SHORE GOLF GUIDE | Summer 2023

McCullough’s Emerald Golf Links

A Taste of Old-World Championship Golf at the Jersey Shore

McCullough’s Emerald Golf Links offers you a passport to play some of the Old World’s most famous holes right here at the Jersey Shore. The course is a one-of-a-kind and true Irish-Scottish links gem featuring eighteen of the most fun to play holes inspired by many of the most famous British Open and European courses in the world.

Looking and feeling like some of the many hundred-year-old holes they pay homage to, this Stephen Kay design utilizes unique elevations in conjunction with creative Scottish style bunkering, along with fescue grass mounding, multi-leveled and sloping greens.

The open, rolling, and wind driven fairways to recreate the authentic Irish and Scottish golf experience with holes modeled after St. Andrews, Prestwick, Carnoustie, Turnberry, Royal Dornoch, Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, and many others.

McCullough’s Emerald Golf Links is celebrating 21 years serving locals and shore visitors. Enjoy food and drinks at Vagabond, which adjoins the clubhouse and overlooks the sprawling course.

McCullough’s is just minutes away from Ocean City and Margate, located at 3016 Ocean Heights Avenue in Egg Harbor Township. Call 609-926-3900 or go to www. mcculloughsgolf.com

e Shore is Home to Some Great Golf

The Atlantic City region boasts some of the best golf courses in the U.S. In fact, the greater Atlantic City region offers nearly 20 championship-caliber courses within a short 30 minute drive.

Golfweek Magazine puts many of Atlantic City’s courses in the Top 10 New Jersey golf experiences. Our courses represent a wide range of style, design and history. The tranquil beauty of wetlands, stunning bay views, challenging topography with deep ravines, rolling fairways, stretches of sand bunkers and tall pine trees give players so many fun options.

How good is Atlantic City golf? Good enough to earn a "Top 10 Golf Cities in America" designation from ForbesTraveler.com. Most of the area’s courses also made it on to the “best places to play” list in Golf Digest. And, according to GolfDigest.com, “Atlantic City is a terrific low-cost, high-quality golf destination.”

The NJ Shore is the perfect place to wake up, play some challenging holes, eat dinner in a beachside restaurant, then catch a show, then retire for the night.

SHORE GOLF GUIDE

is here to help you discover some of the best golf and other activities the area has to offer. We hope you enjoy this new magazine…and a great round of golf.

Shore Golf was Born at AC Country Club

By William Kelly

Golf came to Atlantic City by train. It came in over the rails that brought many thousands of tourists to Atlantic City daily. Many of the visitors had played golf in Philadelphia where the increasing popularity of the game spurred the construction of new golf courses and developed a new aspect of the sport called “resort golf.” Atlantic City was at one time a sandbar barrier island known as Absecon Island, and used by farmers as a cattlepen before it was developed into a tourist destination when the trains started arriving in 1877. At the time Atlantic City offered fine beaches, a boardwalk and exceptional hotels. But Atlantic City, as of the summer of 1896, did not have a golf course. Some people who had experienced the game at other resorts brought along their own golf equipment, but were left playing in the sand on the beach among the bathers. The lack of a facility to play golf, indeed the lack of a “country club” itself, was a matter

best addressed by the city’s leading citizens with the establishment of a committee. Most were prosperous Atlantic City hotel owners. This was before the era of public relations or promotion men, as they had to depend on their own ideas, and everyone

seemed to have a different one. Someone mentioned a place where a new game called ‘golf’ was played. It was noted that ‘people of affluence’ were taking up the game. After a long discussion it was deemed the best of all plans submitted.” The name Country Club of Atlantic City was chosen, and a plot of land in Northfield was selected for the site, as it was easily accessible from the boardwalk hotels via trolley lines that ran from Atlantic City to Somers Point and Ocean City. While still under construction, golfers began to play before the official opening on June 18th 1898.

thought

72 N BREMEN AVE, EGG HARBOR CITY, NJ 08215 • RENAULTWINERY.COM

Swing Easy when it’s Breezy

By Sean Fawcett

Playing golf in high winds is tough enough, but we only make it harder on ourselves when we do. That’s often the case when hitting into the wind. The natural tendency is to swing harder to get the distance we’re losing by hitting into the wind. The problem is that the wind will balloon the ball upwards into the sky making the shot come up short (and the harder we swing, the higher the ball will go). It’s why airplanes take off into the wind. The air resistance helps to elevate the aircraft. Airplanes need that air pushing back on them to create lift and lift off. Planes need resistance. The other thing which hurts us is that any spin we have put onto the ball, and most occurr accidentally, like with a slice will curve all the more because of the wind’s resistance. You really cannot muscle

