New Jersey's Blue Heron Pines East reportedly closing

By Tim McDonald,
Contributor

New Jersey area golfers will soon have one less course to choose from as the Blue Heron Pines East, former site of the U.S. Amateur Public Links, is going under.

The course, considered one of the best upscale public courses in the region, is the victim of declining revenues, and will most likely be bulldozed and turned into a 55-and-older development with a nine-hole course, according to press reports and confirmed by a club spokesman who did not wish to be identified.

The course, located in Galloway Township is expected to close toward the end of next year.

The reported closure comes amidst an overall decline in the number of golfers in the U.S. Over the last two years, there has been a 6.2 percent reduction of people playing golf, according to figures from Golf Research Group, an independent research firm.

Those numbers conflict with figures released by other studies. For example, the National Golf Foundation said the number of core golfers, 18-and-older players who play a minimum of eight rounds a year, grew by five percent from 2002 to 2003.

"The people at the PGA Tour and National Golf Foundation say everything is marvelous," said Golf Research Group President Colin Hegarty. "But, of course that isn't true. And public courses will always be hit hardest."

Another report by the firm indicated that golf on U.S. municipal courses dropped by 50 percent in the 11 years prior to 2001.

The Blue Heron course, 15 minutes west of Atlantic City, was the only daily-fee course to have earned four and a half stars for quality and service two years in a row by Golf Digest.

Blue Heron Pines has two course, the East and West. The West course, designed by Steven Kay and opened in 1993, is 6,810 yards from the back tees, and is characterized by fast, fast greens and narrow fairways. It is a flat course with water coming into play on seven holes.

The property around the West course has already been developed.

The East course, site of the 2003 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, plays at 7,221 yards from the back tees and has a links-style layout, with large fairways, trees and greens, and plays fast and firm. It was designed by Steve Smyers and opened for play in 2000.

The upscale public course has greens fees ranging from $55 to $125.

Veteran golf writer Tim McDonald keeps one eye on the PGA Tour and another watching golf vacation hotspots and letting travelers in on the best place to vacation.