Harbor Pines Golf Club

Harbor Pines Golf Club in Egg Harbor Township sits about 15 miles west of the Atlantic City boardwalk and has been one of the favorite public-access rounds in southern New Jersey since it opened in 1996. Architects Stephen Kay and Doug Smith worked 520 acres of pristine pine forest and 17 acres of water into a 6,827-yard par-72 layout that earned National Audubon Sanctuary certification, one of the earlier certified courses on the East Coast, and a point of real operational pride. The 72.3 rating and 129 slope are moderate, but the 16th and 17th, both difficult par-4s, are where scorecards can unravel on a windy afternoon. Kay is the same architect behind Blue Heron Pines (also in Galloway Twp., 20 minutes north), and Harbor Pines plays as its southern sibling with comparable conditioning and a slightly more forgiving feel. The Audubon-certified setting translates into genuinely wildlife-rich rounds, egrets, ospreys, and the occasional bald eagle show up with some regularity. A strong pairing with Blue Heron Pines or Sand Barrens for an Atlantic City-based golf weekend.