tlantic City, N.J., is best known for the Miss America pageant and more than a dozen lavish casino-hotels. But Atlantic City — “AC” as the locals call it — isn’t just about glitz, gambling or glamour. Sports enthusiasts will find plenty to see (and do) in the rinks, links and arenas of AC and the surrounding area, even in January, when most activities “down the shore” typically are off-season.
Hockey night
The Boardwalk Bullies are a brand-new franchise of the East Coast Hockey League, and they practice and play right in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. Under the direction of Coach Mike Haviland, the Bullies’ 20-man roster includes forward Scott Stirling, ECHL Rookie of the Year for 2001, and goalie Kenric Exner, Northern Conference All-Star.
The Boardwalk Bullies is Atlantic City’s first hockey team in more than five decades. Still, according to Bullies’ representative Mary Rose Faustman, AC has always been a hockey town. “Hockey is huge in this area already,” she says. “Now people don’t have to travel to Philadelphia or Trenton. They’ve got it right here. It’s a special thing to have a professional team in your town.”
The Bullies’ inaugural season record has them in good position for the playoffs. “It’s surprising when a startup team does so well,” Faustman says.
Although no home games are scheduled during the Atlantic City Pool & Spa Show, the Boardwalk Bullies practices are held every weekday at 10:30 a.m. Sports fans are welcome to watch as the team prepares for the playoffs. They practice and play home games in the newly renovated East Hall of the Historic Boardwalk Hall (2301 Boardwalk).
Skating for fun
If you want to take a spin (that’s spin, not spill) around the rink yourself, there are a number of local skating spots, including the Flyers Skate Zone, which, according to general manager Mark Litzie, offers “incredible skating experiences for the public.”
Open skating is available year ’round, seven days a week. On Fridays, the rink is open 12:30-2:30 p.m. and 8:30-10:30 p.m., and Saturdays, 9-11 p.m. Weekend night skating includes interactive public skating sessions with a DJ, light shows, ticket and prize giveaways.
On weekends, amateur hockey players can even play pickup games during Adult Open Hockey, available every night after public skating. Sports fans will enjoy watching youth hockey league games on weekends, beginning at 8 a.m. and running “nearly all day,” Litzie says.
The Skate Zone offers a game room, “snack zone” and pro shop selling hockey equipment as well as NHL memorabilia and novelties. If hockey’s not your thing, Litzie adds, there are several televisions showing sports of all kinds. For more information, call 609-441-1780.
South Jersey’s “Golf Coast”
Prepare yourself for some of the best winter golf anywhere. It may come as a surprise, but there are more than 10 public daily-fee courses open in January for those wanting to hit the links.
In the past five years, Atlantic City weather has ranged from brrr (below 19 degrees Fahrenheit) to a balmy 60 degrees. “It can be cold, but with a warm jacket and gloves, folks can still enjoy playing,” says Kathleen Kiernan, director of public relations at the Greater Atlantic City Golf Association. “We benefit from a somewhat milder climate because we’re so close to the shore.”
Kiernan says people are really surprised at the quality of golf in southern New Jersey. “It’s not typically thought of as a place to play golf,” she says, “but most of these are at least four-star-rated courses by Golf Digest.”
Closest to Atlantic City is the Brigantine Golf Links. Just over the bridge from the Boardwalk, this course bills itself as a “windy wonderland,” with “mounding and water hazards found on 14 of the 18 holes.” There’s also Blue Heron Pines, designed by Stephen Kay and host of the 2003 USGA Public Links Championship, and the Seaview Marriott Resort & Spa, which, in addition to a four-star rating, also was included in the “Top 100 Women-Friendly Courses in North America” for the third straight year by Golf For Women magazine. Harbor Pines was ranked in the top 150 in the United States for course conditions in Golf Digest’s “Places to Play.” The 27-hole Sand Barrens Golf Club is a player favorite on the southern New Jersey Shore, named one of the “Top 40 Daily Fee Courses in the Nation” by Golf Week.
All of these courses offer full-service pro shops and restaurants year ’round, Kiernan says. And because it’s the “shoulder season,” or off-season, there are incredible prices — sometimes one-third of the regular greens fee. Players can schedule tee times for any of the Greater Atlantic City Golf Association’s eight courses at www.gacga.com, or by calling (800) GOLF-222. The Web site includes an online tour of all courses, and offers coupons that can be downloaded.
In this corner
The first major boxing match in Atlantic City was held in 1931, and the sport has gained steadily in popularity since then. Boxing in Atlantic City reached a frenzied level in the ’80s, with Mike Tyson defeating Larry Holmes and later KO’ing Michael Spinks in 1988 in front of crowds of more than 20,000. The excitement continued throughout the ’90s as names such as Holyfield, Foreman, Mercer, McCallum, Lewis, Grant and Witherspoon all came to the shore to claim their titles.
Boxing fans planning to stick around for the weekend could be in luck: Bally’s is scheduled to offer ringside action on Sunday, Feb. 2, with a full roster of afternoon fights. Call (800) 735-1420 for specific fight information.
So remember, next time you take a stroll down the Atlantic City Boardwalk, casinos aren’t the only game in town.
