Twisted Dune Golf Club

Twisted Dune Golf Club

"The amount of club twirls was absurd." - Chris Pusey

(Played on Tuesday, August 21st, 2018)

An aerial shot of Twisted Dune we did not take.

Although we did not take the photo above, it is such a good photo of the area surrounding the clubhouse at Twisted Dune, we HAD to put it in.

Twisted Dune Golf Club, located in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey has been one of our favorite courses before we even started this blog. We played the course together back in the late fall/early winter. We knew that we would be coming back here as often as we could because the course is just that damn good. The only thing really missing from the links-style golf course is the ocean right off the dunes.

The first tee at Twisted Dune

Chris Pusey and Chris Colman teed off at Twisted Dune at 6:36 AM, paired up along two guys named Bob and Frank. We played off the white tees to keep the group moving at a decent pace, but we hope to come back soon and tip it out.

The course gives off a sense of being wide open, but after a few loops around the course, we discovered that is not always the case. The fairways are wide and generous, and so are the greens. However, if you miss hit a shot into the dunes, the penalty is great, and even finding your ball is a challenge.

The routing is absolutely great, even with some of the holes being up and back at times. The only complaint we really could come up with is that the bunkers were a little unkept and had rocks in them. This has always been sort of an issue at the course, but sand bunkers are supposed to be hazards after all. Even if it means scratching a wedge up a little.

Chris Pusey getting up and down from a bunker at the first.

The greens start off relatively flat, but as the round progresses, especially some holes on the back nine, hitting the green and two putting is not really a guarantee. The two Chris's both had their share of three putts as their rounds went on.

Pusey had a few holes he liked best at Twisted Dune, the 9th, the 13th, and the 16th. Starting with the par 5 9th, a slightly elevated tee plays to a wide fairway. However, anywhere not in the fairway is most likely dead, and will lead to a bogey or worse. There is also water lurking left, and the fairway slopes right to left, causing shots hit that way to find a watery grave.

The tee shot on 9.

Colman going for the green in two.

The other two holes are the par 3s on the back nine. The 13th, which played from about 175 the day we played it, plays downhill, with water right and bunkers left. The green is also huge, which can lead to some tricky putts.

Chris on the par 3 13th.

The other par 3, the 16th, is without a doubt, the signature hole on the course. A beautiful uphill one-shotter with trouble short, left, right, and long. This hole is even pictured on the scorecard, so it has to be the signature hole on the course.

Colman on the par 3 16th.

The signature par 3 16th.

Colman's favorite hole on the course is the par 5 4th. The hole dog legs to the right and goes steeply up a hill, with trouble both left and right. The landing area for the tee shot is very generous, but it leaves a very long approach to try and hit the green in two. Laying up, however doesn't mean the third will be any easier, because the hole usually plays into the wind.

Unfortunately, the camera lens got smudged a little, so the photos of the hole turned out to look like oil paintings. But the view on this hole is very appealing to the eye.

The smudged panoramic view of Twisted Dune's 4th hole.

The course can obviously play long, as the black tees reportedly measure at over 7200 yards, with more room to spare. The course also features a big driving range, putting green, and chipping area to warm up with. The price tag isn't too bad either, at less than $100 during the peak season.

Colman and Pusey both reportedly played pretty darn good, with Colman even making an eagle on the par 5 10th. Apparently, the duo were club twirling everything, with Chris Pusey walking after his approach into the 18th, which he parred for a crowd-pleasing 99.

Here are a few more photos from the round at Twisted Dune:

The par 4 14th.

Chris teeing off the par 3 8th.

The downhill par 4 6th.

Colman hitting his approach into the 18th green.

The punchbowl-style green on the par 4 11th.

Colman teeing off the par 4 6th.

The look you give your partner on 18 when you're about to break 100.

If you are ever in the area playing another one of the great courses in the greater Atlantic City area, try to get out to Twisted Dune if you can. We drove about an hour to play here at dawn, and we are already planning on going down again soon, hopefully with Thomas in full regalia.

- The Sunday Golfers