2022 Golfing Magazine New Jersey / Pennsylvania Fall Issue

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The

New Jersey and Pennsylvania’s#1 Golf Magazine www.GolfingMagazine.net New Jersey / Pennsylvania Edition Fall 2022 New Jersey / Pennsylvania Ocean city Golf LookINSIDEForNatioNaltravel magazine
Travel ISSUe
“Great Golf is Just the Beginning” Ocean City, Maryland www.OceanCityGolf.com 17 Championship Courses 10 Miles of Beach 3 Mile Boardwalk First Class Accommodations Excellent Dining Exciting Nightlife 2 Nights, 3 Rounds Starting: Spring / Fall Weekdays - $170 Weekends - $191 Great Golf Ocean City, Maryland
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your permanent golf vacation begins now.

You’ll feel it the moment you enter the community. The tree lined streets, lush landscaping and brick walkways. With its magnificent Clubhouse as it’s centerpiece, the feeling is traditional and memorable. Then there’s the worldclass Baywood Greens golf course that winds it way through the community, creating backyard vistas like nothing else around. And if that weren’t enough, there are marinas with boat slips with access to Rehoboth Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, beaches, restaurants and shopping all just minutes away.

Known as the “Augusta of the North,” Baywood Greens is by far the most visually spectacular golf course in Delaware and is consistently ranked #1 by Golf Digest’s Best in State.

Golfing Magazine • New Jersey/Pennsylvania Section4 A COASTAL GOLF COMMUNITY NEW HOMES FROM THE MID $200 S | BAYWOODGREENS.COM DIRECTIONS: From Route 1 in Lewes or Rehoboth Beach take Route 24 West for approximately 8 miles. The entrance to Baywood Greens will be on your left. Home Sales | 32851 Greens Way, Long Neck, DE 19966 DEVELOPED BY TUNNELL COMPANIES, L.P.
H OM E S , L L C

Keep Golfing Even When Winter Arrives

enjoyed an ideal summer for golf. I’m betting that autumn is going to be just as nice and perfect for our favorite game. While the leaves have begun to turn color and the days are shorter, don’t put those sticks away just yet. Continue to enjoy being outside and with your buddies on a golf course.

This time of the year can offer up some of the best weather to play golf in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. Here’s what we have lined up for you in our Autumn Issue to get you excited to keep playing.

A popular beach resort is now the hottest golf destination on the East Coast! Ocean City, Maryland offers activities for everyone to enjoy, and is “Close To Home and Close To Perfect”. Ocean City Golf Getaway brings one stop hassle free shopping for your golfing vacation.

OC Golf Getaway has made choices simple. Included are varieties of all inclusive service-oriented packages with championship golf, hotels, condominiums, golf course townhomes, restaurants, golf schools, and entertainment.

The Links at Union Vale is a unique links-style golf course that is challenging yet fun for players of all skill levels. In addition, the course is recognized by those in the golf world for its exceptional condition, design, and amenities.

Being named “Best New Public Course of the Year” by Suburban Golf Magazine in 2000 to being named to Golfweek.com’s list of “Top 15 courses in New York State” for the past three years is a real honor.

The USGA, the Metropolitan Golf Association, and the Dutchess County Amateur Golf Association regularly select The Links at Union Vale to host their amateur tournaments.

From its inception, Moselem Springs Golf Club’s course in Fleetwood, Pa. has been considered one of the finest championships layouts in the region, and country for that matter.

This George Fazio design is a stunningly scenic test of skill and has hosted a U.S. Women’s Open, as well as state and regional tournaments. And it continues to dazzle those playing the scenic and challenging routing. A lot of clubs bill themselves as a country club for a day, but Moselem Springs is just that for those who play the almost 7,000-yard course (from the tips), which plays to a par of 70.

The course at The Club at Twin Lakes in Allentown is one of the more interesting layouts in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. It’s a challenging track that features elevated tees, sloping fairways and water hazards.

Enjoy our issue and keep playing golf.

Cheers,

Publisher

New Jersey Pennsylvania

Links

Union Vale

Carolina’s Brunswick Islands

Resort, Flordia Hilton Head Island,

Sports Coast & Saddlebrook Resort

in Thailand Pinehurst North Carolina

Dunes

golfing

35,

Township,

Jersey / Eastern Pennsylvania

Golfing Magazine • New Jersey/Pennsylvania Section6 Volume 55 Issue 4 Fall 2022 Publisher Sean Fitzsimmons ph: 732-449-0515 fax: (860) 307-7469 golfingmag@verizon.net Senior Writer John Torsiello ph: (860) 482-9101 jtorsiello@sbcglobal.net Contributing Photographer Mark William Paul Kerry Weigner graphic Designer Heidi Dyer
Feature ……………………………………………………… 10 Ocean City Golf Getaway Feature ……………………………………………………… 16 These Clubs that stay open all year must Plays……………………………………………………… 22 These courses are a “Must” this season: The
at
Moselem Springs The Club at Twin Lakes Travel Features……………………………………..………… 34 BOYNE Golf North
Reunion
SC Florida’s
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American
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NJ 07719 732-449-0515 Editorial Contributions should be mailed to above address or emailed to the publisher. Material accepted is subject to revisions necessary to meet requirements of the publication. The act of delivering material shall express a warranty by contributor that material is original and does not in fringe on the rights of others. Reproduction of the contents of this publication is prohibited without written permission of the publisher. Publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions. Golfing Magazine New
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Golfing Magazine • New Jersey/Pennsylvania Section Shore Gate Golf Club 35 School House Lane Ocean View, New Jersey 08230 beach, Shore Gate is the perfect place to relax. About us... Shore Gate Golf Club has been perpetually ranked as one of the top public golf courses in New Jersey. Carved out of the trees, Shore Gate allows each group to feel unbothered as they navigate the course from start to finish. Whether you are looking for a round of golf, a membership to a premier golf course, lessons, or just a driving range, we have it all. Located just two miles from the Lessons for all skill levels 7 days a week Golf on 45 acres of pristine forest Practice on driving range, putting greens, and bunkers course located adjacent to OVR Memberships to a premier Elevated above the rest...naturally Shop at the stocked Pro Shop www.shoregategolf.com (609) 624 TEES (8337) Book your tee time online or call!

Great Trips to Ocean City Golf

Arranged by OC Golf Getaway

beach resort is now the hottest golf destination on the East Coast! Ocean City, Maryland offers activities for everyone to enjoy, and is “Close To Home and Close To Perfect”. Ocean City Golf Getaway brings one stop hassle free shopping for your golfing vaca tion.

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OC Golf Getaway has made choices simple. Included are varieties of all inclusive service-oriented packages with champion ship golf, hotels, condominiums, golf course townhomes, restaurants, golf schools, and entertainment.

“Ocean City Golf Getaway has been catering to golf enthusiasts and booking their Buddy’s Golf Trip since the early 1980’s, said Walter M. Brooks, Chief Operating Officer of OC Golf Getaways. “We have 17 championship courses, which rank nationally in Golf Digest and Golf Magazine’s ‘Top 100’. It’s challenging

coastal golf, designed by legendary players and world renowned golf architects.”

For after golf, said Brooks, there is 10 miles of white sandy beaches with a world famous-three-mile boardwalk to enjoy and there are luxury accommodations from oceanfront to bayfront hotels and condos. The area also boasts excellent dining venues

and an exciting nightlife to keep you going all day and night. There are activities and year-round events, such as concerts, golf tournaments, wine tasting, fishing tourna ments and more.”

Ocean City features as perfect climate for playing the game with the warm waters of the Atlantic keeping the temperatures mild well into fall, with courses staying open year-round.

“We are less than a half-day’s drive from the Northeast,” said Brooks. “We have great stay and play packages with more added value, group leader incentives, and packages for all golfers’ needs and budget.

Ocean City is serviced by American Airlines into the Salisbury/Ocean City Regional Airport via Charlotte, North Carolina and Philadelphia. For informa tion and reservations, contact American Airlines at 800-433-7600. Flights fly direct ly into Salisbury, Maryland. Salisbury is

Feature
Golfing Magazine • new Jersey/e. Pennsylvania Section10 - Rum Pointe (Hole # 17)

a 20-minute drive to Ocean City. Ocean City Municipal Airport can be contacted for direct charter service by calling 410213-2471, or contact your local airport for further information.

When planning next year’s summer fam ily vacation, don’t forget about champi onship golf at great value. You can take advantage of discounted prices that range from $40 to $65 for 18 holes with cart included. If you are coming to Ocean City and have a place to stay, you can book your tee times on OC Golf Getaway’s Website or can always call us direct. There are attractive golf specials all summer long.

Said Brooks, “Plan, book and custom ize your next Buddy’s Golf Trip with us.” For information on the Ocean City area, visit www.OceanCityGolf.com or call 800-4-OC-Golf.

Here is a brief look at the courses you can play when you hook up with OC Golf Getaway:

Bayside Resort Golf Club

Bayside Resort Golf Club is Delaware’s

first Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, conveniently located just west of Fenwick Island, Delaware, off Rt. 54 and just 5 miles from Ocean City, Maryland. It fea tures a state of the art clubhouse and prac tice facility with gorgeous views along the Assawoman Bay coastline and magnificent pine forests.

Baywood Greens

An “Exclusively Public” 18-Hole cham pionship course, Baywood Greens offers golfers the most scenic and spectacular golf on the Delmarva Peninsula. Described as the “Augusta of the North”, at Baywood Greens you will experience meticulously, manicured woodland and waterside holes.

Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club

Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club offers one of the area’s most unique and memorable golf experiences on the Eastern Shore and is located in Ocean View, Delaware, just 3 miles west of Bethany Beach. Winding bent grass fairways are lined with native wetland grasses that drift into stunning sand dunes.

Eagle’s Landing

Eagle’s Landing boasts the most scenic and challenging golf course on the Eastern Shore. Eagle’s Landing has been rated “Best in State” in Maryland by Golf Digest and is the first certified Audubon Sanctuary in Maryland. A variety of links style holes with carries over marsh and wetlands.

Glen Riddle--Man O’ War

GlenRiddle Golf Club (a 36 hole cham pionship golf facility) is the centerpiece of the GlenRiddle residential development located just minutes from Ocean City, Maryland. The Man O’ War course features pure, windswept links golf. The golfer faces challenges often found in the British Isles.

Glen Riddle--War Admiral

GlenRiddle Golf Club (a 36 hole cham pionship golf facility) is the centerpiece of the GlenRiddle residential develop ment located just minutes from Ocean City, Maryland. The War Admiral course is routed through mature forest and offers a completely different golf experience.

