Bold, Beautiful, Bayonne - Bayonne Golf Club - A Photo Tour (NEW)

[Jon Cavalier]

Bayonne Golf Club
Bayonne, NJ
Eric Bergstol - 2006


Bayonne Golf Club is, to put it mildly, one of the more unique golf clubs in the United States.  Built entirely from scratch by Eric Bergstol, the course represents the antithesis of the "minimalist" trend in golf course architecture, and yet, somehow, appears more "natural" than many other courses built in the last 20 years.  The result is, in a word, spectacular.



The course winds its way through man-made dunes, some nearly 100 feet high, constructed from muck and filler dredged from New York Harbor.  Look to the north from the course's high points and you'll know you're within the shadow of one of the world's largest metropolises.  But down in the dunes, you'd be forgiven for losing yourself for a moment and imagining you're walking the fairways at Pacific Dunes or Ballybunion.



Meanwhile, above this dreamscape, looms a gorgeous clubhouse reminiscent of a New England lighthouse and one of the largest American flags you'll ever see.  A person would be forgiven for assuming that the melding of these three elements -- the distant cityscape, the rolling dunes, the majestic clubhouse and flag -- would be as best disjointed and at worst a disaster.  But that person, in the case of Bayonne, would be wrong. 



Despite this, Bayonne is a club that, perhaps due to its youth or the fact that it has yet to host a significant event, flies under the radar of many people outside its immediate geographic area.  In fact, when brought up as one of my favorite New York-area courses, no course generates more quizzical looks than Bayonne.  One purpose of this tour is to shine a little much-deserved light on this modern architectural gem.



With the possible exception of Shadow Creek, no course more clearly illustrates what a golf course can be with a blank canvas, ample funds, and a dedicated and motivated developer.  From this standpoint, Bayonne warrants our study.  Another purpose of this tour is to provide a forum for that discussion.  I hope you enjoy the tour.




The Clubhouse and Flag
Together, Bayonne's clubhouse and accompanying flag play a larger role in the club's identity and have a greater impact on the feel of the golf course than at perhaps any other modern club.  Situated on the highest point of the property, the flag and the clubhouse are the first things the player sees when approaching Bayonne by car, and they are the most identifiable aspects of the property when approaching by air or sea. 


The clubhouse itself is spectacular.  Built to suit the club's location on the water, the lighthouse-inspired building manages to impress without seeming ostentatious and feels welcoming rather than forbidding (no small feat with a building such as this). 


The lighthouse contains an incredible bar and grill room with spectacular 360 degree views.  A terrace provides a wonderful place for a post-round lunch. The interior of the building is entirely hardwood and gives the appearance of a rustic retreat.


The top of the lighthouse affords the club's members and guest some of the best views in New Jersey.


Bayonne's flag is as impressive, if not moreso, than its clubhouse.  Flying at the top of a 150 foot pole, the 40x70 foot flag is the second largest American flag flying on the East Coast. 


The flag is so large that the flagpole is 22 inches thick at its base and is set 15-feet into a concrete block to anchor it against the tremendous forces on the pole that are generated by the wind catching the flag.  In a nod to tradition, the flagpole is topped with a 24-inch, 70 pound gold plated copper ball.


The massive flag is easily visible from tall buildings in Manhattan, including the new World Trade Center, and is a memorable and distinguishing element of the club's presence.


Getting There
The drive into Bayonne is ... interesting.  To say that the club's immediate surroundings are give no clue as to the beauty of the club itself is an understatement.  From the south, the club is minutes off the Bayonne Bridge from Staten Island.  From the north, the club is accessed via the Newark Bay Bridge or the Manhattan tunnels.  Regardless of the direction of travel, the golfer passes industrial sites, harbor terminals and empty lots before hitting the entrance to the club.


Though an overused description, entering the gates at Bayonne is quite literally like entering a different part of the planet.  Industry gives way to a driveway bordered by tall dunes, with Bayonne's massive flag and clubhouse emerging from within.  The experience is truly one of crossing a threshold.


