Blue Heron goes the extra distance to help golfers with yardage

I went to play the Blue Heron Pines Golf Club in Cologne, N.J. and I was not sure what to think of this newly designed course near Atlantic City, but I did know many of my close friends tell me that the $100 course seems to be a bargain after you're done playing the 18th.

Surprisingly, from the moment we arrived the staff was extremely courteous and the golf pros were far from the standard jerks which I am use to encountering. Additionally, they provide you with an accurate book that gives you the ins and outs of each course's play. Imagine, no more guessing if the tee you are playing today is actually the 400 yards, which is shown on the scorecard. With one look, a player knows that he needs to hit it 200 in the air if he wants to carry the left fairway trap and that any shot traveling up to 229 yards could reach the fairway traps on the right. I know what you're thinking, that's really nice, right?

For anyone who tends to switch between a driver and fairway wood off the tee, the yardage book offers excellent assistance in choosing the right club. And for anyone, like my best friend, who only wants to swing away, the yardage books lets them know if they need to favor one side or the other to avoid any trouble.

The best touch of all may be the lay-up distances. They truly illustrate yardage from regular landing areas, and also major trouble spots in front of the green on the par 5.

The worst thing in the world is when you finally have that perfect swing and that shot could not have been placed any better and then your ball rolls of into the rough only because the yardage was unclear. Blue Heron Pines certainly has taken the time to eliminate that problem.

Kevin Newmuis

Philadelphia, Pa.

October 10, 2005

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management.