Heritage Shore Club

Heritage Shores Club offers an excit

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- Bayside Resort (Hole # 13)

ing Arthur Hills designed championship golf course, featuring a signature design with water flanking a majority of the holes and an elegant Nantucket inspired club house providing a comfortable and inviting retreat with every visit.

Links at Lighthouse Sound Golf Club

This 4 1/2 Star Championship Golf Overlooking the Bay and the Ocean City Skyline was designed by premier golf archi tect Arthur Hills, Lighthouse Sound and offers a great variety in terms of visual excitement and strategy. The championship course features marsh, river and bay on 15 of the 18 holes.

Nutters Crossing Golf Club

“Southern Hospitality at Its Best”, Nutters Crossing Golf Club is strategically located off Rt. 50, just 25 miles west of Ocean City, Maryland. You will be wel comed with southern hospitality when you arrive at their classic colonial clubhouse.

Ocean City Golf Club--Newport Bay Newport Bay Course has all 18 holes alongside marsh and bay vistas and recog nized as one of the premier routing in the area. The course has great conditions.

Ocean City Golf Club--Seaside

The Seaside Course at Ocean City Golf Club offers players at every level of experi ence, age, and ability a round of golf with

solitude and beauty that will inspire you to challenge the course and evaluate both your play and enjoyment of the game.

Ocean Pines Golf Club

Discover golf at the only Robert Trent Jones, Sr. designed golf course on the Eastern Shore. With a new clubhouse and 18 newly restored greens, this timeless clas sic is sure to win you over as you make your way through tree lined fairways.

Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links

“A true seaside golf course,” says designer Pete and P.B. Dye. Rum Pointe overlooks Assateague Island National Seashore and the Sinepuxent Bay with no less than seventeen of the eighteen holes having a bay view and several holes having direct bay frontage.

See why “Great Golf Is Just The Beginning” in Ocean City, Maryland. Visit www.OceanCityGolf.com or Call (800) 4-OC-Golf

Golfing Magazine • New Jersey/Pennsylvania Section12
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Links at Lighthouse Sound (Hole # 5)
- Baywood Greens (Hole
# 18)
www.GolfingMagazine.net 13 M O S E L E M S P R I N G S I S A J A I N D L L A N D D E V E L O P M E N T C O M P A N Y 6 8 4 E A G L E R O A D , F L E E T W O O D , P A 1 9 5 2 2 9 2 7 9 M S G C @ M O S E L E M G O L F C O M | 6 1 0 9 4 4 7 6 1 6 M O S E L E M G O L F . C O M E x p e r i e n c e n a t u r a l b e a u t y a t M o s e l e m S p r i n g s G o l f C l u b L o c a t e d i n F l e e t w o o d , P A , M o s e l e m S p r i n g s h a s b e e n r e c o g n i z e d a s o n e o f A m e r i c a ' s g r e a t e s t g o l f c o u r s e s . S e t i n t h e l u s h , r o l l i n g h i l l s o f B e r k s C o u n t y , i t i s t r u l y a s p e c t a c u l a r g o l f i n g e n c l a v e o f g r e a t n a t u r a l b e a u t y F O L L O W U S O N S O C I A L M E D I A @ M O S E L E M _ S P R I N G S

Experience Essex County Hendricks Field Golf Course! Enjoy Championship Caliber Play at a Public Golf Course

The Charles Banks’ designed course* has been completely restored and updated to create challenging holes and picturesque fairways for golfers of all abilities.

Course Highlights:

• Hole 8 is a 190-yard, par 3 Redan Hole

• Hole 11 is a 575-yard, par 5 inspired by the Road Hole at St. Andrews

• Hole 12 is a three-tiered mini-Biarritz Hole *renovations designed by Stephen Kay

Franklin Avenue,

Visit our other two courses: Francis Byrne Golf Course, West Orange Weequahic Golf Course, Newark

County

Golfing Magazine • New Jersey/Pennsylvania Section Leopard’s Chase #18
Joseph N.
Jr. Essex
Executive and the Board of County Commissioners Hendricks Field Golf Course 220
Belleville, NJ essexcountyparks.org/golf

18-hole

public

6,300 yards in length, the picturesque, tree-lined, PGA sanctioned course

layout with

a par 71

teeing areas

fairways, fast greens, and water

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Pro Shop

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and professional

selection of name

Practice and Teaching Facility

Golf Course has a 28-bay driving range and an 11,000 square foot chipping and putting practice area. The practice green

available

the day of play to warm up and cool down. We recently

AccuRange, that provides GPS measured

www.GolfingMagazine.net 15 The
Rutgers University Golf Course is open to the general
and tee times start at 7AM weekdays and 6AM on weekends in the height of the season. Over
is
and offers
challenging
four
per hole. Highlights include narrow
hazards on nine seven holes. About Rutgers Golf Course 848-445-2637 rugolfcourse@ipo.rutgers.edu golfcourse.rutgers.edu The Pro Shop Book a Tee Time Online The
offers a variety
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distances to each flag on the range through an app on your phone! RutgersGolfCourse RutgersGC 77 Hoes Lane West Piscataway, New Jersey

You Don’t Have to Stop Playing Golf in the Winter

Abevy

of New Jersey courses will stay open during the winter if the weather permits. Even if some snow does fall, the courses may close but will re-open if Mother Nature cooperates. While your bud dies are watching football and professional golf tournaments from some warm weather retreats, you can still be knocking it around at a number of courses.

The Atlantic City area is a very affordable year-round golf destination. It is typically warmer down at the shore as the salt air and milder temperatures allow for more golfing days than in Philadelphia, Northern Jersey and beyond. It’s the same Atlantic City experi ence at a great rate.

While it is true that courses along the coast usually face less severe winters, especially when it comes to long-lasting snowfall, inland tracks

will remain open as long as Old Man Winter doesn’t get too nasty from December through February.

Whether or not a club is open is on a course-by-course or even day-to-day basis. Some may prefer to not deal with slow days caused by cold temperatures, others may choose to open on selected days, and some keep their fairways open throughout the win ter, again, as long as the snow or ice doesn’t pile up and stick around for too long.

Here are some courses that will remain open this winter, again weather permitting. Call ahead before visiting a course just to make sure it’s open for business, even if the weather seems favorable.

The Seaview Golf Club (www. StocktonSeaview.com) in Galloway features two championship golf courses–The Bay and Pines courses. The links-style Bay Course hosted the 1942 PGA won by Sam Snead and

was designed by Donald Ross.

The Bay Course is loaded with superb holes and, like Atlantic City Country Club, offers cool views of the Atlantic City skyline across the bay. Several of the holes either end or start near the bay or run along it. While not overly long at 6,247 yards from the tips, the course is nonetheless is a good test of course management and proper club selection. Tall fescue grasses line many of the fairways during the warm months and there are ample bunkers and occasional wetlands or water to catch the wayward shot.

The brainchild of the design team of Toomey and Flynn, the Pines Course was carved from woodlands surrounding the resorand features tight fairways and wellprotected landing areas. Longer (6,731 yards from the tips) than the Bay Course, the Pines demands precision off the tee and steady approaches to the ample greens. Three of the

Feature
Twisted
Dune GC Golfing Magazine • new Jersey/e. Pennsylvania Section16

four par-fives can be reached in two by big hitters, but there are five par-fours–including the monstrous 468-yard 17th–that play over 400 yards from the tips. The back side fea tures three par-threes, including back-to-back holes on 15 and 16, both of which measure well over 200 yards.

Twisted Dune Golf Club ( www.TwistedDune. com) in Egg Harbor is a links-style course that was built in a residential area, but it works well. The course was designed by Archie Struthers in a links style, with the track wind ing through a “twisted” landscape, and offering dra matic elevation changes and contoured fairways. There are over 100 bunkers on this beast but the fairways are wide and the greens accept ing of approach shots.

Shore Gate Golf Club (www.ShoreGateGolf. com) in Oceanview is both interesting and intimidat ing. The Ron Fream-David Dale creation has deep greenside bunkers capped off by chocolate drop mounding that often pres ents a somewhat disconcert ing scene when standing on the fairways and preparing to hit approach shots.

McCullough’s Emerald Golf Links (www. McCulloughsGolf.com), located in Egg Harbor and designed by noted New Jersey-based golf course architect Stephen Kay, is a tribute to famed European layouts, such as St. Andrew’s, Prestwick, Gleneagles and Turnberry. McCullough’s 16th hole, for instance, is a replica of the “Postage Stamp” par-three hole at Scotland’s Royal Troon. McCullough’s, quite appropriately, presents a decidedly Irish-Scottish feel, with wide open fairways, tricky winds, grass mounds, bunkers, natural waste areas and undulating greens.

The Golf Course at Renault (www. RenaultWinery.com) in Egg Harbor City is a piece of a package that includes the Tuscany Hotel, a winery and the “gourmet” Restaurant at the Renault Winery. The course

winds its way through and past grapevines and orchards. The track was designed by Ed Shearon and kept to owner Joseph Milza’s vision of a layout that is challenging for good players but also approachable for visitors of all skill levels.

The Links at Brigantine Beach (www.

It takes full advantage of the natural beauty of the area’s pinelands and is a pleasing blend of short and long par-fours, solid parfives–several of which are reachable in two by big boppers–and great par-threes. There are numerous bunkers that come into play both off the tee and on approach shots to the medium-sized greens.

Cape May National Golf Club (www.CPNGC. com) in Erma is one of the most natural golf cours es ever built. Nicknamed “The Natural”, the course surrounds a fifty acre pri vate bird sanctuary. Cape May National started a new trend in environmental sensitivity in course design while providing a classic turn of the century golf course that golfers love. In fact, Cape May National goes back to its roots to the late 1800s and its prede cessor, Cape May Country Club. The course surrounds one of the largest private bird sanctuaries in the state of New Jersey. When you play you are immersed in natural beauty from the first hoe to the 18th.

BrigantineGolf.com) is yet another historic course designed by Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek, who created some fine courses at the turn of the 20th century. Brigantine has a sense of being a Scottish links layout, with berms, gently rolling fairways that are almost devoid of trees, tall grasses off the fairways, mounds and smallish, tricky greens typical of links courses. Brigantine, opened in 1927, has its own rich golf history. It is said that Walter Hagen and Harry Vardon played at Brigantine to acquire a feel for links courses before setting sail to play in Scotland at the British Open.

