Review: Vineyard National at Renault (Part 2)

We're back for the back nine at Renault, go here to see the front nine.

The tenth hole is a 370 par 4 with three fairway bunkers on the left side. If you can hit your driver 250 yards, you can carry them, so I'd recommend that. The fairway widens out considerably past them. You'll have a wedge into the green, which is protected by a bunker front right. It also has two tiers, with the back being considerably higher than the front.

The tenth hole.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is 415 yards and plays uphill (or as much uphill as you get in basically flat southern New Jersey). The fairway isn't narrow, but it plays between two large bunkers right and dense trees left, so it feels a lot narrower than what you've gotten used to. The second shot is a short or mid iron up the hill to a green nestled in a small amphitheater. It's got three bunkers protecting it, and the green is tilted quite severely from back to front.

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is a mid-length par 4 that plays significantly downhill. Like the tenth hole, the fairway bunkers can be carried fairly easily with a driver, making that the better play. I actually like that the driver is encouraged just as often as its discouraged at Renault; it was a nice change of pace from Seaview and Twisted Dune. The second shot is tricky though relatively short, with the green surrounded by three bunkers and water to the right.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is a mid-length par 3 with a large pond right, though the long beach-style bunker alongside does offer some amount of forgiveness to shots hit slightly right. Obviously, many will be drawn out to the left to avoid the water, and that is a perfectly valid option, fortunately. This isn't a do-or-die proposition, which is good. A hole like that wouldn't fit in at Renault, which is otherwise quite a friendly golf course.

The thirteenth hole.

The fourteenth hole is a long par 4, and it's a tough one. The fairway crests a ridge about 300 yards from the tee, and so you'll need a long drive to get a clear shot of the green. However, the bunkers left and a large pine tree right narrow the fairway, making a driver tough to pull off. The second shot is a mid iron (or more) to a small green with bunkers left and right. There's also a tree about 100 yards on the left side that can block second shots if you hook the drive.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is a straightaway par 5, the shortest of the four at Renault. It's 510 yards, so it's reachable for longer hitters. The fairway is fairly narrow, and there are small fairway bunkers on both sides of the fairway, so the landing area isn't incredibly generous. If you're going for the green in two, the second is quite tough; there are two bunkers front left and front right, and the green isn't particularly large. However, if you lay up to about 100 yards, the third shot is not particularly difficult. Those bunkers are a lot less threatening when you've got a wedge in your hands.

The fifteenth hole.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is the final par 3 at Renault, playing 176 yards to a green that's small, fairly narrow, and significantly sloped from back to front. The bunker to the right is flashy and may attract more attention, but the small bunker left is deeper and much nastier to be in.

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is a short, almost drivable par 4 (though not on a gray drizzle-filled day), and one where you really don't want to go right. There's a big and very deep bunker protecting most of the green, and it's a shallow target beyond that bunker as well. Getting a pitch shot to stay on the green from that angle is tough. If you're going to lay up, favor the left side, as that will give you a better angle. It's the same story if you use driver: miss left. The green is rather undulating as well, with the right side higher than the left. You can definitely make birdie here, but it's absolutely possible to let things get away from you and end up with a bogey or worse.

The seventeenth hole.

Approaching the seventeenth green.

The seventeenth green.

Renault ends with a 550 yard par 5 and a blind tee shot. Carry the top of the hill and you could get a lot of roll in ideal conditions, enough to make reaching the green in two a possibility. An aggressive drive will carry the big bunker left (not really in play) and cut the dogleg. That'll leave you with a second shot pinched by a bunker left and a pond right. The pond continues up to the green, and a greenside bunker front left will make the third shot difficult for anyone who played safe out to the left on their second shot. Not exactly a great birdie opportunity to finish the round, but definitely not a tough hole.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

Renault was actually my favorite of the three Atlantic City courses we've seen so far, despite not being on the coast and looking like any old parkland course. I will admit though, that may have something to do with the fact that Renault's fairways aren't lined with thick fescue. Hey, I'm an inaccurate driver, I'm always going to appreciate the ability to spray the golf ball without losing half a dozen. That said, I think, in terms of design, Renault is about on par with Seaview. Twisted Dune is a bit more interesting, but not by any dramatic degree. 

Overall, I would call Renault a very pleasant and somewhat interesting golf course, inviting to newer and less skilled golfers but still possessing enough challenge in the greens to make it not a pushover for better golfers. It is a good golf course to play on vacation if you want something a bit easier, and it's a course I'd be happy to play every day. That's not the case with Twisted Dune and Seaview. However, I will say that Renault is noticeably more expensive than those two. Not by a dramatic degree, like $10 or $20, but that's not nothing. So my advice: Renault's worth a play, but absolutely do not pay more than $100 for it. It's not worth that much.