Hidden Creek Golf Club
New Jersey's only Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design, Hidden Creek is a sandy, heathland style course of quiet brilliance near the Jersey Shore. A par 71 of about 7,028 yards, opened in 2002 and built for the ground game.
Photo: Ron Foley via Google.
The verdict
Hidden Creek is the work of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, the celebrated minimalist design partnership behind Sand Hills and Bandon Trails, and it is to date their only course in New Jersey. It opened in 2002 in Egg Harbor Township, on the sandy soil of the South Jersey pinelands a short drive from Atlantic City and the shore, and plays as a par 71 of about 7,028 yards.
Built on naturally sandy ground, Hidden Creek is an inland, heathland style course in the British tradition, firm and fast underfoot with native rough framing generous, intelligently shaped fairways. There are no forced carries for the sake of difficulty and no manufactured drama, only a routing that uses the land's gentle movement to ask constant strategic questions. For the traveling golfer it is a connoisseur's course and a rare chance to play Coore and Crenshaw on the East Coast, now part of the Dormie Network of national membership clubs.
Hidden Creek at a glance
- Opened
- 2002
- Designer
- Coore and Crenshaw
- Type
- Heathland
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- About 7,028 yds
- Green fee
- Members and guests
Designer, opening year, par and length verified June 2026 from leading databases and the Dormie Network. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw designed the course, which opened in 2002; it plays as a par 71 of about 7,028 yards in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, and is the only Coore and Crenshaw course in the state. It is a private club; access is limited, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Hidden Creek rewards the thinking golfer. Coore and Crenshaw set the fairways and greens into the sandy contours so that the best line into each green is rarely the most obvious one, and the firm turf invites a bouncing, running approach as readily as an aerial one. The bunkering is ragged and natural, sitting in the landscape rather than being plastered onto it, and the native fescue rough defines the holes without making the course unfairly penal.
The greens are the stars: broad, gently tilted and full of subtle internal movement, they ask for precise positioning off the tee to leave the right angle for the second. Wind off the nearby coast can transform the test from day to day, which is exactly the kind of variability the architects sought. It is understated, walkable golf of the highest order.
What stays with players is the restraint of it all. There is no single signature hole shouting for attention; instead there is an even, satisfying eighteen that grows on you with every visit, the hallmark of the very best Coore and Crenshaw work.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Private club, part of the Dormie Network; play through a member, a national membership or your trip planner |
| Green fee | No standard published public fee; access arranged through membership or the network (indicative, 2026) |
| Booking | Arrange well in advance through a member, the Dormie Network or a trip planner |
| On the day | Caddies available and walking encouraged; a collared shirt and traditional dress code expected |
| Getting there | Egg Harbor Township, near Atlantic City in southern New Jersey; Atlantic City International Airport is roughly 15 minutes away and Philadelphia about an hour |
| Best months | May through June and September through October, when the sandy turf runs firm and fast |
Access arrangements verified June 2026; Hidden Creek is a private Dormie Network club and policies change, so always confirm directly before planning a visit with the club or your trip planner.
Where to stay nearby
Atlantic City, a short drive away, offers a wide range of resort hotels and dining, while the quieter shore towns nearby provide more relaxed bases for a golf focused trip. Atlantic City International Airport is the nearest gateway, with Philadelphia about an hour west for a fuller choice of flights and lodging.
Hidden Creek anchors a strong South Jersey golf itinerary and pairs naturally with the other fine courses of the Atlantic City region. We can arrange access where possible and handle the lodging and transfers around your round.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore.
Build a New Jersey golf trip
We help arrange access where we can, plan the visit to Hidden Creek and book the lodging and transfers around your round. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Hidden Creek Golf Club questions
Who designed Hidden Creek Golf Club and when did it open?
Hidden Creek was designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and opened in 2002 in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. It is the only Coore and Crenshaw course in New Jersey.
What is the par and length of Hidden Creek Golf Club?
Hidden Creek plays as a par 71 of about 7,028 yards from the back tees, a sandy, heathland style layout routed through the South Jersey pinelands.
What style of course is Hidden Creek?
Hidden Creek is an inland, heathland style design built on sandy soil, with firm turf, native rough and a minimalist Coore and Crenshaw routing that emphasizes ground game and strategy over forced carries.
Can visitors play Hidden Creek Golf Club?
Hidden Creek is a private club, now part of the Dormie Network of national membership clubs. Public access is limited, so play is best arranged through a member, a Dormie membership or your trip planner.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; Coore and Crenshaw as New Jersey's only design by the pair verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.