Blue Heron Pines Golf Club (www. BlueHeronPines.com) in Cologne is one of Jersey architect Stephen Kay’s best designs.

Harbor Pines Golf Club ( www.HarborPines. com) in Egg Harbor is a rather open layout that has plenty of water and bun kers. The track feels good and looks pleasing to the eye. Number 12 is one of the most photographed holes in New Jersey and visually a stunner. The tee shot on this 339-yard par-four must clear a large pond and land in a small fairway that sits before the green. The putting surface is protected by bunkers all around and water to the rear. You can make birdie or double bogey here, depending upon your accuracy and length off the tee. It’s an example of a great, short par-four.

Designed by legendary course architect Hal Purdy, Pebble Creek Golf Club (www. PebbleCreekGolf Club.com) in Colts Neck provides golfers with an enjoyable and memo rable experience. The unique characteristics and differing landscapes of each hole presents a challenge for accomplished players while

www.GolfingMagazine.net 17

remaining player-friendly for beginners. The par-three 188-yard 18th is the easiest hole on the course, giving the players the opportunity to finish strong. The large, undulating green is surrounded by three bunkers that will catch any errant tee shots to the right or left.

LBI National Golf & Resort (www. LBINational.com) in Little Egg Harbor is situated on over 155-acres of meticulously maintained grounds nestled within the pine lands of South Jersey, the newly named LBI National is being re-imagined and revived. On-site amenities include a 31-room inn, a fully equipped conference center, and an on-site banquet room equipped to handle large-scale events. The first hole I a song 565-yardpar-tfive that lets you loosen up with the driver and fairway woods in your hands. The course plays almost 7,000 yards from the tips.

Ron Jaworski Golf’s (www. RonJaworskiGolf.com) impressive portfolio of public daily fee courses includes New Jersey properties Blue Heron Pines Golf Club in Galloway, Valleybrook Country Club in Blackwood, Ramblewood Country Club in Mount Laurel, Running Deer Golf Club in Pittsgrove, RiverWinds Golf and Tennis Club in West Deptford and Downington Country Club in Downington, Pennsylvania.

Blue Heron Pine’s signature hole is its 15th. You need to hit a solid tee shot to carry the waste area and if you attempt to keep your tee shot up the left side there is a possibility it could roll out into the pond that runs up the left side of the fairway and fronts the left por tion of the green. If you hit a solid tee shot to the middle of the fairway it will leave you with a mid to short iron into a large green. Aim for the middle of the green and walk away with

away a par after two solid putts.

Downingtown CC boasts immaculate course conditions and a welcoming, friendly staff that provides top level customer ser vice that makes all RJG courses places to be. The course has been very busy this year. Downingtown draws from Chester, Bucks, and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania and has recently been seeing more peo ple coming from Philadelphia, and South

Golfing Magazine • New Jersey/Pennsylvania Section18
Harbor Pines Golf Club Harbor Pines Golf Club
Award-Winning Golf Course, Wedding Venue, and home of the Harp & Eagle Pub Open 7 Days a Week Weekend Breakfast, Craft Beers, Daily Specials, and Scenic Outdoor Seating! The Links at Union Vale is an award-winning course often described as “a bit of Ireland in Dutchess County” with the best five finishing holes in New York State. 2022: Golfweek names The Links at Union Vale #9 on their “Top Courses in New York State.” 2021: Golf.com names The Links at Union Vale #33 on their “Top 100 Value Courses in The U.S.: The best courses you can play for $150 or less.” 2020: Golfweek names The Links at Union Vale “One of The Best Golf Courses You Can Play in New York.” 2018: Golf Advisor names The Links at Union Vale “Best of 2018,” number 34 in the U.S. and number 2 in New York State. 2016: Golfweek names The Links at Union Vale one of its top 15 courses in New York State on a Best State-by-State list, and Northeast Golf Magazine also nominated the course “The Best Overall Course” and “Best Conditioned Course.” Luvgolf.com 153 North Parliman Road, Lagrangeville, NY 12540 Call Today! 845.223.1000

Jersey. Number nine on the Red Course is Ramblewood Country Club’s signature hole. The par-three has a beautiful backdrop and there are bunkers short and long left. A solid tee shot leaves a fair chance for birdie to wrap up the Red Course.

Designed by legendary course architect Hal Purdy, Pebble Creek Golf Club (www. PebbleCreekGolf Club.com) in Colts Neck provides golfers with an enjoyable and memo rable experience. The unique characteristics and differing landscapes of each hole presents a challenge for accomplished players while remaining player-friendly for beginners. The par-three 188-yard 18th is the easiest hole on the course, giving the players the opportunity to finish strong. The large, undulating green is surrounded by three bunkers that will catch any errant tee shots to the right or left.

At RiverWinds Golf and Tennis Club, course conditions have been outstanding the last two years, a testament to the club’s grounds staff and their hard work and dedica tion to the property. The signature hole here is number 17. A low-flighted shot is necessary when playing from an elevated tee box right next to the Delaware River, as the wind is always a major factor. Trajectory is everything when playing this short but tricky par-three.

Running Deer Golf Club is a course that will test every level of golfer. The course provides a truly unique experience where membership is accessible to all while retaining a private club feel. A classic risk-reward signa

Renault Resort Egg Harbor, N.J. 609-965-2111 www.RenaultWinery.com

Seaview Hotel and GC Stockton, N.J. 855-894-8698 www.StocktonSeaview.com

Twisted Dune Golf Club

Egg Harbor Township, N.J. 888-894-7839 www.TwistedDune.com

Harbor Pines Golf Club Egg Harbor Township, N.J. 609-927-0006 www.HarborPines.com

ture hole is the third, a short par-four that can play between 300 to 390 yards, depending on which tee box you play. Your tee shot is safe playing to the right and safely played with a shot that will put you between 100 to 150 yards out. An aggressive line with driver can reward you with a shorter approach.

Valleybrook Country Club has expanded the tee boxes on holes one and 10 and there was a redesign of number nine’s green com plex. The club also has a new cart fleet. The par-five ninth is one the course’s signature

Mays Landing Golf and CC Mays Landing, N.J. 609-641-4411 www.MaysLandingGolf.com

Blue Heron Pines Golf Club Egg Harbor, N.J. 609-965-1800 www.BlueHeronPines.com

McCullough’s Emerald Golf Links Egg Harbor Township, N.J. 609-926-3900 www.McCulloughsGolf.com

Cape May National GC Cape May, N.J. 609-884-1563 www.CMNGC.com

hole. It presents options of the tee to an undu lating fairway. If you find the fairway, your second shot is an intimidating one. At the par-three 12th, you must carry your tee shot to the center of the green to avoid a false front.

Shore Gate Golf Club

Oceanview, N.J. 609-624-8337 www.ShoreGateGolf.com

LBI National Golf & Resort Little Egg Harbor Township, NJ 609-857-5656 www.lbinational.com

Brigantine Golf Links Brigantine, NJ 609-266-1388 www.brigantinegolf.com

Pebble Creek GC Colts Neck, NJ

Golfing Magazine • New Jersey/Pennsylvania Section20
732-303-9090 www.pebblecreekgolfclub.com
Blue Heron Jaworski Golf Mt Laurel, NJ 856-229-9322 www.ronjaworskigolf.com

Experience Irish Golf at The Links at Union Vale

TheLinks at Union Vale is a unique links-style golf course that is challeng ing yet fun for players of all skill levels. In addition, the course is recognized by those in the golf world for its exceptional condition, design, and amenities.

Being named “Best New Public Course of the Year” by Suburban Golf Magazine in 2000 to being named to Golfweek.com’s list of “Top 15 courses in New York State” for the past three years is a real honor.

The Links at Union Vale is a regular stop on the Golf Channel’s “AM Tour.” In addi tion, organizations like the USGA, the Metropolitan Golf Association, and the Dutchess County Amateur Golf Association regularly select The Links at Union Vale to host their amateur tournaments.

“Most golfers who play here real ize the unique golf experience that The Links at Union Vale offers,” said Patrick Sullivan, Golf Professional for the club. “There is nothing quite like The Links, from the Gaelic wel come at the front gate to the linksstyle course to the perfectly poured Guinness in the Harp and Eagle Pub.”

The course was masterfully designed by Stephen Kay and Doug Smith. The architects let the shape of the land--with swells and troughs--influence the routings. There aren’t many courses like it in the region. Between the challenging course and the quality of service, playing The Links at Union Vale puts golf in a whole new light.

The course has five sets of tees that run from 5,198 yards to nearly 7,000 yards from the tips. Play the proper set of tees to match your ability and you’ll certainly want to come back for more once you’ve tested this special layout.

Said Sullivan, “The Links at Union Vale course is as challenging as ever. Like any

links-style course, The Links at Union Vale is designed to reward quality ball striking and course management. Play well, play smart, and you will score well. Each hole carries its risk and reward. The wayward or overly aggressive can be penalized by the rough and strategically placed bunkers. The first nine holes are not too long. They were designed to emphasize tactics and course management to allow players to find their game and rhythm.”

Course conditions at The Links at Union Vale have been exceptional this year,” reported Sullivan. “As a result, there has been a con tinued uptick in golfers.” The Links at Union Vale draws locally from Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester, Sullivan, Orange, and Ulster counties and west of the Hudson River and western Connecticut.

The course has many holes with unique features. The 16th (a 451-yard par-four) is considered the signature hole. It features a split fairway divided by three bunkers set in a slight diago nal from right to left. Course designer Stephen Kay refers to this bunker set up as his “Trinity Bunker” design. The addition of the carpet bunker or sod wall

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Golfing Magazine • new Jersey/e. Pennsylvania Section22

replica bunker on the sixth hole fits the bun kering design of the course and makes the hole more aesthetically appealing. Bunkers, in general, are best avoided, if possible, of course. Regarding playing the 16th hole, the right fair way offers a better straight-on look at the green but plays longer. The left fairway plays shorter but requires a blind second shot.

Here’s a look at some of the other holes at The Links at Union Vale.

The first is a challenging way to start your round. It’s a 421-yard par-four that plays down hill then up to an elevated putting surface. You must be careful off the tee as wetlands cross the fairway about 240 yards from the back tee markers. The safe play is a fairway wood off the tee and a long iron or fairway wood to the putting surface.

The second hole is a dogleg left par-five that plays 505-yards from the back markers. The wise shot is not to try and drive across a stream that dissects the fairway but rather lay the ball up and then hit a second shot that will leave a wedge into the green. You can try and clear the stream, but it’s risky. If you attempt the risk and make it, you will be rewarded with a second shot that might get you on the green.