For those who prefer a different method of travel, Bayonne has its own ferry to shuttle members and their guests to and from Manhattan, as well as a helicopter landing pad.  These fine amenities are located at the far end of the property, adjacent to the 16th green and 17th tee.



Practice Facilities and Driving Range
Bayonne provides players with a typical practice green, set mere paces from the clubhouse and the first tee.  The practice green affords the player a view over much of the golf course and city skyline, heightening the pre-round sense of anticipation.


The range at Bayonne is yet another unique aspect of the club.  Pressed for space, the club's range is the harbor itself.  Golfers tee off from a narrow strip of manmade land out into a section of water roped off with floating line.


The range balls used at Bayonne perform like regular golf balls, but they float.  The prevailing currents and tides typically push the balls into a corner of the range, where they are scooped up with a net by a club staffer in a small boat.  The views from this range are impressive, as the Verrazano Narrows Bridge looms large to the south.



The Golf Course
As noted above, the course at Bayonne sits on an entirely man-made dunes, some of which near 100 feet high.  The result is a winding, thrilling ride up, down and across some of the largest dunes in the East.  The course is maintained in impeccable condition and provides its members with true links style golf - firm fairways, fast greens, and ever-present wind - and despite the size of the dunes, the course remains quite an enjoyable walk.


The course stretches to a Championship yardage of 7,120.  Typically, members play from a respectable 6,712 yards (the yardage used for this tour) or 6,303 yards.  Each of the holes at Bayonne is named -- a practice with which I wholeheartedly agree -- and can, on several occasions, give the golfer an idea of how a hole is meant to be played. 


The routing at Bayonne is superb, beginning in a northwesterly direction and meandering out to a corner of the property, turning back and forth on itself before returning to the clubhouse at the turn.  The back nine begins by playing to the southern edge of the property before returning to the clubhouse after the 13th, 15th and 18th holes.  No two consecutive holes play in the same direction.



Hole 1 - "Dell" - 343 yards - Par 4
The first tee at Bayonne is so close to the pro shop, the player almost feels as if he is teeing off from inside the building.  And a gorgeous tee shot it is.


From the elevated tee, the first plays down through a canyon of dunes to a generous fairway.  The Bayonne Bridge is visible in the background.


This undulating fairway, standard at Bayonne, is sure to provide an array of interesting and challenging lies to the golfer.  Notably, the green (which sits to the left of this fairway) is hidden from view from all locations save for the far end of this fairway . . .


. . . and only then is the magnificent punchbowl green revealed.


The greens at Bayonne are quick, firm, undulating and extremely challenging.  Their brilliant design allows for numerous interesting hole locations on each green.


From the green, only the dunes, the clubhouse and the flag are visible.  The first at Bayonne would be a signature hole on most golf courses . . . here, it's merely an appetizer. 



Hole 2 - "Wee Burn" - 386 yards - Par 4
Like its namesake in Connecticut, Bayonne's "Wee Burn" does indeed have a wee burn running through it.  But first, golfers must find this rolling and partially hidden fairway with their tee shot, which given the stunning background, is easier said than done.


From the fairway, the approach to the second green is a short iron or wedge over the burn, here a wide tidal depression from which there is no recovery.


The green itself is small, and there is little room for error -- there is simply no good miss on this tough but fair two-shotter.



Hole 3 - "Redan" - 170 yards - Par 3
An exceptional rendition of this classic template, the third at Bayonne plays like a traditional redan and has all the traditional elements, save for the dropoff and bunkering behind the green (though missing long here might be more of a penalty).


The beautifully sculpted green will direct balls to the left-hand pin locations, though here, care must be taken to ensure a kick to the proper tier of green.  Today's pin position on the high back shelf is the most difficult to access on this green.


The back half of the redan green, as seen from the walk to the fourth tee.  Gorgeous.



Hole 4 - "Church Spire" - 534 yards - Par 5
The first three-shot hole at Bayonne is named for the spire of the church visible from the tee (left side of this photo).  The hole demands a tee shot to a generous fairway that runs out into a large bunker.


