Review: Seaview Golf Club - Bay Course (Part 2)

It's time to check out the back nine at Seaview Bay, go here to see the front.

The tenth hole is just under 370 yards and was playing mostly downwind, so it's not a long hole. It bends left and the fairway narrows drastically about 300 yards from the tee, so long hitters might want to use less club. However, while you'll naturally want to aim the drive left, that's actually a mistake, since there's a whole series of bunkers short left of the green. It's actually more open if you go down the right side of the fairway, so that means taking the longer route. I like that strategy, and I think it should be used a bit more often. The green is quite small and has a fair amount of left-to-right slope.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green from a less than ideal location. This is your view if you hit your drive down the left side.

The tenth green.

It says the eleventh hole is a par 3, but at 230 yards and with the wind right in your face, it sure doesn't feel like one. The green's on the bigger side, but there are big bunkers left and right too, plus there are fairway bunkers in case you're thinking of laying up (which is honestly not the worst idea). It's a very difficult tee shot, but the green is pretty flat, so if you do hit it you'll at least have the potential. Frankly though, a three here is a very good score, and even a four is perfectly respectable.

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is a short par 4 that would be a lot better with a few less trees. Yes, I know there aren't very many, but those few trees lining the right side are really inconvenient. They discourage golfers from going straight at the green, which is definitely within reach from the tee, especially when the hole plays downwind. That said, the best play is to use a long iron or fairway wood and play out to the left, getting as close to a group of three fairway bunkers along the far edge. The green is long and thin, but it's aligned so that you'll have the best angle from the left. The green is very hard to hit from the tee, but it's so close that many couldn't resist, even with the trees. Without the trees, it would be even more tempting, sort of like the tenth at Riviera. Still, it's a good hole.

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green. Brigantine Golf Links is in amongst those houses on the other side of the bay, to the left of the water tower.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole isn't exactly a long par 4 at 415 yards, but for this course, it's on the longer side. The drive is pretty simple, and for once there's not a lot of fescue around, so the driver is pretty safe to use. Just avoid the bunkers on the left side. The second shot will be a short iron to a green that slopes pretty significantly from left to right and protected by bunkers on each side. Not the most exciting hole in the world.

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is mostly blind, hidden behind mounding and a pair of bunkers. Top-shot bunkers, a relic of a bygone era, meant to catch topped shots. It's 420 yards, and while there's no bunkers in play on the tee shot, the tree line left is absolutely not someplace you want to be, and the fairway slowly narrows as you get further along. The second shot is to a medium-size green flanked by bunkers; this is also not a particularly exciting hole.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is a 200 yard par 3 that plays close to the coast, but it doesn't really factor in unless you hit a big slice. That said, right is still a very bad place to miss, since it'll either kick straight right or hit the cart path and bounce into an unfortunate location. Totally not speaking from experience on that one. You're better off missing left in that greenside bunker. The green is medium sized and reasonably flat.

The fifteenth hole.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole heads away from the coast for the final time, and this is also the last par 4 at Seaview Bay, playing a modest 377 yards. It doglegs significantly to the right, and there's a 50 yard long zone about 250-300 yards from the tee where the fairway's pretty wide and there are no bunkers. That's a good place to hit your drive, though you can also lay further back with a long iron or fairway wood where the fairway is technically widest. Just avoid the bunkers, especially the long narrow one on the right side. For the second shot, you'll have a short iron or wedge into a green with a lot of back to front slope protected by a big bunker to the right.

The sixteenth hole.

Approaching the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is a fun little par 3, the sort of hole I wish more golf courses had. It's only 115 yards, so anyone can play it (and the tees were up when we played it, so in reality it was maybe 100 yards). But it's not a pushover. The green is not large and it's completely surrounded by bunkers, plus it was playing straight into what had become a fairly stiff breeze. Play a standard wedge and you're inviting the wind to knock it down into one of those front bunkers. A knockdown shot is a lot more fun and more controllable, in my opinion, though my attempt at it could have gone better. (I hit a good shot, but flew it too far.) It's one of those holes that's either really easy or really hard, and I enjoy that sort of thing.

The seventeenth hole.

The eighteenth hole is the only hole at Seaview Bay that stretches over 500 yards, and it does so only technically, with the scorecard listing it at a massive 501 yards. However, like the previous hole, it played into the wind, giving it a bit more teeth. There are a couple of big bunkers right in amongst the thick fescue, so you really don't want to hit a slice. The bunkers left are smaller and there's a bit more wiggle room, so if you must miss, left is the better option. A pair of bunkers tighten the fairway about 100 yards from the green, so you have to decide on your second whether or not to carry them, a decision that's much easier if you hit a good drive. The green is wide open in the front for those who want to go for it in two, which is something I like. You need to hit a good drive, but it's definitely possible to get an eagle or at least a birdie here, so long as you negotiate the undulating green. It's always nice finishing with a good score rather than hanging on with a par or bogey.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

Unfortunately, my view of this course is a bit biased because I had quite a bad round. My goal was to stay below 90 for the entire week and what did I do the first day? Shoot a 92. So that was annoying.

This is a good golf course, let there be no question. It's a classic early Golden Age design, built by two people who knew what they were doing. That said, it's never really spectacular or anything really special. It's not on the level of Atlantic City, despite looking and playing over very similar terrain. It's not quite as good as Shennecossett, another seaside Donald Ross course. The second hole is pretty good, but I can't help thinking that it could have been better. Also, I have to confess that I found the fescue very annoying. If it was thinner, it would be fine, but it was lush and thick, and it was very easy to lose golf balls in it. Now, that would be fine if there was a bit more space, but on many holes the fescue practically bordered the fairway. As someone who's wildly inaccurate basically all the time, I'm just not a big fan of digging through grass a yard high every other hole. I understand that the course is very short and taking driver out of the player's hands is the only real way it can defend itself, but that doesn't mean I have to like it that much.

In terms of value, Seaview Bay isn't the cheapest course in the world, but Atlantic City is similar to Myrtle Beach in that the golf just costs a certain amount and there's not really much you can do. It was $79 on a Monday morning, which isn't terrible considering it's part of a fancy hotel, but it's not cheap either. I'd be willing to play it again, but I wouldn't pay any more than that. I'd actually be interested in playing here in the early spring before the long grass has a chance to grow. Maybe then I could break 90.