The fourth hole is a 385-yard par-four that

does a sharp turn left about halfway to the put ting surface. Cut off as much of the dogleg to the left as you dare. Hit a fairway off the tee and have a mid-iron into the green or take a driver and try to get as close to the green as possible. You’ll be left with a pitch shot into the putting surface and a shot at birdie.

The seventh is a 198-yard par-three guarded by bunkers on the front left side of the green. Again, a well-struck long iron or rescue club will find a large putting surface.

The ninth is a birdie hole, playing only 364 yards. But there is a bevy of sand bunkers scat tered about the fairway, and you need to steer clear of them to leave an unfettered approach to the green.

The 12th is a 169-yard par-three that has bunkers protecting both sides of the green. Running a shot up and onto the green is risky because of these guardians.

Number 13 is a great short par-four play ing just over 300 yards. Big hitters can get on or close to the green off the tee, but there are bunkers all around and water to the left side of the fairway that can cause a big problem if you pull your tee shot. A mid-iron layup and a short-iron second shot are the safe play.

The 14th is a tough par-five, playing 603

yards. The fairway is again dissected by a natu ral area, which makes this a true three-shot hole to get to the green. A good drive and second shot onto the second portion of the fairway leave a short iron into the green.

The 18th is a strong finisher, playing 618 yards for the championship markers. However, it is just as difficult as the prior par-five and demands two strong shots to set up a mid-iron approach to the putting surface.

If you can navigate the final few holes wisely and stay out of trouble (a bogey isn’t a bad score on the final two par-fives), it will leave a smile on your face as you walk off the course.

“We are always looking at ways to enhance the golf course,” said Sullivan. “This year we addressed bunker needs. In years past, we updated and paved cart paths and redesigned the green surrounding the 18th hole. Credit goes to the members at the club for prioritizing improving and updating the course, clubhouse, and golf programs each year.”

The Links at Union Vale Lagrangeville, N.Y.

www.TheLinksatUnionVale.com 845- 223-1002

www.GolfingMagazine.net 23
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Moselem Springs

Beauty and Brawn Combine for a Special Course

Fromits inception, Moselem Springs Golf Club’s course in Fleetwood, Pa. has been considered one of the finest champion ships layouts in the region, and country for that matter.

This George Fazio design is a stunningly scenic test of skill and has hosted a U.S. Women’s Open, as well as state and regional tournaments. And it continues to dazzle those playing the scenic and challenging routing. A lot of clubs bill themselves as a country club for a day, but Moselem Springs is just that for those who play the almost 7,000-yard course (from the tips), which plays to a par of 70.

The club was owned by the Flippin fam ily since the early 1960’s and was sold to Jaindl Farms (a major agricultural/develop ment company in Lehigh Valley) this year and is now managed by Kemper Sports. “We have seen steady play again this season as golf has experienced a resurgence the last few years,” reported Head Golf Professional, Brett

Nelson. “The golf course has been in great shape all year and the members have been enjoying it.”

Nelson continued, “Moselem Springs is a very scenic and serene golf course, so it feels like a getaway for members and guests while challenging all levels of golfers. Our local members range from Reading to Allentown, while our non-resident members come from all

around us, many from Philadelphia and New Jersey areas. Moselem has a traditional layout with difficult greens. It was a tree-lined course for many years but recent tree removal has opened up sight lines to many holes.”

After a visit from Tom Fazio recent ly, the club announced that new improve ments are coming to Moselem Springs. Fazio visited Moselem Springs and its sis ter course, The Club at Twin Lakes, with a vision for the future of the Jaindl Familyowned courses. While visit ing Moselem Springs, a course he helped his uncle George Fazio build as a teen ager, Fazio discussed a master plan for the golf course.

Upgrades to be made with in the clubhouse start with an enhanced member dining experi ence. This includes comfortable lounge seating added to the lobby, and additional televisions installed

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28

in the clubhouse and on the patio. After thor ough examination of the golf course, improve ments under the direction of Fazio will include softening (lessening the slope) of a few back nine greens this fall, and additional tree plant ing to better camouflage the clubhouse and the parking area. Forward and senior tees are also in review for potential renovation.

The course at Moselem Springs Golf Club has several sets of tees that offer a playable and enjoyable round for all levels of golfers, including juniors and beginners. The course was the vision of Hawley Quier, former pub lisher of the Reading Eagle newspaper in Reading, Pa., who came from a golfing family. In Quier’s words, “Some years ago, on what must have been the hottest day of that summer, I sought relief for mind and spirit in the spring-fed pond on what was termed the ‘family farm’ at Moselem Springs. Moments later, raising my head from the surface of the water, I recall, vividly looking over the terrain and saying to myself, ‘What a wonderful natural setting for a golf course!’”Quier’s daydream came true with skillful planning, design, and construction.

If you are a fader of the ball off the tee it will serve you well at Moselem Springs, as a number of holes trend that way from tee to green. But, there are several doglegs left that will necessitate you draw the ball, or at least bend it a tad to the left off the tee box.

The 401-yard par-four first hole is, of course, a slight dogleg right that is otherwise fairly uncomplicated. The second is also a slight dogleg right that plays 405 yards from the tips. The third hole is a strong par-three, playing 193 yards. The fourth hole plays lightly downhill with the straightaway parfour measuring just under 400 yards. The fifth is another par-three that plays almost 200 yards and features a tee shot over water to a green that is heavily bunkered.

The sixth hole is a slight dogleg left, a 412yard par-four that sets you up for the seventh,

a rather short par-five that is one of only two long holes on the course. It can be reached in two by the big hitters if you put your tee shot on this dogleg right at or around the bend of the fairway.

The eighth is a very strong,474-yard parfour where two solid shots are a must to get to the green, and the ninth is a shorter par-four playing 371, but there is a stream that runs along the left side. The 10th is a par-four of

yards. The 18th is around 450 yards from the back and has a stream on the right running all the way to the green. It’s a real pretty finale and recording a par will make the food and beverag es taste better in the clubhouse after your round.

An indication of the strength of Moselem Springs is its slope and rating; 136 from and 73.1 respectively from the back tees that total 6,826 yards. The next tees down play 6,580 yards and plays to a slope of 132, while the third markers down measure 6,056 yards and have a slope of 128. The forward tees play 5.766 yards, have a slope of 124, and a rating of 67.4.

The practice facili ties at Moselem Springs Golf Club feature a large putting green, a driving range and a short game specialty area. The driv ing range tee affords the player a chance to hit a few balls and loosen up before play because of its nearby location to the first tee. A short game specialty area lets the player to be creative by using approach areas, and a practice put ting green is also located close to the first tee. It is a good test before you start your round as it is fast, and has undulation which creates breaking putts that you will find on the course. Complimentary range balls are available at the driving range and short game specialty area.

around 400 yards, which leads to the 11th, another dogleg right hole off the tee.

The 12th is a dogleg left, 506-yard parfive that has bunkers you must avoid. If you hit it long the green on 12 can be reached in two to set up an eagle or birdie opportunity. The 13th is a very long par-three, playing 228 yards, and has most players hitting a 3- or 5-wood off the tee.

The 14th is a straightaway, tough par-four playing almost 450 yards from the champion ship markers. The 15th is a rather short, 165yard par-three, but bunkers guard the front of the green, making proper club selection a must.

The round concludes with three par-fours, the first and second of which play around 400

Whether it’s a business venture or an outing with your closest friends, Moslem Springs has stay and play packages to accommodate your needs. There is a conference room for business, and you can enjoy a breakfast menu offered exclusively to overnight guests when they book a stay and play package.

The club is offering specials for residents, non-residents and national members. Contact Nancy Murphy at 610-944-7616, extension 22 for more information.

Moslem Springs Golf Club

Fleetwood, Pa.

610-944-7616

www.GolfingMagazine.net 29
www.MoselemGolf.com
Sunday River Golf Club, Hole 17 Just over the bridge from Atlantic City’s legendary Boardwalk & Casinos, the barrier island of Brigantine boasts New Jersey’s Best Scottish Links golf course, Brigantine Golf Links – a true taste of Scotland at the Jersey Shore!
T H E O N L Y A U T H E N T I C S C O T T I S H L I N K S C O U R S E I N N E W J E R S E Y R E C O G N I Z E D A S T H E # 2 B E S T V A L U E C O U R S E I N N E W J E R S E Y B Y G O L F I N G M A G A Z I N E - C L O S E S T C O U R S E T O A T L A N T I C C I T Y ' S B O A R D W A L K , C A S I N O S , & N I G H T L I F E
www.GolfingMagazine.net 31 • Spectacular Views On And Off The Golf Course • Relax, Drink, And Eat After Your Round At The Pavilion • Take Golf Lessons Or Shape Up Your Game At The Practice Facility • Ride The Course On A Finn Scooter • Host Your Outing At Jack Frost National WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU jackfrostnational.com • 570.443.2414 JACK FROST NATIONAL EMBRACE THE POCONO MOUNTAINS ON THE GOLF COURSE

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The Club at Twin Lakes

A First Class Club Makes You Feel Right at Home

Thecourse at The Club at Twin Lakes in Allentown is one of the more interesting layouts in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. It’s a challenging track that features elevated tees, sloping fairways and water hazards.

Constructed in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, The Club at Twin Lakes is a mature course located on the grounds of an old iron ore mine. The owners of the club and course, the Jaindl family, a preeminent agriculture/ development company, and KemperSports Management have partnered to deliver a “Best in Class” customer experience from the golf to an upscale food and beverage services, including weddings, social events and the Wild Turkey Grill.

There has been lot going on at Twin Lakes. On the course, 400 trees have been removed and the remaining trees have been limbed up. Additionally, a continuous cart path has been added throughout the course, and all bunkers have received a facelift with fresh sand.

“Play has been amazing,” reported Jacob Beers, Golf Shop Manager, “and the conditions have satisfied many thus far this year. Our greens have been rolling as true as ever and,

besides a few days hotter than they’d ideally be, the weather has been gracious to us as well.

At Twin Lakes, before you even make it to the first tee, you’ll be greeted by friendly, kind team members, to make certain you begin your round excited and ready to play. Once you make it on `the track’, you’ll see an array of different holes, ranging from gettable parfours, challenging par-threes and breathtaking views of the Lehigh Valley on the par-fives. Most of our consistent play is generated right here in the Lehigh Valley and neighboring areas, but we have gotten quite the mix already in our first season from various destinations along the East Coast as well as nationally.”

