I don’t live near the ocean, but I just love the ocean breezes, the sand, the smell of the ocean air, and the cool nights. So, when I came across a golf getaway weekend near the ocean, and better yet, at a wonderful golf course where the LPGA ShopRite Classic is held (the Seaview Dolce Resort in Galloway, NJ) I was ready to go. It’s just a thrill to be able to play on the same golf course as the lady pro golfers.
The Seaview Dolce Resort is home to The ShopRite LPGA Classic, the longest running professional sports event near Atlantic City (since 1986). The tournament annually hosts the best female professional golfers in the world who compete over three days for a $1.5 million prize. Nice winnings!
The trip to Seaview Resort was hosted by an organization called “Women On Course” (www.womenoncourse.com) which sponsors many golf getaways. This was the right trip and the right time — a golf getaway weekend, within an easy 4 ½ hour drive, reasonably priced, and at a great hotel– an unbeatable combination, so I signed up! And did I mention I had never been on one of their trips, didn’t know another lady golfer, and after being a Covid shut-in, I needed to bust out and have fun. So, I threw caution to the wind and headed out to The Seaview Resort in Galloway, NJ. I have been a member of Women On Course for a few years but had never had the chance to join one of their awesome trips. Needless to say, I was somewhat nervous about attending. Anything new always has its risks. What if everyone is already paired up and I am the fifth wheel and that other nagging thought in my head — will my game be good enough to play with the other ladies. I had been working on improving my golf game since I picked it up again in 2016. Although I wasn’t the best player at my home league, I felt my game was solid and respectable.
It was fun playing the two courses where the pro golfers play and here was my experience. The first day we played The Bay Course — a links-style course with deep sandy bunkers. As you can imagine, being near the ocean, the bunkers were filled with that fine beach sand. We also had to contend with tall marshy grass and lots of pooled water which we splashed through with our golf carts. The format was a scramble which is the perfect ice breaker for players that don’t know each other and who play at different levels. We had lots of laughs and shared a nice camaraderie which carried over to the rest of the weekend.
The second day I played The Pines Course with a different group of golfers. It was immediately obvious why it was called The Pines Course as it winds through the woodlands. This course features 72 sand bunkers, lots of doglegs, longer fairways, and of course, lots of pine trees. There were some challenging Par 5’s and overall , a much different course from the Bay Course we played the previous day. We played our own ball during this round and I was matched with 3 very fun ladies. It was challenging but not the hardest course I have ever played. I can proudly say, I didn’t lose any balls during my 18 hole round. Here is a fun historic fact about the Pines Course… Sam “Slammin’ Sammy” Snead won his first of seven majors here in 1942 with a 60-foot chip-in on the 16th hole.
Here is my overall impression of how the weekend golf getaway went… everything was perfect. The Resort is one of those grand old vacation resorts, architecturally beautiful and not stuffy. I was told the resort went under extensive renovations recently and it definitely reflected that fact. My room was situated on the first floor and what a location! I had easy access to the pool, parking lot, ice machine and the 19th hole! My room had a mini fridge and Keurig coffee maker and recently remodeled with sophisticated colors and linens and an absolutely huge wall television. Most hotel rooms are cookie cutter and dark, but not this hotel. My room was light, airy, and refreshing even though I was on the first floor. Due to Covid regulations, all our banquet meals had to be eaten outside which was great since I absolutely love al fresco dining. The Women On Course group held their evening banquets at a beautiful pavilion with overhead fans, full service bar, and delicious food. It is a testament to the resort that they went the extra mile to present a great meal both nights in spite of the tough regulations they had to follow. Kudos to the staff!
For any lady golfer who wants to travel and play golf, I highly recommend Women on Course for an extremely well-run, fun and inclusive trip. Even if you don’t have a chapter near you, which I don’t, it is a great way to experience different golf courses throughout the US and internationally. I can’t wait to book another trip with them!
