The Cape May County Golf Course With the Cemetery In It
Most golfers know there are penalties for hitting your ball into the water, the woods, or out of bounds. Who knows, though, what the penalty is for hitting your ball onto an on-course cemetery?
Most courses don't have a cemetery on the course, but one Cape May County golf course does - right on the 8th hole! Heritage Links Golf Club is home to the Corson family cemetery.
I know, because I've landed my shot right near one of the headstones.
The Corson cemetery dates back to the 1700s, and there's no attempt to hide it or shelter it from golfers playing the course. From the course's website, a description of the 8th hole: "The longest and last of the par 4s. Hole number 8 plays to 338 yards (seems every bit of 400 yards). A 150-yard carry along the pond to the left to an uphill crowned fairway is needed here. The green is guarded on the left by hills and take notice to the “Corson Family” cemetery on the right. Hence the name Heritage Links."
Here's where my ball landed when I last played the course:
I can't find much on the cemetery itself, although I did find this website.
The Corson name, of course, has been an important one in Cape May County's history. The names have been prominent in the county for over 300 years.
So, when I hit my ball so close to the headstone, do I hit it where it lies? Do I move it a respectable distance away? What is a respectable distance?
What did I do? I'll never tell.
SOURCE: Heritage Links Golf Club.