Course Architect
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“Dana (Fry) came to Sand Barrens and walked the entire course site every 10 to 12 days, and like the postman, neither rain, sleet, snow, hail deterred him from his appointed rounds.” – Web site of Hurdzan/Fry. Our Course Was Designed By One of The Nation’s Finest Golf Architecture Teams Sand Barrens is the creation of one of the nation’s finest golf course design firms, Hurdzan/Fry of Columbus, Ohio, and the architects’ diligent attention to detail and love for our beautiful site resulted in the building of one of  America’s and New
Jersey’s finest courses.Originally, the Hurdzan/Fry team had planned to create a parkland course here, but after uncovering a layer of sand beneath the soil surface, the designers changed their theme and went for the present rugged style, featuring tens of acres of sandy scrub waste areas plus dozens of sand bunkers. Dana Fry, who was the lead designer for the course, has worked with Michael Hurdzan since 1988 and became a full partner in the firm in 1997. Fry belongs to the American Society of Golf Course Architects and has served on its board. Fry is perhaps the most passionate golfer in the firm having been a junior golf champion in the Kansas City area before going to the University of Arizona to play college golf. After deciding he didn’t quite have the scores to be the best on the tour, he turned his exceptional talent for visualizing a design and making it happen into a career in golf course architecture. Fry developed his craft while working as a field designer for Tom Fazio and was instrumental in creating several award-winning courses. Included in his portfolio is the Wade Hampton Golf Club in North Carolina selected by Golf Digest as America’s Best New Private Course in 1988 and several other courses that are ranked among Golf Digest’s Top 100 in the United States, including Barton Creek in Texas and Lake Nona Golf Club in Florida. Michael Hurdzan, the founding partner of Hurdzan/Fry Golf Course Design, holds a Ph.D. in environmental plant physiology and has been called “the guru of environmentally sensitive public golf design.” He was named “Golf Course Architect of the Year” in 1997 by Golf World Magazine. Hurdzan is also the author of “Golf Course Architecture: Design, Construction, and Renovation,” one of the definitive modern works on the topic. Two of the most notable layouts of more than 250 created by Hurdzan and his team are the Canadian courses designed for the creators of the Trivial Pursuit board game -- Devil’s Pulpit and Devil’s Paintbrush -- which Golf Digest named as the best new courses in Canada in 1991 and 1992, respectively.  Some other award winners include: Naples National (Florida) ranked among the Top 100 modern courses by GolfWeek, Lassing Pointe ranked by Golf Digest as the number one public course in Kentucky, and Ironhorse ranked No. 1 in Kansas. And of course, he helped create Sand Barrens Golf Club in Swainton, N.J., which has scooped up a long list of honors from golfing publications since its opening. An internationally recognized authority on golf course environmental issues, Hurdzan studied turf management at Ohio State University and earned a master’s degree in landscape architecture and a Ph.D. in environmental plant physiology at the University of Vermont. To book a Tee Time, please call the Golf Shop at 609-465-3555, ext. 14 or Click Here to book online. |
