Everybody wants to play golf courses which are just a ton of fun to get to play. Golfing a round at Gambler Ridge Golf Club is a sure bet for a fun day of golf.
Billed as “New Jersey’s Friendliest Golf Course,” and now under the new ownership of Tom and Megan Collard, Gambler Ridge Golf Club in Cream Ridge is a terrific, exciting, affordable and extremely laid-back course that you will love to play over and over again just like I do. With several Risk-Reward holes dotted throughout the routing, Gambler, a regulation-sized golf course playing some 6,200 yards from Back, or Blue, tees, lives up to its name and presents players of all abilities with multiple birdie opportunities as well.
Gambler Ridge boasts a uniquely playable layout with wide and rolling fairways, manicured greens and several reachable par 5s with a couple additional drive-able par fours highlighting the loop. begins with back-to-back par 4s that the longest hitters will enjoy giving it a go on.
Course improvements include the removal of several trees to increase air flow and open up fairways, like on the Par Five 8th Hole. Fescue-style rough add to the aesthetics of the new look Gambler Ridge, creating a somewhat Links look. The country club quality of the new putting surfaces is yet another, and much improved, highlight.
The short par 3, third hole, tees up the fun, playing straight uphill over a small pond to a two-tiered green sloping severely from Back-to-Front of just around a hundred yards. Don’t let the short distance fool you, though, because accuracy is all-important, and you will need to complete a tricky putt to make a bird or two-putt or chip and a putt to preserve a par.
Following a reasonably reachable Par 5 Fourth Hole, Gambler’s Risk-Reward theme and potential sub-par birdie stretch continues with back-to-back par 4s both measuring less than 300 yards. The first of the two, the 5th, plays for a left to right fade/slice of a about 250 yards downhill with water bordering the par 3 Seventh down the left side and with two imposing bunkers guarding the front and right of the green. The second, No.6, calls for a long draw, instead of a fade, over water about 20 yards just short of the of the green or a strategic tee shot of about 150 to 200 yards to the right down the short grass in order to set up a wedge or a pitch approach to the pin.
Another pair of “drive-able” par fours highlight Gambler’s Back Nine almost right off the bat, with Hole 12(319-348 yards) and the 13th, going only about 280 yards to 304 and 318. This is maybe my favorite stretch of the Course. The Drive on 12 is a lovely and wonderful chance to “tee it high and let it fly”. I always look forward to that tee shot. Thirteen plays right back parallel to No.12 with a slight dogleg up a hill with a pond guarding he left side. A solidly hit tee shot up the middle or down the right will generally leave a fill wedge or short iron up to the elevated green. A long drive and a chip or pitch, or two well-struck swings should lead to a decent birdie opportunity on No.13.
The par 5 Sixteenth presents yet another birdie opportunity for golfers. Played straight, and slightly downhill from tee to green, 16 is within reach of long hitters and easily gettable in regulation for even mdi to higher handicappers.
Following a fun day of golf, be sure to visit the Gamblers Bar and Grill and reflect on your round with a cold beverage and a burger or a cheesesteak or a humongous Bavarian pretzel with cheese sauce, or any number of the other scrumptious selections from their popular Pub-style menu.
“Our facility is the perfect blend of picturesque scenery, hospitable service and friendly atmosphere,” said Gambler Ridge Golf Course Assistant General Manager John Cereste. “ At Gambler Ridge, many visitors say they feel like family and form many lasting friendships and memories through their experiences with us. We take special pride in that.”
Trust me, playing a round at Gambler Ridge Golf Club is always a sure thing. Go tee it up sometime when you can someday.
121 Burlington Path Rd
Cream Ridge, NJ
609-758-3588
