Sand Barrens Golf Club (Cape May, NJ)

The next course in my forgotten series is Sand Barrens. I played it during my trip to Atlantic City, which also included rounds at Twisted Dunes and Ballyowen. 

I'm not sure why my recollection is so foggy with Sand Barrens. The course is absolutely beautiful! Part of it is due to my poor play, and the other part is more complicated. Hurzdan and Frye designed it in 1999. At that point in my travels, most of my trips were to Columbus or Dayton. Hurzdan is based in Columbus, so I was playing a lot of his courses! To me, Sand Barrens was just another Hurzdan course. 

One thing I remember, and it crossed my mind even when I was looking at the pictures, is the sand motif gets very repetitive. (The course has over 35 acres of sand!!) Many of the holes look the same, and the reliance on bunkers surrounding nearly every landing area, either fairway or green, makes the holes blend into one. 

What I do recall is going to dinner at this restaurant on the coast. It had it's own fishing boat, and whatever they hauled in that morning was on the menu in the evening. It was a very interesting place. 

Sand Barrens gets golfers from all over southern New Jersey. I wonder if it's a 6 or just a very solid 5. I haven't been to Atlantic City in a very long time, and have no plans to see it though Atlantic Country Club is high on my radar.