If you’re looking to play some great parkland golf courses, the Jersey Shore has two of the very best.
One of the top parkland courses to tee it up at the Shore is, literally, a park. A county-run course since the late 1980s, Atlantis Golf Course, part of The Ocean County Parks and Recreation system, Atlantis opened in the early 60s as a private country club designed by 1960 Merion US Open runner-up to Ben Hogan, George Fazio. Located in Mystic Islands, near Tuckerton, and just minutes from Long Beach Island, Atlantis features several very memorable, and fun-to-play, holes like its signature par three 6th modeled after the more famous, and sometimes infamous, #12 at Augusta National. Just like “Golden Bell”, Atlantis’ challenging 6th plays left to right over water and a massive sand trap to a narrow, sloping green. Playing at right around 145yards, players get to try their skill, and nerve, playing a par 3 just like the very best in the world get to do two to four times every April at The Masters.
Highlights on the Back Nine include two of Atlantis’ par fives, 14 and 17. The second, #17, plays to a dogleg to the right with a small pond that players will have to hit their approaches over. The par 4 18th, meanwhile, is also very memorable and may be the most challenging finishing hole in all of Ocean County. A punishing closing hole, 18 plays straight uphill to a treacherous two-tiered green perched some fifty feet above the players’ head from the middle of the fairway.
“Atlantis is a hidden jewel in southern New Jersey,” said Atlantis’ Golf Shop Manager Sharon Witkowski. “ Although our course is challenging, our entire staff takes great pride in knowing that their level of service brings our visitors back again and again.”
Seaview Country Club brings golfers from around the world back again and again and boasts one of the other very best, and must-play, parkland golf courses around, the Seaview Pines Course. Designed by famed architects William Flynn and Howard Toomey, and opened in 1929, Seaview Pines has a hallowed place in golf history, and legend, being part of the 1942 PGA Championship where World Golf Hall of Famer Sam Snead, “The Slammer”, aka “Slammin’ Sammy”, won, his first ever major championship.
Snead’s historic major title triumph concluded on the Pines’ 1st, 2nd and 12th through 18th holes with Snead almost unbelievably chipping in from approximately 60 feet on The Pines’ long 200-yard Par 3 16th hole to down Jim Turnesa 2&1.
A plaque, commemorating Slammin’ Sammy’s early career milestone adorns the 16th tee box to this day, and plans to put a marker right of the green from about where Snead pitched in are in motion, as well.
Featuring a classic early 20th Century parkland layout, Seaview Pines is both thrilling and playable with a wonderful mixing of short and long holes requiring power and accuracy.
“ The 1942 PGA Championship was played on both The Bay and The Pines,” said Seaview’s TROON Golf’s Director of Golf Alex McGann. “ It was a match-play event back then and it was played on The Bay’s Front Nine and the first and second holes, and most of the Back Nine, of the Pines.
“ Snead won his final match versus Jim Turnesa with what some called a miraculous chip-in from about 60 feet. The chip happened right of the green and close to the 15th tee box.”
Played today as part of the LPGA’s ShopRite Classic’s Pro-Am, Seaview’s Pines Course is rare opportunity for any player anytime to golf where the top professional ladies in the world play annually and where maybe the greatest of them all, Sam Snead, played and won.
There are lots of places with good parkland golf courses to go and play, but if you’re at The Jersey Shore, Atlantis and Seaview Pines are two of the very best that you’ll want to go and play today or any other day.
