Date played: 8/16/2018

I’ve reached something of a somber moment in my journey in writing this post about my time at Beckett Golf Club. While there will be more stories like it to come, this marks the first time that I get to talk about a course that has since permanently closed.

Located in Woolwich Township in southwestern New Jersey, Beckett was the first Gloucester County course I played. Built in 1977, it was originally a 27-hole layout with Red, White, and Blue nines. What remained when I played was an 18-hole course straddling Kings Highway, and an actual 19th hole – a vestigial remnant of the abandoned nine.

While there were plenty of signs of the course being neglected and possibly headed for closure – bare tee boxes, some burnt out greens, and areas of poor drainage – I want to focus on the positives and imagine the course in its heyday.

With fairways cut in a centerline mow pattern and lined mostly with beautiful evergreen trees, Beckett was a classic parkland course. A majority of holes played over level terrain, but there were a number that had some character.

The 8th was a short par 4 where your approach played over a valley of overgrowth. The 15th was a long par 3 that could be visually intimidating, with a large deciduous tree overhanging and possibly blocking potential tee shot trajectories. The landing area for your tee shot on the par-5 16th was blind, just over the top of a hill. Pepper in some dog-legs, some interestingly sloped greens, and there was decent variety for this 6,025-yard course.

It’s disheartening for me to think about any course shuttering for good, but the truth is this course was nowhere near halcyon days when I played it. Demand was almost certainly non-existent. I imagine some may even be muttering “good riddance” at the thought of its passing. I only wish I could have seen it in better times.

Though the 18-hole course at Beckett joins the already defunct nine, my journey continues. I look forward to seeing what the remaining public courses in Gloucester County have in store.