410 South New York Road
Galloway Twp., NJ 08205
609-652-1800

Alan B. Nichols
Golf Writer

The Seaview Marriott Resort & Spa, on Route 9 in Galloway Township, NJ, just across the bay from Atlantic City, is a special place. It has a history and tradition that rivals the best of the classic, old-style resorts that used to attract the "stars" of business, film and sports. The elegant hotel’s reception area is strewn with vintage black and white photos of famous people who have graced these halls over the years.

Situated on 670 pristine wooded acres, Seaview is marked by gracious, friendly service and all the outstanding recreational facilities of a Golf Digest four-star resort, highlighted by two of the finest classically designed courses you will ever play, the Bay Course, designed by the renown Donald Ross, and the Pines Course.

The 2001 ShopRite LPGA Classic was being played on the Bay Course during my visit, but I did play the Pines and loved it. From the back tees (6211 from the middle set), the Pines Course is 6731 yards of classic golf at its best. Built in the 1920s, the course features a dozen doglegs, and every hole meanders through tall, thick southern Jersey pines. There are no gimmicks one often sees on modern designs, just pure straight-ahead golf.

After a terrific front nine, the course begins to sizzle starting with the long, uphill par 4 11th. From there, you play the downhill short but treacherous par 3 12th, the 436-yard slight dogleg right 13th which features a landing area off the tee into a small valley from where the green is obscured by a rise, and two fabulous and very long par 3’s in succession. The 468-yard sharp dogleg left 17th is one of the finest parkland par 4’s anywhere, magnificent in its beauty and downright massive in its challenge. The modestly long par 5 finishing hole up the hill, tops off one of the most enjoyable rounds of your life.

But you needn’t stop at the Pines. The Bay Course is one of Ross’s finest designs and is the resort’s signature course, though at 6247 yards from the tips, is considerably shorter. It features all of the famed designer’s trademarks and dynamic vistas of the bay on which it sits.

To make your round more enjoyable, the resort provides a forecaddie. If your game still goes south, try some lessons at the Faldo Institute right there at the resort. Meanwhile, a full-service health and fitness center, Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa, tennis facility and superb cuisine complement the excellent golf at the Seaview Marriott.