Twin Lakes offers a “Super Twilight” rate that goes into effect at 5:30 p.m. every day, the perfect way to save on greens and cart fees and enjoy 9 or 18 after the peak temperature of the day has passed. Beers said, “We aren’t currently offering specials, but we are offering our loyalty programs, Players Pass, which includes the following benefits: a 14-day advance booking window, early twilight rates, complimentary Adidas Tech Response shoes, a merchandise discount of 10 percent, discounted range balls, every sixth round of golf free (cart fee not included) for $199. The club’s Players Pass + offers the above benefits and two complimentary rounds at Moselem

Springs Golf Club for only $299. Both programs are valid until the end of 2022.

Twin Lakes’ 6,075-yard, par-71 layout from the back markers features four sets of tees for players of varying experience, and sloping fairways. It isn’t a course that will beat you up with distance, but several of the holes have water and there are a number of sand bunkers guarding the medium-sized greens. There are four sets of tees in all with the “white” tees playing 5,723 yards, the next tees down 5,159 yards and the forward tees 4,712 yards.

The first is a 359-yard par-four that allows you to loosen up and have a shot at birdie after a strong drive on this slight dogleg right. The second hole is a 174-yard par-three that demands a well struck mid-iron and the third a 362-yard par-four. The fourth and fifth are uncomplicated par-fours that measure 362 and 354 yards respectively.

The fifth hole is a 456-yard par-five that is reachable in two shots for big hitters and the sixth, a 170-yard par-three, is the first of several “water holes” you will face during your round. It’s a tee-shot-over-water, par-three that is pretty in addition to being a don’t-leaveyour-tee-shot short situation.

The seventh is a short par-four that measures just 318 yards from the tips. Birdie awaits after a long tee shot and short-iron into

Golfing Magazine • new Jersey/e. Pennsylvania Section32

a green that has a bunker on the right to catch errant approaches

The eighth is a sharp contrast to the previous hole and 100 yards longer than the seventh, playing 429 yards and a hole that Beers views as the most difficult on the course. The ninth is a 528-yard par-five that is best played as a three-shots-to-the-green hole. Two good swings will leave you with a wedge or nine-iron into a modest-sized green flanked in the front by sand bunkers.

The back side has five holes that have water

features, beginning with the 177-yard 10th, where you will have to stay away from a stream the winds in front of the putting surface and to its right side. The 11th is a 428-yard parfour where the tee shot must be hit over water, although the wet stuff is easy to clear being close to the tee box. The green on the 11th is surrounded by bunkers making the approach shot critical to have a shot at birdie or a par.

The 12th is a 459-yard par-five, whose green is difficult to reach in two because the hole bends sharply to the right at its midpoint.

Unless you hug the extreme left side of the fairway you will be blocked out to the green on your second shot, but you have with a nosweat second to set up a wedge into the putting surface.

The 13th is a nice little, 144-yard par-three where accuracy off the tee is a must. There are three bunkers guarding the green. The 14th is a straight-away par-four that measures a little under 400 yards from the tips. The 15th is a 428-yard par-four that has a stream cutting across the fairway about two thirds of the way to the green. It’s a layup short of the stream and then likely a long-iron into the putting surface.

The 16th is a great par-four that plays 413 yards. There’s a stream on the left side of the fairway landing area that winds its way to the green, wrapping in front of the putting surface. The approach shot must be hit well because it’s a carry across the stream on your second shot.

The 17th is a short, 293-yard par-four that begs to have its green hit off tee. The finisher is a par-three that plays 189 yards with the tee shot crossing water. The green on the 18th protected by a bunker and water off its back left side. It’s a nice way to finish a round on this shot maker’s layout.

The Club at Twin Lakes

Allentown, PA.

www.GolfingMagazine.net 33
610-395-3369 www.TheClubAtTwinLakes.com

Boyne Golf

Ten Courses, Three Resorts, One Unforgettable Experience

Pondering

the natural scenic splendor of northern Michigan, I’m reminded of a standout line from an early season of Mad Men: “You have everything…and so much of it.” From mile after mile of beautiful Lake Michigan coastline to towering sand dunes, from idyllic small towns to deep hardwood forests, from vast serene lakes and meandering rivers to breathtaking elevations and long summer days, northern Michigan is as uncannily pure as they say.

With 10 acclaimed golf courses sprawling across three separate and distinctive resort properties, the folks at BOYNE Golf have been curating their destination in northern Michigan for more than 50 years. You can’t go wrong putting your next golf trip in their hands and getting there has never been easier.

Inn at Bay Harbor

Once you lay eyes on the red-roofed Victorian-style Inn at Bay Harbor near Petoskey and the beaming shoreline it sits next to, you start to get what those who dubbed the property “The Pebble Beach of the Midwest” were fussing about. The Inn at Bay Harbor is a Marriot Autograph Resort and features 116 guest rooms and suites and 35 two- and three-bedroom cottages at the Lakeside Cottages and Cottages at Crooked Tree. All provide views of the area’s famous million-dollar sunsets.

Bay Harbor Golf Club

The club offers 27 dazzling holes designed by Arthur Hills that are played in three 18hole combinations (Links/Quarry, Quarry/ Preserve and Preserve/Links). Bay Harbor’s Links/Quarry routing has been a staple on Golf Digest’s biannual list of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses. The Preserve is the “sleeper.” It winds extensively through a hardwood forest, just a stone’s throw from Lake Michigan. Across the street, scenic 18hole Crooked Tree Golf Club delivers great golf plus stellar panoramic views of Lake Michigan.

The Highlands

The Highlands sits just 15 miles north of Bay Harbor and resembles a Scottish country

estate. It’s a multi-course template many resorts have replicated. With four courses, The Highlands is perfectly suited for golf buddies’ trips. The timeless parkland allure of The Heather (the original BOYNE Golf course by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1966) and the natural beauty of the Arthur Hills course, which features a 30 story drop from tee-to-green at the par-5 13th, stand tall as must-plays on a visit to northern Michigan. In 2019 The Heather was named the National Golf Course Owners Association’s Golf Course of the Year.

The Donald Ross Memorial is an extremely well-executed tribute course comprised of holes inspired by famous Ross designs that have hosted three Ryder Cups, eight U.S. Amateurs, 11 PGA Championships and 14 U.S. Opens. The Moor course has recently undergone subtle but significant updates to improve approach angles and allow for additional shot selection choices around the greens.

Boyne Mountain Resort

Just south of Petoskey, Boyne Mountain Resort’s 4,500+ acres offer a variety of accommodations and two outstanding courses that offer tremendous views of

nearby Deer Lake. The Monument and The Alpine both zigzag through tree-lined hills before winding down to tamer, rolling terrain. Both courses begin with a scenic 10-minute cart ride up a ski hill to their respective first tees.

BOYNE Golf

BOYNE Golf meets all the requirements for a great golf vacation and has been recognized by FORBES.com as one of the Best Golf Resorts in America, along with Pebble Beach, Bandon Dunes, Whistling Straights, Kapalua, and Pinehurst.

Getting There Golfers looking to fly into northern Michigan can access Traverse City (TVC) via Delta, United, American, and Allegiant with direct service from 17 major U.S. cities. Private planes can also land directly at Boyne Mountain’s 5200’ private airstrip that has recently undergone a four million dollar upgrade.

For more information on BOYNE Golf and to plan your summer golf adventure, visit www.BOYNEgolf.com or call 855.428.7447.

Golfing Magazine • New Jersey/Pennsylvania Section34
TravEL
2023 is just around the corner. BOYNEGolf.com MICHIGAN’S MAGNIFICENT 10 ISN’T MUCH FURTHER. Getting to BOYNE Golf has never been easier...fly into nearby Traverse City or our private 5200’ airport at Boyne Mountain. And with convenient non-stop flights into TVC from 17 U.S. cities, it’s easy to have friends join from all over the U.S. Call 855.428.7447 to plan your 2023 trip now!

North Carolina’s Brunswick Islands

A True Coastal Treasure for Every Type of Golfer

Ifyou’re thinking golf – and we know you are – you should be thinking NC’s Brunswick Islands. This strand of bar rier islands is located on the southern coast of North Carolina, just across the state line from neighboring Myrtle Beach. And what these islands and their accompanying main land towns offer is a delightfully refreshing, spacious coastal landscape that calls golfers with a deep-rooted love of the game back year after year. It’s no wonder the destina tion has become known by another name: NC’s Golf Coast.

With more than 30 of the world’s fin est courses, including notables Bald Head Island Club, Thistle Golf Club and Tiger’s Eye, NC’s Brunswick Islands has become a place where those who revel in the heritage and the camaraderie of a game, a hole or a shot well-played can find their fulfillment. It’s a special place that can so delightfully combine a 45-mile stretch of pristine barrier

islands with lush maritime forests, expan sive marshes and inlets, and the majestic Intracoastal Waterway to create a terrain primed for the most alluring course designs in all of golf. The game’s legends would agree. Palmer, Byrd, Maples, Jones, Cate, Couples, Robbins – they all came and left their footprints on the land.

Volume. Variety. Climate. Terrain. All the essentials have aligned here to create a nearly endless succession of challenges for you and your fellow golf enthusiasts. The coastal landscape of waterways and marshes in NC’s Brunswick Islands is the ideal place to reaffirm your love of the game. Mild weather year-round makes for an all-season golf climate where you’ll find playing con ditions to your liking almost any time of the year. Good thing, because with, at last count, 540 holes, you’ll want to schedule a few trips to the coast to meet the challenge. And while you’re there, don’t be surprised when you discover that some of the best

golf on the Grand Strand is actually in Brunswick County.

The destination is perfect for staying and playing. NC’s Brunswick Islands has managed to harness that special something that brings both golfers and families back year in and year out. Whatever you’re searching for in accommodations, from a charming villa right on the fairway to the perfect vacation home to welcome a group of any size, you’ll find it in the Brunswick Islands. You’ll also have access to profession al golf packagers who are ready to help line up all the details, from the excitement of the play to the relaxation of the stay. From setting up tee times to finding courses close to the place you’re staying so you can spend more time lining up your first drive, your every need will be tended to. You’ll come with a passion for the game and leave with a love of a place. The place? NC’s Golf Coast. www.NCBrunswickGolf.com

TravEL
36 Golfing Magazine
They call it NC’s Golf Coast. With more than 30 championship courses and 120 miles of fairways along the coast, you’re going to want some time to play NC’s Brunswick Islands. Request your Brunswick Islands Golf Guide at ncbrunswickgolf.com Leave some holes in your schedule ncbrunswickgolf.com | 800-795-7263 SUNSET BEACH • OCEAN ISLE BEACH • HOLDEN BEACH • OAK ISLAND • CASWELL BEACH BALD HEAD ISLAND • LELAND • SHALLOTTE • SOUTHPORT • CALABASH

Reunion Resort & Golf Club

Reunion

Resort & Golf Club offers a golfing experience unlike any other in the world. No stranger to awards and accolades, Reunion is the only place in the world you will find three Signature Design courses by golf’s greatest legends: Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, and Jack Nicklaus.