the ball through the wind by hitting the club you would normally hit from the distance that you are hitting from. You cannot hold back the tide. You have to play with the wind, and especially when it is against you. So, instead of trying to hit a hard pitching wedge from say 110 yards, like you would normally do when the wind isn’t against you, hit a nine iron and swing a little easier. Depending upon the wind speed, you might even have to choke down a little more and take an even longer club, like an eight iron, from that very same distance. Don’t let your ego get into your way. You might even need to use a driver on a 200 yard, or 180 yard, par 3 that’s playing into a three club wind, sometimes. I have had to do that many times, and I wouldn’t have reached the green, or carried the water, if I hadn’t taken the extra club. It’s just the way it goes.

After your round visit "The Roost" - Atlantic County's Newest Pub and Grill. Enjoy a menu featuring casual but innovative bites while you watch the on-course action from the open air deck. Or, stay inside to watch the latest sports news and events from the multiple large screen TVs.

Don't forget to download our app Like, Share & Follow us on:

“Cape May Arnie”

By Sean Fawcett

Every golfer knows The King, Arnold Palmer. And nearly every golfer knows that Arnold Palmer was from Latrobe Pennsylvania, out by Pittsburgh. Few people know about his time in Cape May and at Wildwood Country Club.

For most of three years, from 1951 to 1953 in between his college playing days at Wake Forrest University and his prolific professional playing career which began in 1954, Arnold Palmer worked in the United States Coast Guard at Cape May. It was here, while serving his nation where he grew to become the great golfer by playing the beautiful tree-lined bayside links at Wildwood Country Club. The historic club was a pivotal training ground for Palmer in his formative early 20’s years before he turned pro and became America’s most famous golfing hero.

Longtime Wildwood C.C. member, Jim Byrne, 84, knew, and got to play with Palmer in those Wildwood and Cape May days when he was a teenager. “I was a senior in high school in 1951,” remembered Byrne. “We got out of school about the same time the Coast Guard guys did, and we would go to Wild-

wood to play and there was Arnie. He would always be like ‘hey, do you want to play a few holes’, and then he and my brother and I would go play. “He was so down to Earth. He was just Arnie from the Coast Guard to us. He would hit the ball way right, and long, and then hit the most amazing hook shots you’d ever see right back and onto the green. He was incredible.”

Long time Wildwood P.G.A. professional, and now GM Fred Riedel remembered how just months before his death, Palmer, who so much loved his playing days at the Jersey Shore course, signed several pin flags for him and wrote him a letter addressed to the club and its members to help commemorate Wildwood’s 100th birthday last year. “It probably just took five minutes for him, but for us and our members it was huge,” said Riedel. “Arnie would come back sometimes when he was in the area, and he kept in contact with several of our members he knew over the years when he was down the shore. “It goes without saying that it’s a huge honor to be at Wildwood Country Club where Arnold Palmer played. He was The King.”

The days before Greate Bay

Greate Bay was built as Ocean City Golf Club in 1923 by the Lake family, Ocean City’s founders. The Lakes envisioned a classic course on a picturesque parcel of land hugging the shore of Great Egg Harbor Bay. To make their vision a reality, they commissioned one of the most accomplished players and designers of the day, Willie Park, Jr. Park was a star professional who won the British Open in 1887 and 1889. He also authored an instruction book before turning his attention to golf course design. Throughout an accomplished career, Park created courses that remain among the world’s finest –including Olympia Fields North in Illinois, site of the U.S. Open in 1997 and 2003 and the PGA Championship in 1925 and 1961.

The Sands Casino bought and renamed it in Sands Country Club in 1981. The course was later purchased by 76ers owner Pat Croce and other partners in 2004 and named Greate Bay.

Fairway Bunker Shots Made Easier

By Sean Fawcett

Fairway bunker shots intimidate even experienced golfers, but they are not as tough as you might think. Just remember a couple of key things. First, do not dig your feet into the sand. Digging your feet in lowers your body, and hands, and, in turn, lowers your club head making you hit the sand first behind the ball. You’ll want to dig in on greenside bunker shots because you’ll want to hit the sand first behind the ball to lift it up, gently out and onto the green, but it’s the exact opposite when playing a fairway bunker shot. Your goal in playing a fairway bunker shot is distance. You want to hit the ball first and

hit it cleanly and hard. Make it go as far as you can hit it.

The other thing to remember is to take two longer clubs and swing 70%. Swing mostly with your upper body and take a shorter backswing and swing a little easier and let the longer golf club help you get the added distance. For instance, if you are 150 yards out, and you would normally hit a seven iron from there from the fairway, take a five iron and swing about three-quarters as hard as you would from the grass.

