1765 Route 9 North
Swainton, NJ 08210
609-465-3555

Alan B. Nichols
Golf Writer

For serious Atlantic City-bound golfers, Sand Barrens Golf Club is a must play. It is a 27-hole complex with a magnificent clubhouse, and it is a gem. It is located conveniently off Exit 13 of the Garden State Parkway in Swainton, NJ, approximately a half hour's drive from Atlantic City.

Designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry, Sand Barrens features three 9's, each ranging in length from about 2450 yards to 3500 yards from the tips. During our visit in June 2001, Sand Barrens was in mint condition, with bent grass tees, fairways and greens that were as finely maintained as anywhere I have played. It was pure pleasure to putt such true greens.

It appears a fair amount of earth was moved to create the weavy, sometimes elevated design of the holes which will be among the most interesting you will ever play. The holes bob and weave through tall pines and hardwoods and feature upland marshes brimming with wildflowers and other native plants and grasses.

Southern New Jersey is heavily forested with pitch pines, short-leaf pines and hardwoods oak, sycamore, magnolia and yellow poplar. The landscape is also colorfully adorned with such wildflowers as purple violet (the state flower), honeysuckle, goldenrod, Virginia cowslip, and Queen Anne's lace.

Sand Barrens is very similar in look and play to Tom Fazio's Pine Barrens at Worldwoods north of Tampa. Both courses, with their up and down fairways, omnipresent sand and wooded environs create a sense of being in North Carolina. Of course, sand plays a major part at Sand Barrens, offering not only a golf challenge but terrific visual interest. Large, sprawling waste bunkers deep enough to require staircases complement greenside bunkers that will have you tearing your hair out if you are not accurate with your approach shots. When you play the 9th hole of the South Course, stop and marvel at the stacked sod bunker on the front left side of the green. It was modeled after the famous greenside bunker at the 17th at St. Andrews only this one is even deeper. As for the greens at Sand Barrens, they are very large and feature some testy pin locations. The ProLink GPS tracking system will help you pick the right club and stay out of trouble.

The recently completed 18,000-square-foot clubhouse featuring a very large and cozy bar and grille with fine menu is as attractive as any I've seen. The service is also excellent. Judged by the condition of the complex, the owners appear to spare no expense to make Sand Barrens a rival of the very best public golf venues in the state.