The bunker, reminiscent of Hell's Half Acre, will catch overly-aggressive drives and/or meek second shots, depending on the day's wind.


The fourth green,like the second at Myopia Hunt Club, sits below fairway height and is thus invisible for all but the final few yards of the hole.


The green can be reached in two by longer hitters electing to use the right side of the fairway, which leads down into the green, but the hazard fronting the green makes for a difficult recovery.


The fourth green is one of your author's favorites at Bayonne.



Hole 5 - "Butterfly's Feet" - 140 yards - Par 4

Playing back in the direction of the clubhouse, the one-shot fifth is slightly uphill to a blind green fronted by a large, deep pot bunker.


As the name of the hole implies, a high, soft iron is the preferred shot to this well-protected green.


The green itself, while not small, is divided by a ridge crossing from 3 to 6, while another ridge protruded into the green from the 12 o'clock position.  Precision is a must on this hole.



Hole 6 - Bay's End - 331 yards - Par 4
An exceptional short par 4, the fourth runs out to the far northwestern end of the property.  As all great short two shot holes do, the fourth at Bayonne offers a choice: lay up to a preferred distance and approach the green over the waste area on the right . . .


. . . or go for the green via the fairway to the left, using the terrain to circumvent the hazard.


A brilliantly designed hole that one would never tire of playing.



Hole 7 -"Beach Rose" - 415 yards - Par 4
Changing directions once more, the seventh transports the golfer back to the higher ground amongst the dunes.  Playing to an angled, rising fairway, the seventh demands a long, straight tee shot if the green is to be reached in two, especially when playing into the wind.


Once again, a rumpled, canted fairway provides an added degree of challenge and interest on this long two shot hole.


Entirely open in the front, this green is built to encourage and accept running shots which, due to the length of the hole and the wind, will be the preferred choice for many players.  However . . .


. . . accuracy is still in high demand, as the encroaching finger of rough must be carried or avoided.  A challenging hole.



Hole 8 - "Salt Marsh" - 565 yards - Par 5
The longest hole at Bayonne, and the most difficult of the three par 5s, the eighth hole begins on an elevated tee and plays back toward Manhattan.  Most of the hole, including the green, is not visible from this tee.


The eighth offers the brave player an opportunity to attack the green in two, but such a shot requires negotiation of a salt marsh and is all carry.  The typical player will lay up down the right side of the marsh.


Even from the safer right side, the approach is no bargain -- the marsh must still be carried from this angle, and the green is well protected on all sides.


The green is heavily contoured and, once past the halfway point, slopes substantially from front right to back left.


The slope of the green makes front right pin placements very challenging . . .


. . . and putting to a back left pin position can easily result in a chip for one's next shot.  This is an exceptional green.



Hole 9 - "Plateau" - 390 yards - Par 4
Bayonne's ninth asks for a tee shot to an angled fairway and allows the golfer to pick his line.  Generally, the preferred line is just left of the bunker shown below.  Any ball left short will end up in deep grass on the side hill, making for a nearly impossible recovery.  Bayonne's clubhouse and flag loom large above this hole.


The approach to the ninth hole must carry a break in the fairway and negotiate a false front before reaching a green set in a bowl.  The contours on the ninth green are some of the wildest on the property.  Putting from back right to a front left pin on this green is an adventure, and then some.

[Jon Cavalier]

Hole 10 - "Highlands" - 440 yards - Par 4
The back nine begins with a tough par four.  The length of this difficult two-shot hole is mitigated by the fact that it plays substantially downhill, but the hard dogleg right nonetheless requires accurate placement of the tee shot.


The tenth fairway can assist shorter players who are able to use its contours to negotiate the dogleg.


Once again, the green is entirely open in front to encourage a ground attack, and the undulating green provides one final challenge on perhaps the most difficult hole on the course.



Hole 11 - "The Nook" - 210 yards - Par 3
An outstanding one-shot hole, the eleventh requires a wood or a long iron to a green surrounded by large dunes.  In the background, only the very top of One World Trade Center pokes into view.


