CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — While the golf world gathers this week at Aronimink Golf Club for the PGA Championship, a quieter version of the game’s culture is already moving south toward the Jersey Shore.
Cape May County’s private golf culture mirrors the Shore itself, less overtly performative than many other exclusive coastal enclaves.
Yet for a growing group of Philadelphia-area professionals and second-home owners, private golf is becoming part of the Shore lifestyle equation.
Cape May County is home to three private courses, far fewer than at other elevated seaside retreats, such as Cape Cod.
But the clubs are quietly becoming more ambitious — and more visually polished — than many casual visitors realize.
They are no longer selling golf alone, instead competing on lifestyle and social atmosphere.
They are increasingly competing on lifestyle and social atmosphere.
While local private clubs market to families, there is plenty to appeal to avid golfer.
From massive earthmoving projects and nationally ranked redesigns to upgraded clubhouses, expanded practice facilities and lifestyle-driven amenities, the county’s top clubs are competing on experience.
Facebook groups dedicated to golf in the Garden State have noticed.
The most dramatic transformation has occurred at Union League National Golf Club, where developers reshaped the formerly flat Sand Barrens Golf Club into a nationally discussed architectural showpiece.
Golf architecture reviewers hail the course’s towering manufactured ridges and sweeping sandscapes.
Golf Digest deemed the finished product “visually stimulating,” after more than 1.5 million cubic yards of earth were moved during the redesign.
“Overall rating: As good as it gets,” golfer Nick Brewer posted to New Jersey Golfers.
That broader push toward elevated club experiences extends throughout the county.
Stone Harbor Golf Club positions itself as a full-service private lifestyle club, emphasizing social programming and upgraded practice facilities.
It was acquired in 2023 by the Heritage Golf Group, which operates more than 40 private and resort-style courses nationwide.
“It’s a big responsibility on us as owners and operators of private clubs to give our members great satisfaction and delight in the investment that they’re making,” Heritage CEO Mark Burnett said.
At the southern end of the county, the Shore Club has leaned into modernization since its member-led relaunch, adding pickleball and refreshed facilities.
The club’s video content often features members, family gatherings and aerial footage of the course.
At the shore, the modern private club is selling something bigger than golf — it’s selling how members choose to spend their time.
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