By PAUL GIORDANO
Courier-Post Staff

LITTLE EGG HARBOR

The late Fred Stryker had a dream: "The best 18 holes of golf in and around the Jersey Shore."

"I've always been a golfer, and this has been sort of a dream I've had for a long time, that I'd love to do a golf course," Stryker said in 1999, referring to his Sea Oaks property at Route 539 and Sea Oaks Drive in Little Egg Harbor Township.

"So three years ago I made my mind up that I was going to work in that direction, started looking for a property, and here we are."

Stryker purchased 306 acres, allocating 194 acres for Sea Oaks, and the balance for golf course homes sites.

"After really thinking about it," Stryker said, "I decided to put all my effort into the golf and sell off the balance to another developer."

Stryker continued his vision quest in 1999, with the hiring of golf course designer Raymond Hearn. Together, Stryker and Hearn developed the 194-acre tract into one of the finest upscale public golf courses not only along the Jersey shore, but anywhere.

Sea Oaks officially opened for play on July 1, 2000.

Now in its third season, even at $90 a pop on weekdays (Monday-Thursday) and $105 on weekends, it is a must play.

The course, manicured and maintained by course superintendent Rolf Strobel, is as close to perfect as can be. Its criss-cross cut, undulating fairways are carpetlike. Its greens are cushioned, yet firm. Most of the greens have undulation.

Sea Oaks plays 6,950 yards from the tips, 6,635 from the blue tees, 6,330 from the white, 6,030 from the gold and 5,150 from the red. It's a little long, but fair. Most fairways are wide enough for error, but to score well … as on any course … keeping the ball on the fairway is the only way.

The toughest hole is the par 5, 500-yard (white tees) 9th hole (No. 1 handicap). The tee shot should be played to the right to avoid bunkers down the left side of fairway. The second shot plays into a narrow part of the fairway with bunkers on both sides. The third shot plays to a large four-tier green.

Unusual as it may be along the Jersey shore, Sea Oaks has a surprising amount of up and down … undulation. In fact, from its highest point at the clubhouse patio, on a clear day you can see the Atlantic City skyline.

As an added attraction, Sea Oaks has opened its 23,000-square foot state-of-the-art clubhouse with a full-service pro shop, full-service restaurant, grille room and patio, along with banquet and bridal facilities. There's also a "Dinner Theatre on the Green," opening with Neil Simon's Last of the Red Hot Lovers on Aug.‚23 and 24, and continuing with Eric Campbell's Theft in September and Neil Simon's The Odd Couple (a female version) in October.

If Fred Stryker could only see the Sea Oaks Golf Club now. Unfortunately, Stryker never realized his dream to the fullest. Three weeks prior to its grand opening for members in April 2000, Stryker was killed in an automobile accident.

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