Shore Gate Golf Club - hole 8
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Shore Gate Golf Club - hole 8
The colors pop on the eighth hole at Shore Gate Golf Club in Ocean View, New Jersey. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Shore Gate Golf Club - hole 2
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Shore Gate Golf Club - hole 2
Trouble pinches the second fairway at Shore Gate Golf Club near Atlantic City. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Shore Gate golf course - hole 5
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Shore Gate golf course - hole 5
Shore Gate Golf Club's fifth green is long and narrow, slanting away from the tees. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Shore Gate Golf Club - hole 6
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Shore Gate Golf Club - hole 6
Nine bunkers litter the par-5 sixth hole at Shore Gate Golf Club in Ocean View, New Jersey. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Shore Gate G.C. - hole 7
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Shore Gate G.C. - hole 7
The dramatic seventh hole at Shore Gate Golf Club swoops right around a massive waste bunker. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Shore Gate Golf Club - hole 9
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Shore Gate Golf Club - hole 9
Water, water, everywhere runs along the ninth fairway at Shore Gate Golf Club in Cape May County. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Shore Gate golf course - hole 11
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Shore Gate golf course - hole 11
The 11th hole at Shore Gate Golf Club bends left. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Shore Gate Golf Club - hole 12
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Shore Gate Golf Club - hole 12
A pond protects the right side of the 12th fairway and green at Shore Gate Golf Club in Ocean View, N.J. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Shore Gate GC - hole 14
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Shore Gate GC - hole 14
It's a sandy journey to reach the 14th green at Shore Gate Golf Club near Atlantic City. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Shore Gate Golf Club - hole 15
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Shore Gate Golf Club - hole 15
The dramatic 15th hole at Shore Gate Golf Club skirts a water hazard. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
10 Images

Sand is king at Shore Gate Golf Club in Cape May County near Atlantic City

OCEAN VIEW, N.J. -- Contrary to the name of the town and the club, there are no ocean views or coastal holes at Shore Gate Golf Club.

But there are certainly plenty of beaches. Winding waste bunkers and cavernous sand traps make the 7,227-yard Shore Gate a compelling place to play in the heart of Cape May County just a half-hour's drive from Atlantic City. Golfweek rates Shore Gate seventh among New Jersey's top public courses for 2013.

Shore Gate, which opened in 2002, roams through 245 acres of pristine forest. Navigating a minefield of seven ponds and 88 bunkers requires cautious precision. Architects Ron Fream and David Dale created a task so daunting that everybody except the best players (handicaps of six or below) should "tee it forward" to the 6,391-yard white tees.

Sand tends to define the safest path up the twisting fairways. The par-4 third hole and par-5 13th hole are each pockmarked with more than 15 bunkers. Even the shortest hole, the 144-yard 14th hole, comes with a caveat: Hit the green or get buried alive in one of the seven greenside traps.

Shore Gate, which gives off a private club vibe, can humble you. But for those who conquer it, the reward is endless satisfaction.

Jason Scott Deegan has reviewed and photographed more than 1,100 courses and written about golf destinations in 25 countries for some of the industry's biggest publications. His work has been honored by the Golf Writer's Association of America and the Michigan Press Association. Follow him on Instagram at @jasondeegangolfpass and Twitter at @WorldGolfer.
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Sand is king at Shore Gate Golf Club in Cape May County near Atlantic City