Book an Atlantic City Golf Vacation at the Royce Brook Academy of Golf

GolfWeek Magazine has called Royce Brook's private West Course and public East Course two of the top 8 courses in all of New Jersey. Golf Digest calls them both 4-Star Places-to-Play. Golf Magazine named Royce Brook's Academy of Golf one of the Top 25 Golf Schools in the country. PubLinks Golfer ranks the practice facility #1 in New Jersey while New Jersey Golf magazine calls The Restaurant at Royce Brook one of the state's "Best of the Best" at-the-course dining experiences. And just before the first of the year, Royce Brook's own peers, the New Jersey Section of the PGA, named it "Club of the Year" for its "unique contribution to the game."

But the one thing the dynamic crew at Royce Brook wants to be called more than anything else is "your golf home." Its extraordinary 440-acres of gently rolling meadows, with 36 superbly conditioned holes, no homes anywhere in sight, no initiation fees and comparable daily fee rates to other, less decorated, courses, sets it apart in the entire region. And your potential new golf home is so accessible from anywhere in the Metropolitan area, about an hour from New York City or Philadelphia, just minutes off Exit 12 of I-287.

Members at Royce Brook not only have the advantage of no initiation fees, many membership options including corporate memberships and the variety of two great layouts to enjoy, they also get an unintended benefit-a staff that has to continue to prove itself every day to keep you as a member. A full calendar of events awaits each member every month, along with their own private practice facility, advance tee time bookings and discounts on instruction, merchandise and even guest rates.

Yet visitors to Royce Brook are promised the same great hospitality as members. Besides the competitive rates with other upscale facilities in the area, members-for-the-day have access to the world-class golf, fabulous food, superior service and intelligent instruction, the entire Royce Brook Experience.

Ah yes, the Royce Brook Experience. For the members, the West Course that opened in 1998 and was re-designed in 2004, is more of a rugged, links-style layout. The par-72 track is rated about a stroke tougher than the East Course. Playing from 5,366 yards (where it still carries a formidable 72.0 rating/125 slope) back to 7,158 yards to challenge the scratch player, the West course offers a great diversity of shot-making opportunities, with both front-nine par-5s tantalizingly reachable at 475 and 489 yards from the 6300-yard White tees. However the second hole is a wraparound dogleg left with a series of bunkers along the right-hand side as you approach the green and you'll find another series of right-side bunkers in the middle of #9. The variety carries over onto the par-3s, where you'll likely use a different club off the tee on each one.

The redesigned bunker complexes on the first hole are replicated in some form throughout the course. Nearly every par-4 and par-5 is a dogleg, and even the few holes that are essentially straight have a favored side of the fairway for the approaches to greens that are extremely well-bunkered, and while they're average in size, they're certainly on the challenging side in difficulty.

You members want variety? How about an opening dogleg right par-4, followed by that wraparound dogleg left par-5 and then a beautifully-bunkered par-3. Four straight par-4s follow, all with differently (and strategically) placed groups of bunkers. #7 tempts the big hitters to try to drive it at only 310 off the back tees.

The greens on the back nine are a bit larger, but the holes are also a bit longer, the two par-5s setting up as birdie opportunities, for those who aren't too greedy and lay up to avoid the bunker complexes front-right at #12 and front-left at the 16th. The longest par-4 on the course, the dogleg left 15th, throws bunkers in the landing area and on all sides of the green. And you'll much rather be getting the stroke at the finishing hole than giving it, the 18th measuring a stout 461 from the tips.

The East Course, available for public play, is a wonderful complement, and contrast to the West. Between 200-300 yards shorter depending on which tees you choose, the primary difference isn't the length, it's the parkland-style layout, including some wetlands and wild native grasses, but with abundant wooded areas not found on the West Course.

You might end up with similar scores on the two courses, but no way will they play anywhere near the same way. The East course has more parallel holes, yet you might not see your fellow groups of players any more often than you would on the West because of the woods.

But again, there are striking similarities, beginning with the solitude of no neighborhood or traffic noise. Each course has one almost-driveable par-4 (#5 on the East Course), four par-3s that'll have you hitting four different clubs off the tee, and almost-reachable par-5s. Three of them on the East Course are under 500 yards except from the tips. The 7th, 12th and 18th holes are all under 485-yards from the 6450-yard Green tees, oh so tempting. Yet all require perfect tee placement, an incredibly accurate long game, and the guts of a burglar.

The finishing six holes on the East Course (five of them among the toughest ten on the scorecard) are a fitting climax to the challenge of Royce Brook. Beginning with the short but treacherous dogleg left par-4 13th, the straightaway but tight par-4 14th, the longest par-3 at 15, the back nine's longest par-4 at 16, the diabolically bunkered par-3 17th, and ending at 18 with its decision to try to clear a set of cross bunkers short of the green.

While you get two great golf courses at Royce Brook, and it's strictly golf- no tennis, swimming pools or racquetball here- the other wonderful amenities that add to the Royce Brook Experience help set it apart.

The award-winning Academy of Golf offers half-day, one-day and two-day seminars, weekly group clinics, pre-outing instruction and customized group offerings on their 24-acre practice facility featuring two 10,000 square-foot putting greens and four veteran PGA-certified teaching pros, led by Head Professional Joe Febonio. They also specialize in adding the game of business golf etiquette to business seminars held on or off-site.

The 12,000 square-foot clubhouse not only hosts the members' locker rooms, golf shop (where they can custom-fit Hogan, Ping and Titleist equipment and also stock a variety of other clubs, apparel and accessories) and that award-winning restaurant, but also caters all of the golf outings, special occasions and business events in an entertaining setting.

An on-site coordinator for golf outings handles groups of 4 to 288, using both the clubhouse and the unique Highlander Pavilion, an all-weather garden-like setting with an outdoor cocktail area and scenic waterfall that play host to larger outings, weddings and banquets.

And for those of you planning a visit to the Metropolitan area for business, or pleasure, stay-and-play packages are also available with area hotel partners.

There's always something new going on at Royce Brook, for members and visitors (like last summer's Prime Rib and Golf specials featuring an afternoon round and dinner), so it is always a good idea to visit www.roycebrook.com, where you can also book starting times, or call (908) 904-0499 for membership information or tee times. Royce Brook, Your Golf Home.