Atlantis Golf Course

Little Egg Harbor sits at the edge of the Pinelands and the tidal marshes of Barnegat Bay, where the flat coastal terrain and open skies define everything from the light to the wind. Atlantis Golf Course occupies this quietly dramatic stretch of the Jersey Shore's backside — not the boardwalk side, but the bay side, where the landscape is all cordgrass, osprey nests, and salt air rolling in off the water.

As a municipally owned 18-hole layout, Atlantis serves the year-round local population as well as the steady flow of Shore visitors who want something more affordable and laid-back than the region's private clubs. Courses like this are the backbone of the game in New Jersey — accessible, unpretentious, and often more interesting to play than their modest reputations suggest.

Ocean County's coastal winds have a way of turning a manageable round into a test of shot-shaping and course management. Whatever the card says, the breeze off Barnegat Bay has the final word on scoring.