If you can only pick one course while staying at Reunion, we recommend the Palmer Course. It’s the least challenging of the three, but it boasts the most spectacular views of the resort. You will play through bunkers, lush greenery, and some of their stunning vacation homes. The Palmer 7 hole is the most iconic of all 54 holes at Reunion. You might recognize Palmer 7 by its vantage point of the long winding bridge over a sparkling pond with the resort’s Reunion Grande tower standing elegantly in the distance. The Palmer course offers 6,916 yards of rolling terrain with elevation changes up to 50 feet.

The Watson Course is adjacent to the Palmer course. Both start just behind the Clubhouse restaurant and Pro Shop. The Clubhouse serves a traditional American fare and is a great spot for a cup of coffee before heading out to the driving range or your morning tee time. Once on the course, you will encounter wide-open greens, rolling fairways, and strategically placed bunkers.

Club selection is crucial for this course.

The most challenging of Reunion’s three courses is the Nicklaus Course. Located on the other side of the resort property and winding through parts of the nature reserve, the Nicklaus course can be a bit quieter and more scenic than Watson or Palmer. This course provides long fairways and challenging water hazards. Inside the Nicklaus Clubhouse, you’ll find men’s and women’s locker rooms with showers, the Pro Shop, and a tavern-style restaurant called Traditions. Traditions is the ideal spot for your post-round meal and celebratory beverages and features panoramic views of the 18th green. On Sunday’s this location also features a truly delicious brunch.

Reunion Resort has been consistently recognized for providing a premier golf experience in Central Florida since 2005. This fall, Reunion has added another legend to their golf resume. The Golfzon Leadbetter World Headquarters, led by David Leadbetter is now home to Reunion adding another layer of unique golf offerings to the already esteemed resort.

Golfzon Leadbetter and Reunion are proud of this partnership that has established Reunion as the new home of the Golfzon Leadbetter Golf Academy. This facility

features the latest golf technology for instruction and practice including lesson studios with launch monitors, 3D swing analysis, range radar ball tracking, club fitting, golf fitness and biomechanics. The facility also features Golfzon TwoVision simulator studio to help improve your game.

Open to resort guests and members, Reunion’s rolling greens stretch across the 2,300-acre resort, just minutes from Walt Disney World® and other famous Orlando attractions. Reunion attracts avid golfers from around the world looking to experience an enhanced level of play with exceptional conditions and unique course layouts designed by three PGA legends. With spacious multi-room villas and luxury vacation homes featuring up to 15-bedrooms, this property is an easy option for golf trips.

In addition to golf, Reunion’s amenities include a mini-golf course, multiple tennis and pickleball courts with a Pro Shop, casual and fine dining, 7 community pools, the five-acre Water Park, and over 25,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting event space. From family vacations, to a golf getaways with the guys, and everything in between, Reunion has something for every occasion. For more information, to make a reservation, or to book tee times, visit www.ReunionResort.com

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Orlando, FL
Reunion Resort & Golf Club
Orlando, Florida TravEL

Tee off at a Floridian golf destination beyond compare. Reunion Resort is the only place in the world where you can play three signature courses designed by PGA legends Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, and Jack Nicklaus, all in the same location.

www.GolfingMagazine.net 39 PALMER | WATSON | NICKLAUS
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ORLANDO, FL

Play America’s Golf Island Hilton Head Island, SC

popularity is surging, and there’s no place better to experience this great game than America’s Golf Island. Comprised of a diverse collection of 26 golf courses spread throughout Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and Beaufort, South Carolina, the region’s breathtaking natural beauty attracted many of golf’s greatest architects: Robert Trent Jones, Rees Jones, Davis Love III, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus and George Fazio, just to name a few.

Golf’s

Hilton Head Island is the perfect destination for any golf getaway, whether it be a buddies trip, family vacation or couples retreat. Golf is played 365 days a year here among the palmettos and live oaks, as the Lowcountry boasts glorious spring and fall weather, mild winters and balmy summers. Off the course, the region is home to worldclass beaches, award-winning restaurants and local eateries, and myriad activities ranging from deep sea fishing, tennis, pickleball and biking along 50-plus miles of public pathways.

Many golfers are already familiar with Hilton Head Island because of the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage, an area tradition since it was first played at Harbour Town back in 1969. One of the most popular stops on TOUR, the tournament is known for its Southern hospitality, laid back atmosphere and the famed Harbour Town Lighthouse overlooking the 18th green along the Calibogue Sound.

Rounds are best re-lived in the evening over a relaxing dinner with family, card games with friends or sitting a spell on a deck watching the sun drop in the South Carolina sky. Numerous lodging partners oblige with a vast array of accommodations ranging from rental homes, villas and condos to brand-name hotels and boutique inns.

Expert golf vacation planners are available to customize stay-and-play packages for any size group, any time of year, for the golf trip of a lifetime. Log onto the easy-to-use website, www.HiltonHeadGolfIsland.com, for course and accommodation overviews, up-to-date golf packages, area information or to request a golf trip quote. Consider yourself invited to experience the game the way it was meant to be played on America’s Golf Island. Visit www.HiltoHeadGolfIsland.com to start planning your dream golf vacation to America’s Golf Island - Hilton Head Island, SC.

Harbour Town Golf Links
Palmetto Dunes - Jones Course
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Oyster Reef Golf Club
HILTON HEAD ISLAND SOUTH CAROLINA Photo Courtesy of Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort - Jones Course - Holes 9-11 HiltonHeadGolfIsland.com 26 Courses • Amazing Beaches • Lowcountry Dining & So Much More Browse Our Many Golf Vacation Ideas Online 2021 Best Island in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards PLAY AMERICA’S GOLF ISLAND Visit Hilton Head Island

Dynamic Duo, Experience Florida’s Sports Coast and Saddlebrook Resort Come On, Let’s Play

Let’s

Play is what they say at Experience Florida’s Sports Coast. You might not be able to find Florida’s Sports Coast on a map simply because it is a tourism district, and tourism districts in my mind don’t get their “just rewards”. Read on and you will know exactly where it is and all that there is to do!

If you are a golfer, paddler, fisherman, beachgoer or just a toe dipper, there is a good chance that you have been to the Sport’s Coast. This region, on the Gulf of Mexico is located about 35 miles north of Tampa, 90 miles east of Orlando and 75 miles south of Ocala, is a magnet to outdoor adventurers’ as well as those into Extreme Sports…..skydiving anyone?

Golfers from the Northeast USA and Canada have been flocking to Saddlebrook for years. The two Arnold Palmer designed courses are surely the number one reason and I suspect, the gazillion gallon pool with its conveniently located Tiki Bar could be number two.

There are 11 premier golf courses in the immediate Sports Coast region with

the crown jewel in the region, is without a doubt Saddlebrook Resort.

Coming north from Tampa, Saddlebrook Resort is a short drive off I-75 on Route 54 towards Wesley Chapel. Wesley Chapel offers up another for of adventure, unless it is really hot outside you might not even break a sweat! Shopping!!!! The community grabs your attention like a shiny new penny with first-class retail, a plethora of restaurants and contemporary homes that look like they were built yesterday.

SHOP TIL YOU DROP

The Shops at Wiregrass lures shoppers with a pedestrian-friendly, open-air and aesthetically pleasing alternative to the generic big-box-in-a-giant-parking-lot headache that’s found everywhere else in America. No shop till you drop would be complete with the ultimate in brand name deals at Tampa Premium Outlets.

Staying and Playing at Saddlebrook Resort is almost like being at home. Except that your home here has 2 Arnold Palmer designed courses in your back yard. No walking required and if you decide not to

walk to the Pro Shop from your villa, call the concierge and a golf cart will come get you. There are over 500 condo style units 1-3 bedrooms, so not everyone can be right next to the pro shop or pool.

“On the Saddlebrook course, it’s about course management,” said director of golf Kyle Bruce. “There are water and tree lines on both sides of the fairway, you basically want to get the ball to the 150-yard marker, then move the ball from there. The greens are relatively flat so it’s easy to get up and down. It’s more course management than a grip-it-and-rip-it type of golf course.

Its fairways are lined by a hammock of cypress and oak, the natural beauty will transport you back in time to the Florida of the Conquistadors. The signature hole, the 425-yard 18th, magnifies this sensation. The drive must be sent down an emerald ribbon between stands of towering cypress, whose branches are adorned with Spanish moss. Three white-faced bunkers staring at you in the landing area. The soft afternoon sunlight glints softly off the deep pond fronting the green, where gators and turtles rest on the bank. Two solid, aggressive shots

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SADDLEBROOK RESORT

Tampa Bay’s preeminent resort

A place to rest and recharge with family and friends, a place to enjoy your athletic passions on the golf course or the tennis court, a place to meet and mingle … the legendary Saddlebrook Resort is Tampa Bay’s preeminent resort, where leisure time takes over, whether you’re getting away with your friends or vacationing with the family.

Spread out on our 480 lush acres of lagoons and cypress trees, teeing off on one of our two Arnold Palmer signature golf courses, volleying on one of 43 tennis courts, savoring a convivial meal with friends at Dempsey’s Too or spending a blissful afternoon in the expansive pool.

It’s our pleasure to host you for your golf getaway, whether you’re hoping to improve your game or are simply seeking a fairway-filled weekend with favorite golfing buddies. Our Tampa golf packages are designed to give you access to Saddlebrook’s complete resort experience. Want to add something? Just give us a shout and we’ll make it happen.

Getaway Package includes a stay in a Deluxe Guest Room, One-Bedroom Suite or Two-Bedroom Suite; full breakfast per adult per paid night of stay; lunch per adult per paid night of stay; total of 4 rounds of golf (18 holes on arrival day, 36 holes on middle day, 18 holes on departure day, with cart and greens fees); a $20 resort credit per adult for the golf pro shop; a welcome golf gift; unlimited use of the practice facility; nightly club cleaning and storage; fitness center access; and additional Saddlebrook amenities. Starting at $129 per night per person!

