The Sand Barrens Golf Club

The Sand Barrens Golf Club in Swainton, about 30 minutes south of Atlantic City near Cape May, is the 27-hole Hurdzan/Fry showcase in New Jersey, and the name tells you everything about the design philosophy. The defining feature is more than 100 acres of sand in bunkers and sweeping waste areas woven through the routing: 35 acres of sandy scrub 'waste' sit outside the formal bunker rules, giving players a Pine Valley-lite sense of what it's like to hit shots from natural New Jersey sandhills terrain. Opened in 1997 by Dr. Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry, a tandem whose later work includes Erin Hills and Cabot Links, the three nine-hole courses (North, South, and West) can be combined into any 18-hole configuration. At roughly 6,900 yards from the back tees across each 18-hole combo, the par-72 layout looks wider than it plays: the waste areas visually dominate, but the actual fairway corridors reward committed driving. Hole #7 is the most sand-heavy, playing more sand than grass in spots. Hole #4 is a player-favorite at 439 yards. Sand Barrens is the right southern-Jersey-Shore trip counterpoint to Blue Heron Pines, similar price point, completely different architectural vocabulary.