Review: Seaview Golf Club - Bay Course (Part 1)

Atlantic City is not the tourist destination it was back in its glory days. Time has passed it by, and the recession back in 2008 did more than its fair share of damage to the gambling industry. Plus, gambling is now legal in all the nearby states, so there's no need to travel the whole way to Atlantic City if you want to lose some money on the blackjack tables or the slot machines. Or, if you do want to travel, you'd go to Las Vegas, which has casinos on a much grander scale. So, that's it then, right? Well, perhaps not, because in my opinion Atlantic City is actually an excellent golf destination. I've been here a couple times before and played three courses, but this time I was able to focus on the golf, and my brothers and I were able to play the best of what Atlantic City has to offer.

We start off with Seaview Resort, a 36-hole facility a bit north of town. My brothers and I only played the Bay Course, but that's the better course, and the one with the seaside views. It's old as well, originally routed by Hugh Wilson (of Merion fame) in 1914, though it was finished by Donald Ross after Wilson died. It was restored in the late 90s, so what you see is pretty close to the original design. Interestingly, of all the old Donald Ross courses laying around the country, this one has a tournament history; the LPGA plays a tournament here every year and has done so since 2010. Oh, and the 1942 PGA Championship was played at Seaview (though that used a composite of nine holes from the Bay and nine from the Pines), which was won by Sam Snead. That's not too bad for a course that isn't even 6,300 yards. 

The first hole is a fairly short par 4 that's just under 360 yards. Looking at the course on Google Maps, I thought it was going to be a pushover, but when I stepped onto the first tee, I was quickly disabused of that notion. This isn't a tough hole, but something the aerial image failed to capture is the long fescue lining the fairways. There is enough width, the course never feels narrow, but it's not wide either, and going into that fescue is basically a death penalty for your golf ball. So while this hole isn't long, you'll probably be using less than a driver. If you've hit the fairway and avoided the fescue and multiple fairway bunkers, you'll have a wedge or short iron (depending on how strong the incoming wind is) into the green, which has several bunkers surrounding it and actually falls away from the golfer, so it's tough getting shots to stop quickly. This is actually a pretty strong opener, despite its modest length.

The first hole.

Approaching the first green.

The first green.

Seaview Bay doesn't much time in getting to its most memorable hole. The second is the longest par 4 on the course at 435 yards, but it plays straight into the wind, which can add anything from 20 to 50 yards depending on how unlucky you are. There's O.B. and trees all down the right side, and bunkers come into play on the left unless you use a driver to get past them. Then you've got a mid or long iron into the green, which juts out into the marsh beyond on a small peninsula. The green is medium sized and falls away on all sides, making it play a bit smaller. Not the most strategically interesting hole in the world, but sometimes that's just not necessary. The thrill of hitting a long iron onto such an isolated target out in the marsh is plenty to make this hole a good one.

The second hole.

Approaching the second green.

The second green, with Atlantic City in the background.

The third hole is a short par 5 and a great birdie or even eagle opportunity. There's plenty of sand scattered around, but the fairway is pretty wide and there's a lot of space in between areas of fescue, so feel free to let loose with the driver. Since this hole plays in the opposite direction as the second, it's entirely possible you'll have a shorter iron into this green than on the last. I did, but that's partly because I hit a good drive here and a not so good one on the second. The second shot is a mid or even short iron to an undulating green protected by a few bunkers. There's a plateau of sorts running through the middle of the green that makes recovery shots from left or right tricky, but otherwise this is a pretty easy hole.

The third hole.

Approaching the third green.

The third green.

The fourth hole is about 380 yards and plays as much downhill as you can get being this close to the ocean. The fairway is blind, obscured by the terrain, but there's sand and fescue protecting both sides, so use a driver at your own peril. Going right will place you in some especially nasty and thick rough. The second shot, if you've hit the fairway, will be a wedge or short iron to a small, slightly elevated green. 

The fifth hole is slightly shorter than the previous hole and plays parallel to it in the opposite direction. Once again, right is a terrible place to be, and once again, there's a lot of sand and tall grass in play on the drive, so driver probably isn't the best choice. The left side is better if you've got that level of accuracy, as the green is more heavily bunkered on the right side. But there's lots of sand all around the green, so it's not a huge deal. It's more important just being in the fairway than preferring one side over the other.

The fifth hole.

Approaching the fifth green.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is sort of a more friendly version of the second. It's a bit under 400 yards, but it plays in the same direction as the second and also it features a green that juts out into the marsh. The tee shot is much more open as well, so driver doesn't feel like a big risk, which is nice after the previous two holes really took it out of play. However, for the longest hitters, the marsh does extend down the right side to about 100 yards from the green, so that's something to be wary off. Otherwise, this is a pretty simple if quite scenic medium-length par 4. I do like the green though, it's got lots of little lumps and bumps to make putts and chips interesting.

The sixth hole.

Approaching the sixth green.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is the first par 3 at Seaview Bay, and the only one on the front nine. It's 190 yards and while it does play over a small pond, it's not really an obstacle. Of more pressing concern is the four bunkers around the green, especially the one to the left built into the front of a mound. You especially don't want to go in that one, since the green slopes from left to right, so you'd have a bunker shot to a green sloping away from you. If you're going to miss this green, right is the place to do it.

The seventh hole.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is a short little par 4 at 320 yards, but it's more of the drive and pitch variety, not the driveable kind. There are no fairway bunkers, but the marsh lurks left, and the fairway ends about 20 yards short of the green, separated from the green by bunkers. The ideal shot off of the tee is a long iron or fairway wood, whichever leaves you with a full wedge into the green. You could get closer, but it's awkward hitting a lower half wedge into a green with bunkers in front. I'd take my chances laying back at around 100 yards.

The eighth hole.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is a short par 5, coming in at just 475 yards. That makes it very reachable, even when the wind isn't as dramatically helpful as it was on the third. However, it is extremely important that you hit a good drive on this hole. A series of diagonal crossbunkers cut across the fairway a bit more than 100 yards from the green; if you hit a decent drive, these are easily carried and barely a consideration. However, if you end up under the trees right or in the bunkers left, you'll have a decision to make. Can you carry the crossbunkers? If you end up in them or in the fescue surrounding them, par will be a tough score to achieve, and nobody likes making a bogey (or worse) on such a short par 5. You may have to accept a long, blind third shot to at least make sure you limit the damage. For those who hit a good drive, the green is pretty open, protected by a single bunker right and a mound left, and it's not particularly difficult to putt, so eagle is a definite possibility.

The ninth hole.

The ninth green.

That's it for this week, next week we'll take a look at the back nine.