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5700 Saddlebrook Way u Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 u 813.973.1111 u saddlebrook.com | saddlebrookresort | @saddlebrookresort

Anclote Key

will reach the green and award the player with par.

“The Palmer course is more of a links style course. You want to try and get as far as you can down the fairway. It’s open off the tee box, left and right. Your second shot is most important, if you’re above the hole, it’s going to be a three putt, pretty much, with the undulation of the greens. If you’re not on your short game that day, it can be very tough.”

While many of the holes provide generous driving areas, level ground is rare and the firm green fairways are contoured. Facing the green from the slanting fairways, the smallish greens are framed by whitefaced bunkers. Hilly lies and sweeping Florida breezes make it challenging to attain the accuracy needed to find these targets. The Tif-eagle greens are firm, fast and undulating, allowing only a crisply struck shot to hold their surface. Surrounding the greens, the thick, gnarly Bermuda rough tangles around the club and complicates the soft touch needed to play short pitch shots. Miss the green, and you face a difficult par. Several holes require length, all reward finesse. The Par 4 fifth hole is a beauty, with water to the right and sand to the left of the green.”

The other courses in the Experience Florida’s Sports Coast region offer up a great variety in both stye and challenge making

it ideal for every level of golfer. Below is a sampling of what you will find.

Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club: Two pristine courses await traveling golfers here, Lake Jovita South Course and Lake Jovita North Course designed by US Open Champion Tom Lehman and golf course architect Kurt Sandness. The 7,151-yard, par 72, Lake Jovita South Course is known for its immaculate maintenance, velvet greens and generous fairways blend in perfectly with the hilly terrain.

The 7,276-yard Lake Jovita North Course is equally impressive. More contemporary in style, this par-72 course has even greater elevation changes than the South Course. In fact, from the second tee box, you can see five or six miles to the northeast!

Fox Hollow Golf Club is one of the last courses designed and built by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., one of the most prolific and innovative golf course designers of all time. Recently rated 57th by Golf Digest’s Top 75 Courses, the par-71 championship layout features, rolling fairways, five sets of tees, mixing native trees and vegetation, sparkling lakes, sand bunkers and a variety of wildlife.

Plantation Palms Golf Club: The David Harmon design meanders through naturally rolling terrain with abundant wildlife. Considered one of Land O’Lakes

finest properties with its meticulous conditioning, with each hole designed to challenge every level of golfer.

Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club: Designed by Chi Chi Rodrigues and Bobby Weed stretches back to over 7,000 yards, winding its way around beautiful lakes and conservation areas. Position off the tee is critical to good scoring as water and out of bounds comes into play on all 18 holes. With five sets of tees, the course is appealing to all skill levels.

Lexington Oaks Golf Club: Built on a stunning piece of land, Lexington Oaks is an 18-hole, Par-72 masterpiece course that’s known for its par 3s. Measuring 6,748 yards from the tips, this stunning course is skillfully routed through woods, lakes and marshlands, providing a fun challenge for golfers of all skill levels.

When not on the golf course you are in the right place to let the adventure seeker in you come out. With 35 area parks, 2 state parks, vibrant nature trails, thrilling zip line courses, hot-air balloon outings, sky-diving adventures, nearby islands with artificial reefs, year-round recreational fishing, paddleboarding and kayaking trails, the options for exploration are unlimited.

To find out more details on the adventures that abound at Experience Florida’s Sports Coast visit www.FLSportsCoast.com

Golfing Magazine • New Jersey/Pennsylvania Section44

A destination for the adventurous

Florida’s Sports Coast offers a more exciting kind of vacation. With four amazing cities to explore – and countless ways to get out and play – visitors will find there’s much more than just great golf in this area. Whether they’re exploring the Gulf of Mexico, tackling tandem skydiving over Zephyrhills, or enjoying a beer at one of our craft breweries, they’ll discover Florida’s Sports Coast is an unbeatable location for their next golf trip.

www.GolfingMagazine.net

Mountain Golf / Island Golf

Double your pleasure – Double your fun!

Whentraveling around the globe in search of another ultimate golf experience you are most likely to make it a multi destination experience giving you a broader cultural and golf experience. Destination Amazing Thailand, the city of Bangkok will be the initial landing spot for more international travelers and what a spot it is. Consistently one of the most visited cities in the world.

In March we published a feature “Covering All The Bases” touching on golf in Bangkok, Hua Hin and Pattaya. In a baseball perspective we might consider these bases as part of the infield. With these next 2 destinations, Phuket and Chiang Mai, we take you a little further afield, you might say that we are playing the outfield. Covering All the Bases | Traveling Golfer

Phuket is your island in the sun, located in southern Thailand. It is the biggest of Thai islands adjoining the Andaman Sea. Flight time from Bangkok is about 1.5 hours and what awaits is an island full of magnificent white sand beaches with turquoise blue water, amazing sunsets and the famous Phuket nightlife. The Thai food culture here has

some Portuguese and Chinese influence. Note: southern Thai food is known to be super spicy.

The drive from top to bottom of the island will take about 75-90 mins. Patong Beach is the main beach and the center of the action form a nightlife standpoint. Another hot spot is Bang Tao beach, home to The Laguna Complex, which has more 5* hotels and higher end dining options with far less

nightlife than Patong.

Must play courses in Phuket include: Red Mountain Golf Club, winding its way through a truly dramatic former tin mine site in the heart of Phuket, Red Mountain is one of Asia’s most exciting courses that opened in 2008. The course has been routed to take advantage of a huge variety of landforms and elevation changes. Scars left from the tin mine era have been imaginatively incorporated

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into the overall scheme, creating a unique character at the same time as establishing an indelible link with an important era in the Island’s past. A challenging course with numerous risk / reward options, creating a fun playing environment, an exhilarating test of golf and a breathtaking scenic tour around a course. The signature hole is the par 3 17th which plays about 150 yards straight downhill to a small green surrounded by forest.

Blue Canyon Country Club - Canyon Course: Award winning since its opening in 1991. Hosting the Johnnie Walker Classic in 1994, 1998 and 2007 gave the course world wide recognition as one of the preeminent championship courses in Asia. A classic parkland style course, sculpted with minimal disruption to the original landscape, lush tree lined fairways always in pristine condition.

Aquella Golf & Country Club - The newest course has taken Phuket by storm with its setting on the shoes of the Andaman Sea. Amidst spectacular vistas across the soft turquoise hues of the captivating Sea, the refreshing sea breezes,

and immaculate white sands coupled with the luxury clubhouse, Aquella Golf & Country Club is truly a precious jewel in the golf destinations of Thailand.

Have your camera or phone in hand when you get to everyone’s favorite hole, the par 3, 11th.

For a complete about face, Chiang Mai with its northern setting in a mountainous region of Thailand offers up a completely different scenario from Phuket and for that matter the rest of the nation. Playing here is best in the winter months, when the temperature is cool and humidity is low.

Chiang Mai is northern Thailand’s largest city and the 2nd largest in Thailand. Many visitors are absorbed with the nature and mountain tours and stepping on Thailands highest point doi inthanon is always a thrill. Beautiful nature blended with Lanna Culture and colours of contemporary life bring millions of tourists annually. Thapae Walking Street exemplifies the local way of life provides the opportunity to shop for stylish handmade products. Nimmanhaemin Road is another of tourist’s favorite streets with a plethora of tastes and cuisine! Not to be missed.

Other Phuket courses for your consideration: Loch Palm Golf Club, Blue Canyon Country Club - Lakes Course, Laguna Golf Phuket, Mission Hills Phuket, Phuket Country Club

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Alpine Golf Resort Red Mountain Golf Club

Must play courses here are:

Chiang Mai Highlands Golf & Spa Resort - a 27-hole golf resort set in the hills outside Chiang Mai. Voted among the top 3 golf resorts in Asia, by 2015 Asia Golf Awards. Each 9 offers views over the densely forested hills, and the fairways meander amongst lush vegetation and large water hazards. It can play long so the longer hitters will really enjoy this.

Alpine Golf Resort - another 27-hole complex. A Ron Garl Design set 1,500 meter’s above sea level delivers a beautiful natural setting amongst the old dense forest and holes out in the flatlands that are more exposed to the wind. One of the most unique layouts in Thailand. An excellent club house, it is more than just golf here. Definitely a place to enjoy a meal and drink at before or after the round.

Gassan Khuntan Golf & Resort - a very popular and challenging 18-hole course, about 60 mins outside of Chiang Mai, in Lamphun province. There is a good amount of water, undulating terrain and distinct elevation changes which keeps the round very interesting. The course is beautiful and the train runs across a bridge which the course is worked around, another good course to being the camera to.

Other courses - Gassan Panorama, Gassan Legacy, Mae Jo Golf Club, Summit Green Valley Golf Club, Royal Chiang Mai Golf Club, North Hill Golf Club (night golf here)

Asia Golf Experieances based in Thailand can take care of any and all arrangements for your visit to Thailand. Thailand Golf Holiday l Thailand Golf Trip - Asia Golf Experiences

Check out the Four Points by Sheraton Invitational Phuket Golf Week set for October 2022. https://asiagolfexperiences.com/toursand-tournaments/phuket-invitationalgolf-week/

Or for a sample of a 10-day Phuket Stay and Play Package with 5 rounds of golf: https://asiagolfexperiences.com/packages/ phuket-golf-package/

Similarly for a 10-day sample of a Chiang Mai Stay and Play Package: https://asiagolfexperiences.com/packages/ chiang-mai-golf-culture-experience/

For more general information on Amazing Thailand, visit: Thailand Insider. com Thailand Insider - Amazing ThailandThailand Travel.

https://asiagolfexperiences.com/toursand-tournaments/phuket-invitationalgolf-week/

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Kilmarlic Golf Club
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Maya Bay Aquella
Golf & Country Club

Pinehurst, North Carolina A Pure Golf Experience

TheSandhills region of North Carolina is a unique geographical location that was spawned thousands of years ago. It features sandy soil and vegetation, such as the famous Carolina pines, which gives golf in this neck of the woods a special quality that has the feel of woodland and links courses all once.

The Village of Pinehurst and surrounding area showcases almost 40 championship courses. Every major golf architect has left his stamp on the Sandhills area, including Donald Ross, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Arnold Palmer, Rees Jones, Gary Player, Mike Strantz, Ellis and Dan Maples, Davis Love III and Gene Hamm.