Partially obscured from view by dunes, the eleventh green is roomier than it appears from the tee and provides an apron to allow balls to be run or bounced onto the green. 



Hole 12 - "7 Sisters, 6 Brothers" - 417 yards - Par 4
This stunning par 4 runs downhill away from the clubhouse directly toward New York harbor.  The tee shot must carry scrub and waste area before finding the wide fairway below.  The Verrazano Narrows bridge is visible behind.


Once in the fairway, the approach must carry the ridge of a crossing dune pocked with the bunkers that give this hole its name.


The horizon green makes judging distance difficult, and the surroundings make focusing on the task at hand a challenge.


A beautiful spot for golf.



Hole 13 - "Old Glory" - 544 yards - Par 5
Your author's favorite three shot hole at Bayonne, the thirteenth, playing back up through the dunes toward the clubhouse, appears ripped from Turnberry or Lahinch. 


The movement in this wide fairway and the bordering dunes make attacking this beautiful hole in two an enticing proposition, but it plays longer than it appears.


As is the case with nearly every long hole at Bayonne, the green is open across the front.  But this double-plateau green is no pushover -- being on the wrong tier of the putting surface can easily lead to a three putt ... or worse.


This view from behind the green illustrates the severity of the slope in the green and the fairway, and gives a sense of the elevation change in this excellent par 5.



Hole 14 - "High Tide" - 202 yards - Par 3
This long downhill par 3 backdropped by the harbor and the New York skyline plays to an elevated green that falls substantially on all sides.


Once again, simply hitting the green does not guarantee a par, as the many ripples and hollows of this green can frustrate even the best lag putter.



Hole 15 - "Sheep's Bed" - 293 yards - Par 4
The fifteenth begins the exceptional closing stretch at Bayonne.  A wonderful short, uphill par 4, the fifteenth plays over a large ridge in the fairway which hides most of the landing area from view, adding tension to this otherwise straightforward tee shot.


The fairway narrows considerably the more aggressive the tee shot, and a large waste area right of the fairway provides a formidable hazard for wayward drives.


The putting surface is protected by a massive false front that will repel tee shots up to 50 yards back down the fairway.


The elevated green and the false front make judging even a wedge shot into this hole a challenge.


The fourteenth green, though relatively tame by Bayonne standards, can nevertheless create challenges -- any putts from above the hole on this green are terrifying.


A flat out gorgeous hole, and a superb short par 4.



Hole 16 - Heaven's Gate - 453 yards - Par 4
The back to back 15th and 16th holes are equally spectacular but diametrically opposite.  The sixteenth plays downhill toward the harbor to a wide fairway.  The view from the sixteenth tee is one of the best on the course.


A dogleg left, the sixteenth plays to a green tucked into a far corner of the property and bordered on all sides by dunes and bunkers.


Like the 17th at National Golf Links, tee shots out to the right play shorter into this hole but are left blind by the dunes . . .


. . . while the farther left one plays, the better the view of the green.


Open in front to receive shots on the ground, the sixteenth green is slightly elevated and substantially contoured.


The view from the sixteenth green is almost as good as the view from the tee.  A stunning hole.



Hole 17 - "Water's Edge" - 450 yards - Par 4
The aptly named seventeeth is a long, cape-style par 4 that hugs the shoreline of the harbor.  The player has the option to play farther to the left to shorten the hole . . .


. . .  but the penalty for misjudging one's ability is high.


Playing safely out to the right side of the fairway allows for a full view of the open green.


Once again, the green abuts the water so tightly as to make judging distance difficult and to inject an element of perceived difficulty into even the most standard approaches.


Use of the ground to approach the green is again an option.


Water's Edge indeed.  Beautiful.



Hole 18 - "Lighthouse" - 429 yards - Par 4

Perhaps the prettiest tee shot on the course, the final hole of the day requires a drive over a large dune obscuring the left half of the fairway.  Befitting the name of this hole, the ideal line is directly at the lighthouse.  Standing on this tee, it is hard to believe Manhattan is over your right shoulder.


