man & nature # 22 ~ like playing golf in Scotland without the airfare
Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 07:04PM 
Twisted Dunes # 16 • click to embiggenI'm back and have spent the better part of the day in the "darkroom" wherein I have "developed" 60 images from over 250 that I created on the Jersey Shore.
That number does not include the above images of Twisted Dunes GC - # 16, Egg Harbor Township, NJ. The 16th hole at Twisted Dunes is a 165 yard par 3. It is rated as the 18th handicap hole on the course meaning that, in golf parlance, it is the easiest hole on the course.
If one of the gods of golf sat me down and told me I could only play 1 golf course for the rest of my life, Twisted Dunes just might be the one. 
Typical green and fairway • click There is not a tree on the course which is built in an old quarry. Instead of tree-lined fairways there are only dune-lined ones that are covered with deep wild grasses. The picture on the left gives you an good idea of the size of the dunes.
I love this course (I've played it 3 times) because it has such a lay-of-the-land feel to it - very Scottish / Irish seaside links style. 
Typical tee shot • clickThe illusion here (unlike the real deal in Scotland and Ireland) is that the tees, fairways, and greens are placed where nature let them be placed. There is a sense that god, not a golf architect, decided where the those things would be.
The course is very near the ocean so wind does come into play, some days more than others, and like its Scottish / Irish brethren, many a tee shot is semi-blind - you see the fairway but not where a well-struck drive will end up. A number of fairways rise over a hillock and out of sight, most often with a slight dogleg beyond your line of sight. A good yardage book is a necessity.
In any event, the next entry will begin my Shore Light series. There will be a book.
FYI, I carded an 81.
Reader Comments (6)
No trees but to me it still looks like an adventure.
Nice round :) I don't get nearly enough practice, so consider myself fortunate to keep it under 100.
You're right - a very Scottish type of feel to the course.
-matt
Thanks for the comments
Matt - practice makes perfect
Don - By no means did I mean to imply that it was not adventure because there are no trees. In fact, just the opposite is true. On most "resort" courses, the ground around the trees on tree-lined fairway is relatively well trimmed so that you have at least a chance of finding an errant ball.
On a seaside links course, you must hit the fairway or the rough. Otherwise, trying to find a ball in the dunes and dense grasses is virtually impossible.
My playing companion, a friend from my Pittsburgh days, went through 12 golf balls during the round.
Hi,
I'm just curious. Is this a re-claimed industrial site? As usual, your photos relate a great sense of place ( and time ) Thanks, Tim
Hi,
I meant to say, other than a quarry, perhaps gravel, were there any other activities ( asphalt plant, bunker "c" storage, that type of thing. Tim
Hi Tim - thanks for the feedback, it's always appreciated.
I am not aware of any use other than "quarry" for this site. For all I know, we were playing on a former toxic dump.