Be sure to practice. Like all golf shots, you’ll need to hit a lot of these kinds of shots before you get good at hitting them and develop confidence. The more you do easier they will become.

Seaview Golf Club

The Jersey Shore Classic opened more than 100 years ago and has long been the home of the best golf in the region. Situated in Galloway Township, Seaview offers two courses, the historic Bay course designed by Hall of Fame architects Hugh Wilson (Merion) and Donald Ross (Pinehurst) and the Pines Course, managed by TROON, a world-wide leader in the golf resort industry. Local and visiting golfers enjoy

first class amenities and memorable vistas all year long.

The Seaview Golf Club is host course of the ShopRite LPGA Classic. It’s also where the World Golf Hall of Famer, Sam Snead, won the 1942 PGA Championship. The course was a favorite of U.S. presidents Warren G. Harding and Dwight D. Eisenhower. A strong tradition of excellence lives on at Seaview Golf Club for new generations to enjoy.

Bay Course

PLAY WHERE THE PROS PLAY

Come out to Seaview and Experience Troon Golf on Two of the Most Historic Courses in New Jersey

Experience the newly renovated Bay Course featuring all new greenside bunker complexes, updated looks, and new cart paths! Book your tee times today! Best available rate always online at www.seaviewgolf.com

Play where: The ShopRite LPGA Classic Calls Home, And where: Sam Snead Won His First Major

The rise and fall of the Atlantic City Racecourse

By Steffen Klenk

Long befo re the introduction of casinos in Atlantic City, thoroughbred racing was on the rise. The Atlantic City Race Course was the pinnacle of premiere horse racing in the country.

Atlantic City Race Course was led by the vision of four businessmen, John B. Kelly Sr., Leo Fraser, Fred Scholler and Glendon Robertson. On July 22, 1946, Atlantic City Race Course officially opened to a crowd of over 28,000. Among the attendees included Grace Kelly, daughter of John Kelly, and shareholders Frank Sinatra, B ob Hope, Sammy Kaye and

Harry James.

September 1953 saw the debut of the yearly thoroughbred race, the United Nations Handicap. It was Atlantic City’s first showcase for the best turf runners throughout the country and the world. The annual event saw the success of eleven-time Triple Crown jockey Bill Shoemaker, who led three straight wins from 1957 to 1959. Breeder’s Cup winning horse Steinlen rode to victory in the 1990 Caesars International Handicap.

While Atlantic City Race Course was known for its world-class horse racing, the venue has also played host to a variety of entertainment.

The Kentucky Derby

From August 1-3, 1969, ACRC hosted the Atlantic City Pop Festival. The three-day rock festival was headlined by Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin and B.B. King, amongst a lineup of dozens. Over 110,000 revelers and approximately 6,000 gate crashers attended the concert, held nearly two weeks before Woodstock.

From its inception, Atlantic City Race Course was at the pinnacle in New Jersey. The track drew record crowds of over 33,000 fans in September 7, 1953. In summer 1967, fans wagered over $3.1 million in a single day, the highest betting handle in ACRC history.

The rise of the casino and gaming industry caused attendance to slowly diminish. In 1983, ACRC became the first track in the United States to receive simulc ast racing. New Jersey Supreme Court would suspend simulcast

operations in 1985, but was later approved in a referen dum. There was an effort to bring slot machines to the Atlantic City Race Course in 1998, but the proposal was shot down.

In its later years, Atlantic City Race Course would seldom open for live simulcasts and thoroughbred racing. Several real estate developers and large businesses made attempts in purchasing the 250-acre property, all of which fell through. On May 4, 2012, Atlantic City Race Course held its final live day of racing, drawing a crowd of more than 25,000.

On January 9, 2015, it was formally announced that Atlantic City Race Course would wind down its operations and close its doors for good. While the future of ACRC and the 250-acre property remains unknown, its legacy and impact on our region has been etched into the history books.

Curbside Pickup Service Available

Golfers need strong, flexible, and healthy backs. There might not be another part of the golfer’s body that is more important to the golf swing, and a golfer’s enjoyment of playing the game. So, for help in getting, and keeping, your back, For help in getting and keep your back and game in shape and pain-free, see Fred Chang, DC, L., Ac at Coastal Chiropractic & Acupuncture. Chiropractic adjustments can help in relieving lower back pain that sometimes comes from playing golf. Acupuncture can loosen muscles, reducing the possibilities of strains and sprains. Acupuncture can also alleviate complications of elbow pain commonly suffered by golfers. Located in Galloway and just about a par five away from historic Seaview Country Club, Dr. Fred Chang has your back.

