New Jersey Courses


Hartland Golf

Submitted by: Carl Christian Strand

Price:            4.00
Challenge:        5
Variety:          6
Fun:              10
Overall Value:    8

    It is a really neat course in Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island, New Jersey. The course is small, yet beautiful. It is only mildly challenging, yet tons of fun. Every year I spend a week on the island and find myself going to the course every day. There are weekly tournaments that are really fun. The course is great and the environment is friendly that is why Hartland Golf is my favorite mini golf course!

Hole in One Miniature Golf

Submitted by: Brian O'Toole

Price:            6.50
Challenge:        7
Variety:          5
Fun:              8
Overall Value:    7

    This course is challenging and fun to play. It is clean and well kept.

Location: 910 Rte 36 East
Leonardo, NJ 07737
Ph:732-872-0011
Fax: 732-872-0071

Pine Creek Miniture Golf

Submitted by: Pine Creek Miniture Golf Management
Course Web Site: http://www.pinecreek.com
 

Price:            7.50
Challenge:        10    10
Variety:          10     6
Fun:              10     8
Overall Value:    10     8

    Two 18 hole courses set on a 28 acre site with ponds gazeebos flooms and a Danish style club house you have to see it to believe it.

     Pine Creek is located in West Amwell Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, about half-way between New York and Philadelphia. Pine Creek is on the southbound side of Route 31.

From the South: 8.5 miles north of Route 31's intersection with I-95; just 1.4 miles north of Route 31's intersection with Route 518.
From the North: Route 202 South for 5.5 miles below the Flemington Circle. Take exit for Route 31 South toward Trenton for 2.5 miles.

New information from another golfer: Jason Powell
Thank you for letting me know this-Milton

I have played Pine Creek in NJ many times.  It is far and away the best miniture golf course I have ever played, and I've played alot.  It is absolutley beautiful, set back in the trees.  They also built two lakes with cascading rivers throughout most holes.  It is a very challanging course.  I am a twenty handicap golfer and yet have never broken par.  Par at this course is 65 which is much higher than most courses.  It will take you awhile to play but is definitly worth the time and money.  There are no cheesy windmills or props on the course.  It is just angles, rolling greens that slope into a stream, and some ramp shots.  It can definitly test your patience but during the round you are in such awe of this place that you can forget the frustration of your score. The clubhouse is also very nice and they have plenty of food after the round.  You can even rent it out and I have even heard that bands play there sometimes.  People come from hundreds of miles away to play this course and there is rumor it may make it onto an ESPN tournament.  Although it is expensive, if you are a true mini golf fan it is something you can not pass up as it is far and away the best place I have ever seen.  You need to see it to believe it though.

Editor's Review: At the invitation of management, I was able to play a couple of rounds at the course. I was reasonably impressed with the courses.

The Lower Course is, by far, the much tougher course to play. As mentioned in the review above, this is the course that has a 65 par. The reason for this is there are a large number of, what I call, luck shots. In several cases, you have no idea where the hole actually is. It would be a good thing if they added flags on the holes to show you what you are shooting at. Interestingly, this does not diminish from the enjoyment of the course. You usually have a good shot at the hole after your first shot. Of the 18 holes, 11 are par 4's. This is makable for good golfers. (I'm not, but I shot a 69 on that course.)

The Upper Course is somewhat easier, with just 3 par 4 holes. Par for this course is 55. I shot a 60. It is the course they recommend for younger golfers.

A few general notes. The course is NOT handicapped accessable. There is a pathway that you need to walk to get to the courses that you cannot get a wheelchair over because it is a loose gravel pathway. Also, they need better directions/signs for walking from the clubhouse to the courses. At least once, I was on the wrong path when looking for the first hole. As mentioned above, they need to add flags to the holes to show where the hole is.

The grounds themselves are absolutely incredible. They have a couple of man-made lakes and there was a swan in one of them. Be careful around the swan pen as those a dangerous birds and there are lots of warnings about not getting too close. The natural beauty of the area is enough to take the time to play a round of golf here.

Now for a couple disclaimers: When I was there there seemed to be a lot of work going on around that area, both inside and outside the facility itself. I also got there first thing in the morning (they open at 10:00 during the week) so they might not have had everything completely up and running when I went through. I played the courses much more quickly then is recommended, finishing both courses in about an hour. This is roughly half the time they say it will take. I had to be on the road and didn't spend a lot of time there so I didn't have a look at the snack bar or the clubhouse but they looked very nice from the outside.

My thanks for the invitation.


Any other comments? Send me mail to [email protected]


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