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Greate Bay Country Club is located on 169 acres overlooking Great Egg Harbor Bay in Somers Point. A private links design built in 1923, Greate Bay offers the opportunity to experience the game as it was meant to be played. Built by a Scotsman, Willie Park, Jr., Greate Bay’s waterfront location and excellent condition remain true to its Scottish character.
Greate Bay’s expansive beauty, elevation changes, small greens, balanced hazards and bay breezes put stringent demands on shot-making. It is challenging, yet rewarding – a course that promises a truly classic golf experience.
Celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2003, Greate Bay Country Club has long been a landmark in the Ocean City/Somers Point area.
Greate Bay was built as Ocean City Golf Club in 1923 by the Lake family, Ocean City’s founders. The Lakes envisioned a classic course on a picturesque parcel of land hugging the shore of Great Egg Harbor Bay. To make their vision a reality, they commissioned one of the most accomplished players and designers of the day, Willie Park, Jr.
Park was a star professional who won the British Open in 1887 and 1889. He also authored an instruction book before turning his attention to golf course design. Throughout an accomplished career, Park created courses that remain among the world’s finest – including Olympia Fields North in Illinois, site of the U.S. Open in 1997 and 2003 and the PGA Championship in 1925 and 1961.
Gene Gatti oversaw a course renovation in the 1970s, with much of the work executed by Norristown-based architect George Fazio and his nephew, Tom.
The bay breeze creates ever-changing wind conditions and moderates temperatures on the course, allowing for a long golf season with a marked absence of biting insects.
Today’s Greate Bay retains the timeless character of the original Willie Park, Jr. design. It’s a course that takes full advantage of its waterfront location, with elevation changes, small greens and ample bunkering that put a premium on shot-making, start-to-finish.
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