The approach to the final green at Bayonne is to a green ringed by a stone wall and set at the base of the gorgeous clubhouse.


From this fairway, nothing is visible in front of the golfer beyond the green besides the clubhouse and the flag.


As nothing else would suffice, the eighteenth green confronts the golfer with one last putting challenge.  Walking off the green, the view back down the final fairway instills the golfer with a deep sense of accomplishment.



To be frank, I was quite surprised with the impact that Bayonne had on me.  Like most on this site, I tend to prefer my golf courses old and traditional.  But I found myself continually flashing back on my round at Bayonne.  The course is truly unique in modern golf, and certainly on the East Coast, and is unquestionably an achievement in engineering and design for which Eric Bergstol is to be commended.  But more than that, and unlike some of its neighbors, Bayonne is a course that focuses on providing its members with enjoyable golf.  In that regard, Mr. Bergstol truly does deserve our acclaim, and our thanks.  After all, isn't that what golf is all about?




Past Photo Tours:
National Golf Links of America
Fishers Island Club
Sleepy Hollow CC
Somerset Hills CC
Eastward Ho
Myopia Hunt Club
Old Town Club
Whippoorwill Club
Ballyhack
Bandon Dunes Resort
Garden City Golf Club
Longue Vue Club

[Jeff Bergeron]

Fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

[JJShanley]

Thank you!  I'm struggling to imagine the scale of the flag, mast, and copper ball.  I remember lying on my back underneath the Jefferson Arch and feeling ill because of the dimensions.  It must be like that with that flag.  It looks magnificent.


EDIT: on Google maps I see an area to the south of the property with three targets greens and bays.  Do they use that as a short game facility?

[Jon Cavalier]

JJ - yes, they do. I neglected to mention that aspect of the facilities.

[Ronald Montesano]

It is interesting to me how your two recent threads differ in tone. The language of the Longue Vue photo thread mimics the understated, near-mideast timbre of the Pittsburgh area, while the linguistic crescendo of this thread ascends parallel to the land and nearby New York. Longue Vue is respectful while this one is breathless.


Which course offered more photos, if you can recall? I know that when I shoot, I'm astounded by the high number of raw shots on certain courses, and the lack of angles and perspectives on others.


How did you play at Bayonne, relative to your usual scores at your home club? Did the overwhelming aesthetics of the course distract you from the business at hand?

[Ben Kodadek]

Jon,


Yet again, another gorgeous photo tour.  Thanks for all of the work you put into these. 

[Jon Cavalier]

Ron:


Thanks -- thoughtful question, as always.  I'll try my best to answer it.


Having gone back and looked at the Longue Vue post, I think your observation of the difference in tone between the posts is dead-on. And I think the reason for that is, as you pointed out, primarily due to the difference in the experience of the two golf courses.  Longue Vue is an under-the-radar, traditional, old-world, understated club and while the course is, at times, spectacular, the feeling there is one of charm.


Bayonne, on the other hand, smacks you in the face from the moment you enter the property.  There is a sense of grandeur about the place that overwhelms. 


With regard to the number of photos, I think I took more at Bayonne.  It seems that I tend to shoot more on courses with (pardon the pun) long views.  Places like Bayonne, Bandon, National, Somerset Hills, Eastward Ho, Myopia and others allow cross-property views and shots of holes from the perspective of other spots on the course.  And these shots tend to be some of my favorite looks at a course.  On tree lined courses, the shots are largely limited to tee shot, approach shot, green shot, reverse view shot. 


To your last question -- I played to my index at Bayonne. I'm largely a low ball hitter, so I appreciated the fact that Bayonne lets you use the ground and the slopes to steer the ball around.  I do not think the course is overly difficult (although it may be a completely different story from 7100 yards).  Rather, its just a lot of fun.  The terrain, the wind, and the options available require most every shot to be thought out.  It's a very strategically demanding course, and I tend to like those a great deal.

