Fenwick Island, Del. -- Jack Nicklaus stood on the back tee of his brand new Bayside Resort Golf Club course, sounding somewhat apologetic. “I have started you out with probably the most complex hole on the course,” he told a gathering of 1,000 during his Aug. 2005 exhibition to celebrate the opening of his signature course.
Nicklaus, who then struck his tee shot down the middle, had absolutely nothing to apologize for. Certainly not on account of the starting hole nor for any of the other fine holes on this great layout, for that matter. At Bayside, he has designed a stunningly scenic, strategically interesting and realistically challenging golf course.
I have played several of the Golden Bear’s courses over the years and some have earned the reputation, justified or not, of being geared toward the more accomplished players. While hole No. 1, which bends left around a lake and has 11 fairway and greenside bunkers, is quite imposing from the back, it is much more benign from the forward tees. As with every hole, No. 1 requires players to think carefully before each shot. With its strategically placed fairway bunkers, hole shapes and water hazards, players will not be able to play blindly on this track with impunity. Yet, the fairways are wide and the course presents options and bailouts to balance these hurdles. From the suitably selected tee markers, Bayside is extremely fair and rewarding.
Bayside is a testament to Nicklaus’ maturity and discipline as an artist. The course, Nicklaus’ first in Delaware, substantially raises the visibility of golf in the Blue Hen State and it assuredly sets the standard of excellence. There are no gimmicks here. Just exceptional holes in the best tradition of golf course design, where the challenge is straightforward and honest.
The course is the feature amenity of Bayside Resort, a mixed-use resort situated on a stunning 867-acre site studded with woodlands and salt marshes located five miles west of Fenwick Island and along the north shore of Assawoman Bay. In keeping with one of the most progressive environmental policies of any corporation, Freeman maintains an open space minimum of 55 percent of the total acreage. At Bayside, this includes the establishment of a conservation easement – the first of its kind by a developer in the region – that leaves 287 acres of the property pristine and undisturbed, with no development, private docks, or motorized watercraft.
Bayside is a development of Carl M. Freeman Communities, part of a family of Carl M. Freeman Companies and a leading developer of golf, residential, and resort properties in the Mid-Atlantic. Recognizing that the Delaware shore resorts are building out and that more people are making southern Delaware a place of permanent residence, the company is looking to develop additional golf communities in this part of the state.
Bayside is open to the public at $160 in season and to a restricted number of members. Stretching from 5,168 to 7,545 yards off five sets of tees, the course features three distinct styles. The opening holes wind graciously through beautiful woodlands of black pines and hardwoods of oak and maple. Beginning at No. 5 the course transitions to a more open, marshland setting. Hole No. 9 begins the journey out toward the southern point of the property where the marshes become even more prominent, as the course takes on a traditional links feel. Bayside is an out-and-back course with a halfway house that is anything but. The Three Pennies Grille is located at the junction of the eighth green and ninth tee, as well as the 15th green and 16th tee, waiting to refresh golfers with its sumptuous fare.
In acquiring the land for the resort, Freeman bought more than 30 individual parcels of farmland. These fields were dotted with irrigation channels that offered interesting design opportunities for Nicklaus. As called for in his vision for the course, Nicklaus filled in some channels, mitigating the process by creating wetlands on six holes. He enlarged other channels to create an extensive network throughout the course of retention ponds that are the backbone of the storm-water management system that is vital to this low-lying course. Meanwhile, he constructed several ponds and used the fill to achieve slight elevation changes on a few holes, including No. 18. In all, he moved some 650,000 cubic yards of soil, a modest amount by today's standards. The ponds look as natural as if they had been there many years and give the course a distinctive watery flair without seeming overpowering, either visually or strategically. Water and marshes come into play, or are visible on all 18 holes, yet there are no forced carries from the forward tees.
Featuring L93 bent grass on the greens, fairways and tee boxes, and a mix of fescue and Kentucky blue grass in the rough, the course has 82 bunkers including modern pot bunkers that feature high lips and rolled edges. Land in one of these and the only option is to chip out. The greens average 4,500-5,000 square feet, somewhat small by Nicklaus standards. Modestly contoured, the greens have subtle breaks by are not marked by dramatic crests and valleys that mark many of his earlier courses.
As for the other resort amenities, company literature explains, “Bayside is specifically designed to offer a true sense of community for its residents. From its beginnings, the master-planned development focused on the Bayside Town Center, a downtown area that will offer antique shops, clothing boutiques, and restaurants, plus everyday conveniences such as a supermarket and neighborhood bank. A state-of-the-art recreation and health club with tennis, swimming pools, and a fitness center will also be situated at the heart of the community. A range of neighborhoods and home styles will surround the Town Center, providing convenient access while offering accommodations to meet every preference and price, including condos, townhouses, and single family homes of all sizes.”
Bayside is designed to appeal primarily to the buyers of second homes. Of the planned 1 ,650 homesites, more than 400 were sold by the time of the golf course's grand opening -- testimony to the fertile market for a high-end golf resort community in southern Delaware. A majority of the homes will be included in a rental pool. A 120-room boutique style inn on the south point is scheduled for completion in 2007.
Bayside will offer a range of other sports and leisure activities, including sailing, kayaking, and biking, as well as an environmental center, complete with nature trails, educational programs, and parks. Just minutes from Fenwick Island and Ocean City, Md., the community will also provide free shuttle transportation to nearby shore attractions.
