Union League National Update Jersey Shore

[archie_struthers]

 


Eye popping yes but the Fry-Straka team continues to build some exceptional holes  with their redo of the old Sand Barrens. Took a ride down the Parkway the other day with one of their esteemed loopers and we played a few holes and walked them all. Lost a couple bucks so had to use the excuse that I was concentrating on the architecture. Many here tend to eschew the moving of dirt but despite the huge "big fill" they are doing the tie ins appear exceptional. Not quite a finished product but it's big , it's fun and I think they are succeeding in making it playable for a lot of skill levels. Exciting stuff for Cape May County!

[Ian Mackenzie]

I think this is the course where Scott Bordner, former super at Chicago Golf Club, went to work.
That dude knows how to grow grass and push turf.


He referred one of his assts to our club (as our super) a few years ago and we have benefitted enormously.

[archie_struthers]

 


Ian you are right Scott is there. Shows they have no limits to getting the right people in place. Met him very nice but my contacts say he is as you elucidated... exceptional!

[Matt_Cohn]

I've been curious about this place after following them on Instagram for a while. The holes look pretty cool, but some of them look particularly manufactured from the surrounding landscape—I'm just saying that from seeing some photos, though, and I really can't tell, so I'm asking. Or maybe the surroundings just need to grow in a little. Thoughts?

[mike_malone]

Matt,


 I played some of the changed holes last year. There is one elevated area that has been added which is certainly manufactured.

[archie_struthers]

 


Manufactured is such an ugly word to a GCA. If you look at most golf courses the grasses and bunkers are foreign to the rest of the landscape in the surrounding area. Not much bent grass growing at ridiculously low heights anywhere in nature around here, or for that matter in any of the states where I have lived.

[mike_malone]

Manufactured is such an ugly word to a GCA. If you look at most golf courses the grasses and bunkers are foreign to the rest of the landscape in the surrounding area. Not much bent grass growing at ridiculously low heights anywhere in nature around here, or for that matter in any of the states where I have lived.

Archie,
  I love stirring things up. I await the completion of the whole project to assess the course but that one feature ain’t South Jersey.

[archie_struthers]

 


There are stirrers and shakers Mayday, don't sell yourself short  

[Paul Rudovsky]

In October 2018 I played 20 of the 27 holes that existed before they started redoing the place and said to myself it had great bones and they looked to be doing interesting stuff at that point but it was way too early form an amateur like moi to figure out.  Would not be at all surprised if it comes out being spectacular

[Joe Bausch]

I played there in August of last year.  It is quite the project!  Photos for your dining and dancing pleasure:


http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/ULNGC/index.html


And for comparison, here are pictures of when it was known as Sand Barrens:


http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/SandBarrens/index.html

[archie_struthers]

 


I think it's much more difficult to build up and make it look natural than what we did at Twisted Dune where we dug out the dirt and removed it from the site. That's why it's both intriguing and impressive seeing the progress at Union League. The big fill they are doing is loaded with some beautiful sandy loam, made me jealous just looking at it coming out of the ground. The holes themselves are fun to play and lots of good stuff going on tee to green.  Isn't that what you are looking for when you golf?


So for me this is looking good and as the grasses fill in it will surely look even better.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Some more pics:

[Steve_ Shaffer]

One more:

[Mike Sweeney]

I am in a less is more phase of golf. It just seems like they are trying to do a "Modern Pine Valley'". Obviously that is based on some random pictures, but that is all we have right now.


I just played Seaview Bay a few weeks ago, and that is a very fun golf course.

[mike_malone]

I am in a less is more phase of golf. It just seems like they are trying to do a "Modern Pine Valley'". Obviously that is based on some random pictures, but that is all we have right now.


I just played Seaview Bay a few weeks ago, and that is a very fun golf course.

As the Quakers say  “ the Friend speaks my mind”. 

[Luke Sutton]

I am in a less is more phase of golf. It just seems like they are trying to do a "Modern Pine Valley'". Obviously that is based on some random pictures, but that is all we have right now.


I just played Seaview Bay a few weeks ago, and that is a very fun golf course.

It’s much much easier golf course than Pine Valley. Ive heard it called an “easier version of Calusa” which is a decent comparison. It’s quite obvious Dana did both.