[JJShanley]

Perfect sunshine and a blue sky helps, but I think the course fits in well with the industrial scene across the water.

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

Jon,

Do Bayonne and Liberty National compete for the same members? Obviously Bayonne is more highly regarded as a course, but was wondering how Wall Streeters decide which one to join.

As much as Liberty National gets panned it would seem to struggle for members, but I have heard that's not the case. I've never played in New York so I'm ignorant to the geography of the courses.

[Terry Lavin]

I'd rename it Great Gatsby National.

[Jon Cavalier]

Ryan:


I am not local to that area, but I'd think they compete for the same members.  They're about two miles apart as the crow flies.  Both have super-high level amenities that prospective members of those clubs seem to like (helicopter access, for instance).  And they both have initiation fees that run well into the mid-six figures. But I'm not familiar with the membership of either club or with the process one would undertake to decide which to join.

Jon


 

[Carl Nichols]

Jon:
Terrific tour--both the pictures and the write-up.  Thanks for taking the time to do it. 

[Jon Cavalier]

Jeff, Carl, JJ and Ben: thanks for your comments. They're much appreciated.

Jon

[Daniel Jones]

Outstanding, Jon. I read this in about 3 stages today out of fear that I'd miss something if I rushed through. I'm glad I did...

[JBovay]

Jon, thanks as always for sharing your outstanding photos and thoughtful writing.


From the aerials, it seems like there is a considerable amount of awkwardness in the routing, at places cramped or forced. I'm looking in particular at 2/3, 5, 7-to-8, 9-across-1-to-10, the 17th tee... other places too.


Did you ever have to wait for golfers on adjoining holes to get out of the way? Did you feel like the walks between holes were unreasonable, for a walking-only course? In short, did the routing feel problematic, or is the aerial just misleading? Less important, but, how hard is it to get to the driving range?


I recognize that they were dealing with a lot of constraints here and evidently not too much acreage.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jon,
 
Great photo tour and write-up.
 
Bayonne is one of the wonders of the golfing world.
 
Everything that appears in your photos was imported...... everything.
 
Bayonne was a flat dump, 10 feet above sea level and Eric Bergstol created a three dimensional masterpiece.
 
The contours in the putting surfaces are marvelous.
 
That majestic flag is larger than a tennis court and required the flag pole to be counter sunk 75 feet below the surface to offset the stress forces.
 
One of the great things about playing Bayonne is looking up, from just about anywhere on the golf course, and seeing that majestic flag flying so proudly.
 
If you placed a golfer on the 16th green, and a number of other location on the course and asked him to look at the clubhouse and tell you where he was, a port city in NJ would be one of his last of his thousand guesses
 
Eric's vision is solely repsonsible for everything about Bayonne, from the golf course to the club house.
 
And, he appreciates your write-up.
 
Bayonne is quite unique and it benefits from that great element in golf......... WIND.
It gets plenty of wind, which fits in perfectly with the look and design.
 
It's a visually intimidating golf course with DZ's/LZ's that are larger than they appear.
 
While Bayonne is totally manufactured, you'd never know it once inside the confines of the course.
 
Thanks for posting.

[Jeff Taylor]

Chambers Bay east.
A lovely photo tour. You always stand in the right place.
Having processed thousands of raw files, I keep coming back to contrast and saturation settings on the camera. Shadow length suggests close to mid-day playing time.
Do you use a ploarizer?
Respectfully,
JT

[Mark Woodger]

Great photos! and a great write up. thank you.
I had the pleasure of playing Bayonne once. it was a wonderful place and as may others have said you don't feel you are next to NYC or a busy harbour but when you do the views are amazing. I don't recall the course too well but i remember thinking was not a place you could get board of playing and for me that us the true test of a golf course and its quality. It felt a little cramp in a couple of places but maybe if i hit the ball straighter i wouldnt have felt that way. so we can call that a user error!
An amazing feat of engineering and the developer should be comended for his vision and determination to get it done.
 
