Designer: Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw (2002)
Location: Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
History: Hidden Creek opened in 2002 and to date is the only design in New Jersey from the duo of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. It operated as a standalone private course for many years before being acquired by the Dormie Network in 2019. In a state dominated by classic designs, Hidden Creek owns the following accolades:
- #107 Best Modern Course in America – Golfweek (2023)
- #19 Best Course in New Jersey – Golf Digest (2023)
- #10 Best Course in New Jersey – Golf Magazine (2023)
- #12 Best Course in New Jersey – Top100golfcourses.com (2020)
- #11 Best Private Course in New Jersey – Golfweek (2023)
Conditions: 9/10, Even though I played early in the season, Hidden Creek was already in fantastic shape with firm, fast fairways and excellent greens.
Value: N/A, This is a private course.
Scorecard:
Tee Par Yardage Rating Slope
Championship 71 7071 73.6 138
Back 71 6581 71.6 135
Blended 71 6418 70.8 132
Middle 71 6167 69.6 130
Forward 72 5426 71.8 129
Blended Forward 72 4879 68.6 120
Hole Descriptions: I’ve been fortunate to play a number of Coore/Crenshaw designs and consider them amongst my favorite modern architects. Their courses are characterized by wide fairways, large, interesting greens, and beautiful bunkering on natural properties where they don’t move much land. Hidden Creek, located in Southern New Jersey, contains all of these features and is a wonderful course to play. After playing, I felt it was quite similar to both Chechessee Creek and Dormie Club, but I actually think Hidden Creek is the best of the group. It is more memorable on better land than Chechessee and more cohesive and better routed than Dormie. New Jersey is a very strong and deep state in terms of private golf, but Hidden Creek comfortably sits as a top 15 course in the state for me and is easily one of the best courses in Southern Jersey.
The opening hole is a gentle 384 yard dogleg left par 4 that provides a good chance to start well. This hole features a wide, forgiving fairway after a brief forced carry over fescue and a bunker. This green is interesting and features numerous internal contours with a false front and bunker to the right.
The 2nd hole is a great medium-length par 4 at 366 yards. Featuring numerous different teeboxes and another brief forced carry over fescue, this fairway is generous but split in two by a pesky midline bunker at 200 yards. From here, the fairway narrows with a beautiful approach into a fascinating green with numerous internal plateaus and an overall left-to-right slope. The bunkering is gorgeous at Hidden Creek and I particularly like the cavernous bunkers just short and left of this green.
The 3rd hole is my favorite par 5 at Hidden Creek and one of the most underrated holes on the course. At 507 yards, this beautiful hole plays straightaway and runs uphill the entire way. Like most holes here, this fairway is wide but trees start to creep in down the left at about 240 yards with a crossbunker at this point as well. This lay-up gives the golfer a lot to think about, with a very narrow fairway for the final 180 yards and a crossbunker in the middle of the fairway about 110 yards short of the green. The defining feature of this hole is a giant wastebunker that stretches for much of the final 180 yards down the right. The green sits just beyond this bunker and slopes right-to-left with two tiers. This hole reminds me in some ways of the 11th at Tobacco Road as both contain very penal giant bunkers short of the green.
At 202 yards, the 4th hole is the longest par 3 at Hidden Creek and one of two superb one-shotters on the course. Featuring an exhilarating downhill teeshot over fescue, this diagonal green plays as an excellent Redan defended by bunkers on either side and a severe false front. This is a hole you just want to play over and over.
The 5th is another underrated hole and one I enjoy very much as a 379 yard par 4. This is likely the easiest teeshot on the course with a wide, undulating fairway and not much danger. The interest increases as you near this green with an Alps-like giant mound of fescue about 60 yards short of the green. In effect, this makes an approach from the right side semi-blind and is a sneaky visual illusion. This bunkerless green is also fascinating, playing narrow but over 45 yards long with a right-to-left slope and tight lies on all sides.
Arguably the toughest hole on the front nine, the 6th is a strong par 4 at 425 yards. This teeshot plays slightly downhill to a generous, tree-lined fairway that slopes left-to-right. There’s a giant wastebunker down the right about 80 yards short of the green but this really shouldn’t be in play unless you’re laying up. This green slopes steadily right-to-left with numerous ridges and two bunkers left. Pars are well-earned here.
