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| Clubhouse and Gazebo behind the first tee. |
By Steve Gordon
Recently I had the privilege to revisit and play a round of
golf at The Shore Club, formerly the Wildwood Country Club. After the round my
playing partners and I found it to be exactly what Director of Golf Fred Riedel
said it was, “a fun golf course to play.”
With the new
ownership and physical upgrades to the clubhouse, the 18-hole Wayne Stiles golf
course that opened in 1921 isn’t getting overlooked. It’s gone through some
changes over the years including the major loss of four holes in 1952 when the
Garden State Parkway expanded. But through that and the addition of new holes and
the rerouting of the course, it has maintained itself as a quality layout.
Work has
started on the bunkering but also tree removal is on the agenda. Many golfers like
well defined tree lined golf courses but there is a point when trees become
obstructions over the character of a golf hole. Eleven and twelve are two replacement
holes that fall into that category along with not really having quite the same
look and feel as the rest of the course.
Reidel
explained that for a couple years after those holes were built they weren’t
used because there were issues of turf conditioning. Those issues were resolved
and the holes were incorporated into the course and they are good golf holes.
However now there is a plan to make them fit in better with the rest of the
course.
The plan
begins with shortening the 441 yard par 4 (members white tees) 12th hole to
about a 360 or 370 risk reward par 4. Then the heavily tree lined left side
between it and the 11th hole will be mostly cleared to give it more
of an open feel. The end result will be a shorter hole that will retain the
water hazard guarding the front of the green and a large specimen tree guarding
the dogleg.
The preceding
360 yard par 4 eleventh hole is likely to remain as is with some tree removal.
However Reidel indicated that there are some at the club who would like to
rework it to make it a par 5. This would retain the course as a par 72, but
that is a minor issue for this golf director. The hole is a challenge as it is as the sixth
rated handicap hole on the course.
As shown above the wind will stretch out the flag sticks around the course.
As for the
bunkering, the biggest and most noticeable part of the makeover for members, it
has started on holes three and seven. “Primarily the bunkers will be rebuilt
and the style will be consistent throughout the course,” Riedel explained. “The
floor of the bunkers will be relatively flat and the sod will be rolled down to
the bunker much like what was here before,” he continued. Holes five and six
are next to be done in the ongoing cycle.
On our trip
around the golf course we found a nice mix of long and short holes in a
combination of straight and tricky doglegs. Also there were two par 5 holes in
two and fifteen that we (as mid-level handicappers) found were reachable in two
having some favorable wind and slightly forward tee placements. It required two
good shots of course.
Reidel cited
the 15th hole a favorite of his and a lot of his reasoning has to do
with the green. “It has a lot of character,” he commented in addition to the
challenge of negotiating the way to the green sandwiched between unplayable
areas down the left side and a water hazard in play on the inside of the slight
dogleg. Wind is a big factor in coastal golf courses and Reidel said he has
seen the 15th play really tough and long and getting on the green in
regulation can be a challenge.
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| Add 15th green as seen from the right side of the fairway. |
Risk reward
holes dot the course for the long hitters with strategic placement of water
hazards, bunkers and sharp doglegs. In general we found just pulling out the
driver wasn’t the way to play some of them which followed another thing Reidel commented
on after our round. “If you play smart and hit to the middle of the greens you
can do well here,” he told us.
One thing
players will remember are two par three holes in five and sixteen, both play
over water. While they are mild yardage holes playing 133 and 121 yards from
the white members tees (170 and 155 from the back tees) you can walk up on the
tee with three clubs in your hands and stand there trying to figure out which
would be the right one because of the wind conditions on any given day.
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| Par 3 5th hole. |
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| Par 3 16th green as seen from 15th fairway. |
“There
really is no prevailing wind,” Reidel said. It can be a North or Northwest wind
or it came come up from the south, and then there is the east wind coming in
off the ocean. Add to that the infamous Jersey shore green heads. “We don’t
have bugs all the time,” Reidel said and added that the winds can and do help
with the bugs.
The course
record was set a few years ago by a then 19-year-old local player, Alexander
Hicks, who is now chasing the dream on the Canadian tour. “He came in one day
with a score of 64 which would have broken the existing course record,” Reidel
said, “but one of the holes was set up short so it really didn’t count. About a
month later he came in with the 62.”
The Shore
Club is private but there are seasonal memberships and you can call Amanda Ruhl
at 609-465-7824 to explore the options available.
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| View from clubhouse patio of the current 7th green. |
