News & Information
| Tee time in the Wildwoods: Add golf to your vacation agenda | ||
| Tourism Media Kit The Wildwoods, N.J. - Plans for a new golf course - this one in Woodbine - attest to the growing popularity of golf as a leisure activity for visitors and vacationers in the Wildwoods and throughout Cape May County. For family fun, the chance to perfect your chip shot or a few hours to spend with business colleagues, nothing can beat a round of golf for exercise and enjoyment. Golf courses can be found from one end of the county to the other -- from Cape May National to B.L. England -- and offer a variety of playing levels for the beginner to the scratch golfer. From early morning to dusk, area courses offer challenging yet playable holes and exquisite venues so duffers can easily fit their favorite pastime into a vacation or business schedule. Although there are no golf courses located on the island, several courses are just minutes away, providing a golf experience that is similar to other resorts. Situated close to the ocean or bay, there's always a mild breeze, plenty of scenic beauty, and lush, well-kept greens and fairways at local courses. With nine public courses in Cape May County and even more in nearby counties, tee times are rarely a problem. Most area golf courses have special afternoon, weekday and "twilight" rates for those who want to hit the links after a day at the beach. Many clubs offer restaurants or grill rooms and pro shops. Golf course developers and designers have realized the demand for the sport in the area and have discovered that the natural attributes found throughout the Jersey Cape are a perfect fit for unique and picturesque facilities. Tailwinds, the new 18-hole championship course located off Route 550 behind the Woodbine Municipal Airport, is expected to open in the spring of 2005. It will include a pro shop, clubhouse, restaurant and meeting room plus ample parking. The owner of the new Woodbine course is also the developer of Sand Barrens Golf Club, another premier course, in Middle Township. Sand Barrens is a par 72 course and the multiple tee boxes on each hole make for an enjoyable round for every golfer. The course - 6,304 yards for men and 4,817 women - has a renowned 4th hole, with an elevated tee and two greens below, one 450 yards away, the other 429. At 5,896 yards for men and 4,694 yards for women, the Avalon Golf Club, also a par 72, is one of the area's most popular and accessible courses, featuring eight lakes throughout the course and a driving range. Newest among the 18-hole courses is Shore Gate in the Ocean View section of Dennis Township. The course was designed to be challenging yet rewarding for players of all levels. Shore Gate recently acquired a liquor license, allowing golfers to enjoy a favorite beverage after a round. At the southern end of the county, Cape May National on Route 9 and Ponderlodge, just off Bayshore Road in Villas, are 18-hole, par 71 courses tucked into wooded areas with lakes, sand traps, grass bunkers, tree-lined fairways and undulating greens. Cape May National's 18th has been called "the finest closing hole in the mid-Atlantic region." The course is built around a 50-acre private bird sanctuary and teems with natural beauty set amid the area's expansive wetlands. Another new course, this one just a few minutes from anywhere in the Wildwoods, is Cape May Par 3 Golf Course and Driving Range in Rio Grande, just off Route 47 (Delsea Drive). This 18-hole, links-style course is very reasonably priced and offers experienced golfers a chance to hone their short games while giving novices an opportunity to learn the game without being frustrated by impossible holes. Several private courses, many of which have reciprocity with private clubs that are members of the Philadelphia Golf Association, can also be found nearby. Wildwood Golf and Country Club, just minutes away from the northern entrance to the Wildwoods and Stone Harbor Golf Club is a short drive north on Route 9. Northern Cape May County boasts three public courses. The Pines at Clermont is a fun, nine-hole executive, par 31 course that is 2,105 yards for men and 1,985 from the red tees. There are some par 4s, bunkers, water and traps. B.L. England Golf Course, just off Route 9 in Beesley's Point and a stone's throw away from the bridges over the Great Egg Harbor Bay -- is a nine-hole par 34 course set amid the trees with just enough water and sand to make the course interesting. For 18 holes, the course is 4,956 yards from the men's tees and 4,290 yards from the women's tees. Ocean City lays claim to the area's only municipal course, with a 12-hole, par 3 pitch-and-putt course tucked along the bayside of the barrier island. Whatever level of play, there is enough diversity in the layouts and designs of the golf courses in Cape May County to satisfy anyone who wants to make golf a part of their fun-filled vacation in the Wildwoods. | ||