“The First Birdie”

By Sean Fawcett

Did you know that term “birdie” was first used right here in Southern New Jersey? It’s true, and it happened one day way back in 1903 at maybe the most historic of all the great South Jersey golf courses, Atlantic City Country Club, founded in 1897, in a December foursome which included two of America’s greatest golf course architects and personalities, A.W. Tillinghast and George Crump.

According to history, the two giants of the game, Tillinghast, architect of two of most famous championship sites Baltusrol and Bethpage Black and Crump, designer of the revered Pine Valley Golf Course were golfing with fellow Philadelphians Bill and Abner Smith. Abner was playing the long par 4 twelfth hole and hit his second shot right at the hole making the score of 3 (one-underpar) an all-but assured formality. The story

continues that someone from the group following that historic swing, either Abner himself, or maybe his brother exclaimed something like “that’s a bird of a shot!”. Thus, the term meaning one shot under par became a local phrase “birdie” and becoming the official vocabulary that all golfers call a score of one shot better than par. The term for two shots under par, “eagle”, was first used at the same club soon after.

UP TO PAR GOLF BEST GOLF INSTRUCTION IN OCEAN COUNTY

Up To Par Golf offers a personalized approach to each lesson. All our lessons include the Following:

Advanced video analysis

After lesson video reviews

Personalized practice plans

Online video locker

Christopher Nelson is the Owner and Director of Instruction at Up To Par Golf. He has given over 5,000 lessons in Ocean County. His unique approach to teaching has helped thousands of students improve their games.

Up To Par Golf has achieved 5 star ratings on Google, Facebook, Lessons.com & Thumtack.com from over hundreds of students.

We can help you enjoy the game more!

You can read more about all that we can do here: www.uptopargolf.com

To book a lesson call/text 908-278-2775 or email chris@uptopargolf.com

Mention this ad to receive $10 off your first lesson!

Safe Returns: How to Release a Fish

Learning how to fish involves more than catching fish. At some point, all anglers will be faced with the need to return fish they are not allowed to keep to the water, due to size, season, creel limits, or local catch-and-release fishing regulations.

Mastering the task of fish release by following the steps in this section will give you confidence that you know how to release fish in a way to protect fish populations for future generations of anglers.

You might be asking yourself, “What’s the best way to handle fish to ensure they survive release?” Whether or not they do largely depends on the angler. Learning how to release fish from a hook takes practice in general. Understanding how

to handle fish and how to release fish in a conservation-friendly manner are the first few steps you can take to help promote fishing conservation.

1. Use wet hands when handling a fish or a knotless rubberized landing nets (and rubberized - not cotton- gloves if you must wear gloves). This helps maintain the slime coat on the fish, which protects it from infection and aids in swimming. Anglers that know how to practice proper catch and release never use a towel of any kind when handling fish since a towel can remove this slime coat.

2. Hold the fish horizontally whenever possible since this is the way fish naturally swim through the water. Do not drop the fish onto hard surfaces!

3. Keep your fingers away from the gills and eyes of the fish.

4. If needed, use a release tool (dehookers, recompression tools) to minimize handling.

5. Time is of the essence! Release fish as soon as practical and do not keep them out of the water longer than necessary. Try to release your fish gently head first into the water, which helps push water through the mouth and over the gills, and helps to resuscitate the fish. Revive exhausted fish by placing the fish in the

water, facing the current if possible, with one hand underneath the belly and the other hand holding the bottom lip or tail.

6. Know the current fishing regulations that apply to the state where you are fishing and learn how to accurately measure fish in order to abide by the regulations. By following fishing regulations you are building and conserving our state fish populations for future generations of anglers.

Heritage Golf Links

By Sean Fawcett

e “Play 9” movement is catching on, and one of the best places to play nine is just minutes away from the beach. Heritage Golf Links is located in Upper Township, Cape May County. It’s an easy drive from Ocean City and Sea Isle: just go over the bridge and turn on Route 9. Go south on Route 9 from Ocean City’s 34th Street Bridge. Go north on Route 9 from Sea Isle. With slogans like “Play Nine before Beach Time” and “Play Nine Anytime”, Heritage Golf Links is fast becoming one of the must-play golf courses at the South Jersey Shore.

Lovingly maintained, and with some of the best putting greens at the Shore, Heritage Golf Links is a family run and family friendly. It’s an enjoyable place for everyone to play a quick nine, or an enjoyable 18, any time of the day. Featuring six full-sized par 3s and three ne par 4s, Heritage Links Golf Course is the course for you.

MAKE US YOUR HOME COURSE AT THE SHORE