The owners of the Renault Winery were transforming the winery into the top gateway resort for Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore. The next step in the transformation was the construction of a championship golf course that could challenge the best golfers while providing a fun and friendly experience for the less accomplished player.
The course, sitting on one of the oldest continuously operating vineyards in the county, is constructed on the rolling topography in the Pinelands of New Jersey. The sandy soils are perfect for both grapes and golf. The routing takes advantage of the natural topography with very little earth moving required for construction while still being designed on a grand scale that fits the expansive views on the property. The layout incorporates the history of the site, weaving through the vineyards, orchards, windbreaks, and sand quarries that have made the property a destination for decades. Tees are set amongst the vineyards immersing the player in the flowering vines in the spring and bountiful grapes just before the fall harvest. Holes play over and around natural sandy waste areas with a quarry splitting the 8th fairway.
A wide variety of classic design elements abound, with diagonal hazards, false front greens, and deceptive centerline and mirage bunkers that challenge the better player to take on risk. The less accomplished resort golfer enjoys wide fairways and tees are designed at a length that allows them to use every club in their bag. All players are challenged by a wide variety of green styles that blend seamlessly into the surrounding topography.
Due to the restrictions in place within the Pinelands Commission jurisdiction, the course was engineered and constructed so all stormwater that enters the property is directed to one of four ponds. These ponds are then interconnected to create a large irrigation source for the entire property, eliminating the need to tap into the aquifer. With Shearon’s turnkey approach with dedicated shapers, construction managers, golf construction crews, and grow-in experts, the course was completed, from groundbreaking to opening, in 18 months.
The result is one of the most popular resort golf courses at the Jersey Shore and an attraction that adds to the unique resort experience Renault Winery offers. Upon opening, the course was ranked as one of the ten best new public/resort courses and one of the top thirty best new courses overall.
