If by mid-week of your Jersey Shore vacation you need a change of pace, grab an early tee slot at Atlantic City C.C. and enjoy an incredibly pleasant and memorable experience. Despite having played ACCC several times, each visit provides new discoverers and reinforces past marvels. The Club checks all the boxes, namely, history, design pedigree, tournament play, celebrity affiliation, timeless clubhouse/locker room and scenic features of New Jersey low country.
Strolling through the Taproom Bar and Grille and the locker room, it is a wonder the wayfaring golfer even makes it to the first tee. ACCC has taken great care to maintain the charm and geniuses of the clubhouse. Within those walls, it is a who’s who and what’s what in golf history and popular culture. Nevertheless, it is the golf course that distinguishes ACCC as an elite experience in the game.
The opener is a bear with two well extecuted blows needed for a regulation arrival. Two, three and four are lovely par-4’s and a three respectively followed by a short 4, a meandering 5, a demanding 4, a pinpoint 3 and a dogleg 4 rounding out the 9. The original layout was by William Flynn and was 100% renovated by Tom Doak. The Doak work was done in the years that the Caesars Entertainment owned the course when an upscale, ultra-private model was adopted. Having visited ACCC in the Fraser family years, the Caesars era and now the Ottinger golf ownership, it is pleasing to see the respect paid to this venerable place.
The incoming nine is a mix of pars and routing that adds up to pure golfing fun. Ten is a short 5, 11 a challenging 4, 12 ACCC’s Tiny Tim, 13 a long 5 with 14 through 18 closing with the Lakes Bay and Shelter Island Bay bordering to the east. On the horizon, the dens of iniquity rise on the Atlantic City shoreline. ACCC is a must play. Take a break from the daily grind or the sand and sea and enjoy Atlantic City Country Club.
In closing, the history of ACCC and the amazing occurrences at the Club are well documented and worth delving into before visiting. Suffice it to say that the history does not overwhelm the reality.
Ben