Quite simply, the Village of Pinehurst area has more top-ranked courses within a 10minute drive than any other area in the country! Since the 1930’s, champions from every generation have played their way through this golfing Mecca in such events as the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Amateur and the Ryder Cup. Come walk in their footsteps and make your own golf history.

Most golfers know of Pinehurst, the magical resort that boasts over a half dozen historic courses. We had the pleasures of playing four other courses that make the area famous -Mid Pines, Talamore, Mid South and Pine Needles. While perhaps not of the majesty and household

name status as Pinehurst Resort’s courses, all four are wonderful routings that carry with them that definitive Sandhills flavor.

Myself and several buddies decided to make the area a golf getaway and we came back inspired and pleased to have had the chance to play such super layouts.

Our first day we gave Mid Pines a go. It remains exactly as the world renowned architect built it in 1921 and impeccably restored by Kyle Franz in 2013. The renovation was honored with GOLF Magazine’s Best U.S. Resort Renovation and Restoration of the Year. The course, often characterized as “pure Donald Ross,” was designed to fit perfectly into the

natural landscape, as was Ross’s signature approach.

Mid Pines was not intended to be a daunting challenge for the finest players competing under championship conditions, but was envisioned as a course that would offer friendly competition for members and guests of a private club and resort. However, accomplished golfers and pros have taken note of the perfectly preserved course and Mid Pines has become a classic gem, which has now played host to many national competitions including the 2002 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship.

Mid Pines was incredible and what I felt was the “purest” course we played in an aesthetic sense. It was like a walk through the woods; fun, with ridiculously cool greens. Every hole was picturesque and it’s what you envision when people talk about Pinehurst area courses. I could play 36 there for a couple days in a row and never get bored. The clubhouse was awesome; you could feel the history just walking through it. Mid Pines is a classic throwback to a simpler era and it makes you take a breath and slow down. Staying there I’m sure leads you into a different pace.

The next day it was as the Talamore Resort with two courses, Talamore and Mid South Talamore is a big and bold resort style course.

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Mid South , Hole 6

Features were bunkers that seemed to reach China on a few holes and big, sweeping holes with massive greens. The course lets you grip it and rip it and it makes for a fun round. MidSouth isn’t as delicate as Mid Pines and much more refined than Talamore. It was a perfect balance of the previous two we played. I felt the course was filled with resort signature holes; done right, not cliché. Inside the clubhouse we found an awesome bar with good food.

Talamore recently went through a remastering plan, which reimagined the both tract through a clever combination of restoration and rejuvenation projects that unlocked the course’s hidden potential. The project was executed by a huge team including course superintendent Rusty Smith, David Walsh and their staffs, and PGA professional and General Manager Matt Hausser. Alongside the Resort’s staff were the skilled crews of Shapemasters, a world-class certified golf course builder that has worked for many of the major modern era golf course designers including Jack Nicklaus, Rees Jones, Arnold Palmer, Pete and P.B. Dye, Tom Fazio and Greg Norman.

Greens on the courses were restored to the original Rees Jones and Arnold Palmer designs, resulting in a 25 percent larger putting surfaces, and the addition of generous 60-inch Tif Eagle Bermuda green collars. The new Champion Bermuda putting surfaces provide significantly better playing conditions than its bent grass predecessor and put Talamore’s and Mid South’s

greens on par with the other top courses in the area that have already made the switch to Bermuda greens--Pinehurst No. 2, No. 8, the Country Club of North Carolina, Pine Needles, Mid Pines and Tobacco Road.

The courses feel bigger with the fairways opened up, limited rough and the removal of excessive bunkering. Improved cart access and the reshaping of certain areas to help cart flow has improved pace of play and general enjoyment of the course.

Scotland and the Sandhills collide with the addition of 12 strategically placed, old-world style sod wall bunkers. Talamore is the only course in the Village of Pinehurst/Southern Pines area with multiple sod wall bunkers.

On day three, we checked out Pine Needles, an award-winning golf course and the first in the nation to be awarded four U.S. Women’s Open Championships. Named the number four course in the state by Golfweek, the layout was designed by the legendary Donald Ross in 1927, and meticulously restored by Kyle Franz in 2017. Today, the course spans more than 7,000 yards with each rolling hill and fairway bunker reimagined to reflect the challenges Ross envisioned nearly a century ago.

We had the pleasure of staying at the Jefferson Inn, which has a classic feel and fits perfectly with Southern Pines. We enjoyed a walk through the town of Southern Pines from the Jefferson Inn. The owner of the Inn was very helpful in pointing out great places to eat and things to

do in the area.

The Inn’s cozy wood bar with pot belly stove just asked you to relax with a Manhattan. The rooms we stayed in were very impressive. Expecting a more period-style room, we very pleased to find it was fully updated with current amenities. Beds were beyond comfortable and the bathroom spacious. We will be booking there next spring..

We had breakfast one day at Betsy’s Crepes which was Ahhhhhhhhhmazing! One day is not enough. It was quick, delicious and the best way to start your golf day. After playing we hit the Pinehurst Brewery, a modern brew pub with a great view, good food and a fun atmosphere.

The Workshop close by in Aberdeen was also sublime. It’s small and cozy and has scrumptious food. We nearly tried everything and could barely walk after. Mac and cheese bowls, sandwiches, specialty drinks--the works. We didn’t play Pinehurst #2 but the clubhouse was worth the trip. Steeped in history and memorabilia, just walking the stairway you can see a who’s who of golf and the great matches they played. It has a beautiful bar area where we had fantastic burgers. There’s a neat view of the course.

The area had it all; special, immaculately groomed courses, great accommodations and fine places to eat and relax. We’ll be going back soon, I’m sure.

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www.HomeOfGolf.com
Pine Needles

American Dunes Golf Club

Golf with a Purpose

One of the most unique and impressive Jack Nicklaus Signature Courses

Two

great minds, Lt. Col Dan Rooney with a vision and the other Jack Nicklaus who turned Rooney’s vision into a reality!

More than just a golf club, this monument just off the shores of lake Michigan, in Grand Haven, commemorates the birthplace of the Folds of Honor, with a Nicklaus Signature Course, pays tribute to those who have served and sacrificed for the United States. The Folds of Honor is a foundation that provides educational scholarships to spouses and children of America’s deceased or disabled service members.

A memorial walkway guides you from parking lot to pro shop and the course. While walking through if you don’t get emotional, you best check yourself for a pulse. “I love the game of golf, but I love my country even more,” a statement, on the wall, from Nicklaus, is impossible to miss. For this very special project Nicklaus waived his design fee.

The emotional experience doesn’t stop there as at 1300 hours (1PM), play stops, carts shut

off, all staff come out standing at attention facing the enormous US flag close to the 9th green. Taps is played and a bell chimes 13 times.

At each hole, one commemorative plaque describes a military hero, another tells a tale about one of Nicklaus’ major championship victories. In the golf carts, videos play with course tips and Folds of Honor family tributes. Undoubtably you can play golf elsewhere for a lot less that you will pay here. That is not the point, it is golf with a purpose and in support of an extraordinary cause. You get all the bells and whistles on your day. Fully loaded carts,

water on the carts and a fulfilling experience and more.

The Golf Course Experience

Truly the most unique Nicklaus experience, maybe even the most unique Michigan golf experience. Did Nicklaus bring the desert to Michigan?

You might just think so after your round. But here you will get to experience some parkland style golf bordering the dunes.

Six parkland style holes and 12 dunes holes and believe me you will have plenty of sand to fill your boots!

By the time you get to the first tee you will have come across a number of staff members as friendly and courteous as any in the business. That is the only way one of the true professionals in the industry would have it. General Manager, Doug Bell is a long-time friend who is the perfect fit for this project. “They only treat people in a manner that they would like to be treated,” said Bell.

Let’s tee it up! Three rather tame parkland style holes is what American Dunes opens you up with. Tame only in comparison to what you

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are in for!! Nicklaus opens you up with a taste of the dunes on the 1st hole, left hand side but should not really come into play. Surprisingly on the 2nd hole, Nicklaus has a pond running up the right-hand side. What happened to his fade? Nice par 5. Another taste of dunes on 3 but again should not come into play.

As we ascended to fourth tee, I remember blurting out to words, “Holly Sh**.” Doug looks over at me and says, “you had to know that if Jack was going to create one more Signature Course, it was not going to be an ordinary course.” Truer words have never been spoken. The WOW FACTOR was upon us.

From the elevated 4th tee box, you stare down at a green, about 140 yards away depending on which tees you play. You are likely more captivated by all the dunes that you need to avoid, not only on the immediate hole but your eyes cannot help but to look beyond.

The former tree-lined Grand Haven Course, which is located a few hundred yards from the east shore of Lake Michigan, is now a dunes-like course, utilizing the dramatic local topography and sand base that covers the property. There are 30 bunkers, and sand dunes are located either right, left or in front of you at each hole.

Fairways are generous for the most part and like most great golf courses your shot into the greens are what is going to make or break your day……..and here, staying out of the dunes. Once on the greens your work is not done, big and fair greens, nothing crazy, but there

is plenty built into the greens to test even the greatest putters.

From the 4th through the 8th holes, you have one dune-full hole after another. The 9th parkland style, takes you back to the clubhouse with an enormous American Flag along the left side.

The 10th hole kicks off with another parkland hole before bringing you back to the well sculpted dunes holes.

Weather wise our September day was

exceptional, nice temperature, sunny for the most part and little wind to speak of. That might have had something to do with my being able to hit most fairways and most importantly avoid the massive dunes.

Only 1 over, on the back after 6 holes. Hmmmm feeling pretty good! Then came the dreaded 400-yard 16th, at least I can console myself to the fact that my triple bogey came the #1 handicap hole. Ugly lie in a grassy dune bunker on the right, slashed it out to a bunker on the left and promptly into the 130-yard-long bunker protecting the front and right side of the green. Out, but still not on the green. Stick a fork in me, I am done!

Two more bogeys to round out the 9, but still smiling as the overall experience is second to none.

“Mr. Nicklaus and I talk about this place … as a church. A church is a place you come to find spirituality. This is a golf course that is going to raise people’s spirits,” Rooney said.

Rooney’s goal was to make American Dunes the type of golf course that would inspire golfers and veterans from all across the country to make the pilgrimage to Grand Haven. I would say “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!”

For more information on American Dunes Golf Club HOME BASE visit www.AmericanDunesGolfClub.com

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