 

[Michael Graham]

Jon,


You mention some of the dunes having similarities to Turnberry and Ballybunion. Does the turf allow you to play balls along the ground or is it still predominantly a course played through the air?


Thanks again for another lovely tour.


Michael

[Ed Brzezowski]

Thank you Jon for a great tour. I played the course in April on a bright sunny day and thought it was fantastic. Your pics bring back good memories of a very nice day.
 
I asked about the clubhouse and found out the interior was built from reclaimed wood from some " little county in Pa." Fopr you Philly guys they used barn boards from Chester County. Now i know where those barns went down the road from me.

[Steve Lapper]

Jon,


You mention some of the dunes having similarities to Turnberry and Ballybunion. Does the turf allow you to play balls along the ground or is it still predominantly a course played through the air?


Thanks again for another lovely tour.


Michael

Absent prolific rains, the ground game at Bayonne is very playable. The small problem is that a good number of holes (especially on the front 9) have pocketed greens and hazards between the fairways and greens, necessitating some aerial component. The turf plays very links like 98% of the time!

[Jon Cavalier]

Jon,
 
Great photo tour and write-up.
 
Bayonne is one of the wonders of the golfing world.
 
Everything that appears in your photos was imported...... everything.
 
Bayonne was a flat dump, 10 feet above sea level and Eric Bergstol created a three dimensional masterpiece.
 
The contours in the putting surfaces are marvelous.
 
That majestic flag is larger than a tennis court and required the flag pole to be counter sunk 75 feet below the surface to offset the stress forces.
 
One of the great things about playing Bayonne is looking up, from just about anywhere on the golf course, and seeing that majestic flag flying so proudly.
 
If you placed a golfer on the 16th green, and a number of other location on the course and asked him to look at the clubhouse and tell you where he was, a port city in NJ would be one of his last of his thousand guesses
 
Eric's vision is solely repsonsible for everything about Bayonne, from the golf course to the club house.
 
And, he appreciates your write-up.
 
Bayonne is quite unique and it benefits from that great element in golf......... WIND.
It gets plenty of wind, which fits in perfectly with the look and design.
 
It's a visually intimidating golf course with DZ's/LZ's that are larger than they appear.
 
While Bayonne is totally manufactured, you'd never know it once inside the confines of the course.
 
Thanks for posting.

Pat:

Thanks for the comments and the added info. I agree wholeheartedly.

And for me, that's one of the things that elevates it above a place like Shadow Creek. At SC, you never really forget its wholly manmade. At Bayonne, if you didn't know the background, you'd never know.

Jon

[Jon Cavalier]

Chambers Bay east.
A lovely photo tour. You always stand in the right place.
Having processed thousands of raw files, I keep coming back to contrast and saturation settings on the camera. Shadow length suggests close to mid-day playing time.
Do you use a ploarizer?
Respectfully,
JT

Jeff:

Thanks for the comments. No polarizer or filter. I shoot JPEG on a compact mirrorless (I shoot shoot I play so I need the small camera) and do minor edits on an iPad. Good eye - playing time, I believe, was late morning through early afternoon.

Jon

[Jon Cavalier]

Jon, thanks as always for sharing your outstanding photos and thoughtful writing.


From the aerials, it seems like there is a considerable amount of awkwardness in the routing, at places cramped or forced. I'm looking in particular at 2/3, 5, 7-to-8, 9-across-1-to-10, the 17th tee... other places too.


Did you ever have to wait for golfers on adjoining holes to get out of the way? Did you feel like the walks between holes were unreasonable, for a walking-only course? In short, did the routing feel problematic, or is the aerial just misleading? Less important, but, how hard is it to get to the driving range?


I recognize that they were dealing with a lot of constraints here and evidently not too much acreage.

J:

Thanks. Actually, given the space constraints, I found the routing at Bayonne to be quite brilliant. I enjoyed how the course looped over and back on itself and never played for a long stretch in one direction.

The only longish walk is from the 7th green to the 8th tee (maybe 100 yards or so), and it's offset by the fact that it's along a ridge with some of the best views on the course.

Thanks;
Jon