The 7th is one of the less memorable holes at Hidden Creek but is still a solid par 3 at 164 yards. Playing level, this one-shotter features a large green with lots of internal movement defended by two bunkers left and one short.
The 8th hole is another standout as a 298 yard par 4. This reachable hole features a wide fairway split by a prominent midline bunker at 220 yards. This bunker represents the highest point on the fairway and a severe downhill gradient follows towards the green. This midline bunker is certainly to be avoided and I think the smart play is to try to get as close to the green as possible. Although bunkerless, this green is likely the most difficult on the course with an overall right-to-left tilt and prominent central ridge which makes for some very challenging putts.
At 559 yards, the 9th hole is by far the longest at Hidden Creek as a true marathon par 5. A double dogleg, this teeshot initially plays to a wide, tree-lined fairway that bends slightly to the right. At about 285 yards, this fairway ends with rough, fescue, and a large bunker. The next slab of fairway bends to the left and is quite narrow with numerous bunkers down either side in the lay-up area. A prominent tree down the left about 110 yards short of the green is an obstacle for those trying to get home in two. Tight lies surround this green which is large and subtler than most on the course.
The back nine is the tougher of the two sides and is situated in a more rugged, wooded part of the property. This is evident on the 10th, the longest par 4 on the course at 447 yards and certainly one of the toughest holes. Playing uphill on the teeshot, this fairway is narrower and bends to the left around 280 yards. Depending on your teeshot, this approach may be blind into a fascinating bunkerless green that plays severely right-to-left on its first half before playing flatter on a lower back tier. You’ll definitely want to factor in the pin on this approach, as putts from the wrong tier can be very dicey.
Hidden Creek has not just one of my favorite long par threes in the 4th, but also one of the best short par threes with the 11th. At just 121 yards, the 11th is a phenomenal, all-or-nothing, uphill one-shotter featuring a minuscule green sitting atop a pedestal. The penalty for any miss is severe, with a false front, deep bunkers short and right, and steep slopes long and left.
The number 1 handicap, the 12th hole is another challenge as a 441 yard par 4. This teeshot is fairly straightforward to a generous, tree-lined fairway. At 280 yards, a giant bunker complex down the left narrows the fairway significantly and any ball that finds these bunkers will need to lay-up. This elevated green overall slopes right-to-left with some flatter spots and is defended by bunkers short on either side and a bunker long.
The 13th hole is a shorter 378 yard par 4 notable for its strong fairway bunkering with a midline bunker at 170 yards, one down the right at 200 yards, and a large left complex beginning at 250 yards. The fairway is quite narrow after these left bunkers and bends to the right towards a left-to-right sloped green with some mounds.
The 14th hole is the final par 3 at Hidden Creek at 185 yards. Featuring a long, narrow green with lots of movement, bunkers line long and right with tight lies left. I like how the fairway blends in with the green here, altering your depth perception.
The 15th is another strong hole as an uphill dogleg left par 4 at 395 yards. Thick forest lines the left side the entire way and bunkers begin down the right side at about 250 yards. This approach plays at least half a club uphill to a severe green that contains both back-to-front and left-to-right cants.
At 447 yards, the 16th is another lengthy par 4 and tough hole. Playing straightaway and slightly downhill on the teeshot, this fairway ends at about 280 yards with fescue and thick rough similar to the 9th. The second slab of fairway runs back uphill with numerous bunkers short on either side of a large, left-to-right sloped green. Pars are a great score here.
The 17th hole is the shortest par 5 at Hidden Creek and is reachable for longer hitters. Like many holes here, the bunkering is excellent with two small bunkers down the right at 190 and 230 yards and another large set of bunkers down the left at 305 yards. You’ll need to navigate additional sequential crossbunkers on this uphill approach to a flatter green with slopes on its edges and bunkers on either side.
Hidden Creek’s closing hole is one of the better par fours on the course at 384 yards. With a generous and undulating fairway lined by thick forest, this teeshot is quite attractive. This green generally slopes back-to-front defended by bunkers left and short right as well as a false front.
General Comments: Hidden Creek is a golf-only Club, but features a large property with a grass range and practice green near the 1st tee. The clubhouse is tasteful and modern and the food is quite good. Because there are not many local members, pace of play is usually very strong here.
Verdict: With numerous outstanding holes and an overall fun, cohesive, minimalist design, Hidden Creek is one of the best courses in South Jersey and is well-worth a play.
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