "best of..", be sure to get a hot dog at Windmill up at the N Jersey shore.  They're almost as good as Ted's in Buffalo, NY.

[Matt_Ward]

Peter S:

It's important for those who think Manasquan River is overrated to consider the full nature of the topography you experience when playing there. The front side is indeed quite hilly for a course in close proximity to the Shore area and the back -- while I admit is not fronting the Manasquan River -- save for the extreme tee position on the 17th -- is still rather interesting.

Have you been back to the course recently? Like the last 1-2 years. Have you forgotten how demanding the par-3 15th is?

When you say that Hominy Hill can play extremely tough when the rough is grown out -- I concur. However, let's not apply one standard to MR and not to HH. The Colts Neck layout is extremely flat and while done well by RTJ -- since the course originated as an exclusive private club for Henry Mercer and his family and business associates, the overall charm of MR should not be underplayed.

Peter, you emphasized the word FLAT for MR's back nine -- my God man, what did you expect -- rolling links land comparable to the kind found in Ireland and Scotland? For God's sake -- it's Jersey!

Let me ask you this -- if you take the max yards that MR does play -- it's just over 6,700 yards -- let me know other Jersey courses that you see as being beyond it that are of equal or lesser total length. I'd be happy to hear your recommendations and defense of such choices.

 

[Peter Sayegh]

Matt W:

I have not been back to the River in a few years. Your point about expecting more topography along the coast is curious because we both acknowledge just across the street is where the front roils through the hills. I guess if I could have phrased it better, the setting of the back nine seemed bland compared to the variety of shots on the front. I don't believe the views-or the holes-along the back are enhanced enough by the river. Sure, I know it would require some (impossible?) rerouting, but I always felt if the river side was incorporated better with its hilly neighbor, it would be more evenly distributed visually and playing-wise.

I would love to hear more of the recent changes if you have time. I remember 15, but I wouldn't call it a special hole. I wonder if they ever moved the tee box further towards the marshy area to add some length and other angles. Years ago on here I spoke with someone about the course and my overriding feeling was the blandness of the river side and the forgettable bunkering. Again, let me know if things have changed.

As for comparing Manasquan River with similar tracks, I freely admit I have played few private Jersey layouts and that's what I think it should be compared with. How about Seaview's Bay course?

By the way, #2 will always be remembered as "Suicide Hill." You could start your sled by the elevated green and veer left through the woods and slide across Rankin Pond.
Thanks, Peter

[Pat Burke]

Grew up on Deal, and used to make an annual "pilgrimage" to the course I grew up and learned to play on.  Was a great little course to learn the game on, that has been absolutely ruined in a redesign, that was likely (partly) due to the great work done at Hollywood a few years ago.  Literally walked off Deal after 15 holes, I was so sad about what was being done to the course.  (really not good with change  )
Bamm Hollow was originally 18 holes (Red and White), added the Blue that was miserable, but original two nines was pretty good
Metedeconk is a great place to spend the day for a serious golfer.  2 really good nines, 1 pretty good one, and a phenomenal practice area
Manasquan is an amazing place, the property is so varied, from hilly to flat riverside

[Dan Herrmann]

Metedeconk may have the best practice area anywhere from Boston to DC.

[Mike_Cirba]

Pat Burke,

Sorry to hear about Deal.   It's one of those courses that I'd always wanted to play because it looked quite character-filled passing by it on the way to Hollywood about a decade ago.   What was done to it?

I haven't played either, but in my unending search for the truth of golf course architecture, I did have a look-see around Rumson and Navesink just a few weeks back.   

Navesink is on almost hilly land..close to Atlantic Highlands which is amazing topography for NJ, and some of the holes looked indeed quite interesting.   Rumson is very, very flat, and there didn't seem to be much of topographic interest, although there are some older circular horseshoe type bunkers around greens that are sort of cool, and some other reasonably interesting bunker schemes.   

Anyone have a report on Atlantic Highlands?

[Pat Burke]

Pat Burke,

Sorry to hear about Deal.   It's one of those courses that I'd always wanted to play because it looked quite character-filled passing by it on the way to Hollywood about a decade ago.   What was done to it?

I haven't played either, but in my unending search for the truth of golf course architecture, I did have a look-see around Rumson and Navesink just a few weeks back.   

Navesink is on almost hilly land..close to Atlantic Highlands which is amazing topography for NJ, and some of the holes looked indeed quite interesting.   Rumson is very, very flat, and there didn't seem to be much of topographic interest, although there are some older circular horseshoe type bunkers around greens that are sort of cool, and some other reasonably interesting bunker schemes.   

Anyone have a report on Atlantic Highlands?

Deal always had very small greens, and was one of those courses that would occasionally host a State Open qualifier, or US Open qualy, with practice round remarks that usually sounded like "pitch and putt, need to shot zero, etc"  only to have a score around 70 or 71 work well.   Much of the bunkering was changed, and a couple of green redesigns look like they were airlifted in from from a different course  (12, 15 for example)   They just turned a fun, old school course into a hodgepodge of different ideas, that just doesn't seem to work.  Keep in mind, I'm pretty sensitive about it, my dad was the head pro a long time ago, and many of my childhood golf and family memories took place there.

[Mike_Cirba]

Pat,

I completely understand.

More than one course has been pretty well ruined in a misguided attempt to "modernize".

I also understand completely the sentimentality you have attached to the course.   I'm the same way with a couple of places.

Hopefully, Deal will have someone come there in the future who can put things together in a coherent fashion that celebrates its great history.