travel

Numbers 10 through 13 (Quail Brook, Emerson, and two nines at Neshanic Valley)

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Number 13 – Quail Brook Golf Course

Date played: 6/20/2013

Scorecard from my first round at Quail Brook.

Looking back on the chronology of public courses I played in New Jersey, it’s crazy to think that I lived in Somerset County for a number of years before playing an in-county course. But in June 2013, I finally made it out to Quail Brook Golf Course.

Located relatively close to exit 10 on Route 287 and not far from downtown New Brunswick and Rutgers University, Quail Brook is a 6,600-yard 18-hole par 72. It’s second only to Gambler Ridge for number of times played, with a total of twelve 18-hole rounds played over a couple years.

Though I hadn’t played all that many different courses at the time, that first hole remains one of the most intimidating opening tee shots I’ve encountered in the state. It’s a slight dog-leg right par-5, but it always seemed so narrow, with trees going up pretty much the entire way on both sides. Apart from that I remember a handful of holes, which tells me it’s high time to go back and pay the course a visit.

I wish I had pictures of it to share, but alas, this was before I was obsessed with taking pictures of golf courses. You’ll have to settle for this 2015 shot of the course rates behind the desk in the pro shop, which remarkably, is the only photo I could find. I will say that the discount for county residents (after a $50/year registration) was definitely one of the best deals in New Jersey public golf.

Golf was a bit cheaper in 2015, but surprisingly, the rates haven’t jumped much in 2024. The website shows that weekend rates for non-registered golfers is just $60.

Number 11 – Emerson Golf Club

Date played: 7/7/2013

One of a number of courses that has changed names since I started playing, the 11th public course played on my journey was known at the time as Emerson Golf Club.

The front and back cover of the Emerson Golf Club scorecard from my July 2013 round.

Today, it’s known as Soldier Hill Golf Course, which, along with nearby Soldier Hill Road, are both named for the historical Soldier Hill, an area where the Continental Army settled in August and September of 1780 during the Revolutionary War.

Having grown up in Bergen County, I remember being struck by how the course was nestled just off of Kinderkamack Road – a road I had traveled quite often – and yet I had never seen it until 2013. Today, as I pull up that information on Google Maps, I see that there are also three private courses – White Beeches, Haworth, and Hackensack – all within a couple miles, none of which I knew existed when I played Emerson. I hope I can play those as well one day!

Hackensack GC, Soldier Hill Golf Course, Haworth CC, and White Beeches GCC, all within close proximity of each other.

Numbers 12 and 13 – Neshanic Valley, Meadow and Lake nines

Date played: 7/14/2013

My second stop in Somerset County would be one of New Jersey’s best: Neshanic Valley. Not since High Bridge Hills or Heron Glen had I seen a course of this caliber. The drive from the road to the clubhouse alone is something you won’t see at many public courses. With the Academy Course to the left and the driving range to the right, it dips into a valley and then gently winds back uphill towards the main parking lot.

Paired up with a young woman who was preparing for a tournament at Neshanic Valley and her mom – who was caddying for her – I was thoroughly out of my depth when they asked me to play the mixed tees they would be playing in competition. In truth, the overall yardage probably wasn’t too much further than I would’ve played – and they assured me of that – but the few times we teed off from a box behind my normal set, I couldn’t help feeling out of place.

Scorecard from my first round at the Meadow and Lake nines at Neshanic Valley.

My occasional trepidation aside, Neshanic Valley cemented itself as a fast favorite. Between the two nines of the Meadow and Lake, I preferred the Meadow. It’s a picturesque inland course, with subtle rolling contours and water only featuring on the par-5 9th. A dearth of trees provides views across in both directions, something I was finding that’s relatively rare in public golf.

The first hole at the Meadow nine.

The Lake was a very close second. While the titular water feature only really comes into play on two holes (7 and 8) and possibly the 5th if you’re playing from far enough back, it’s a nice signature that separates the feel of the Lake nine from the Meadow. The opening hole is also a bit different as it plays downhill from an elevated tee box, something that you don’t really see on the Meadow, perhaps arguably on its 5th hole. Lastly, the finishing hole on the Lake is perhaps one of the best in the state. A long par 5 that plays uphill back towards the clubhouse is sure to provide pictures that are instantly recognizable to golfers who’ve been there.

The 9th hole at the Lake.

I left Neshanic Valley thoroughly impressed, and definitely looking forward to when I could come back to play the Ridge and Academy nines. Little did I know at the time that it would be another three years before seeing either one of them. But, there was so much other golf to see as well.

Numbers 10 through 13 (Quail Brook, Emerson, and two nines at Neshanic Valley)

Entering the final year of the journey

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Date: 1/1/2022

It’s not lost on me that it’s 2023 (December, to boot) and I’m nearly a full two years behind in blogging about my journey to play all of the public golf courses in New Jersey. It’s also not lost on me that blogs really aren’t a thing anymore.

Nevertheless, I committed to chronicling my quest here on this site, and though many of you likely landed here by way of my social media accounts – and therefore, have already seen how this plays out – I’m doing my best impression of a writer trying to tell a story to the broadest potential audience.

Wrapping up 2021, I felt something I hadn’t felt the entire time I’ve tracked this quest around the state. As I recounted in my first blog post, the man that inspired my journey said that he was doing it with “no timeline” in mind. I felt the same way for the next six years as I trekked around New Jersey. I was in no rush to finish. But in December of 2021, I felt differently.

I wanted to complete the mission as soon as possible.

In some ways, I could describe it as “wanting to get it over with,” but that has far too negative a connotation. This wasn’t something I hated. It’s been a passion project. However, there was one element of it that I was no longer crazy about: being committed to a list of courses to play meant that playing golf with friends became something of a scheduling nightmare, especially if you usually decide to play golf on a whim like I do.

I wanted to get back to playing golf any and everywhere. I wanted to be able to check with friends throughout the week by sending a text message that says something like, “golf this weekend?” and then sorting out the details of where to play and not worry about my being beholden to the remaining courses on the list.

Therefore, as 2021 closed out, I decided to commit to finishing the journey in 2022. Much in the same way I made that commitment, I am also committing to finishing this blog in 2024. Well, at least the journey part of it. Where I go from there with this site is anyone’s guess, but I leave open all possibilities.

So, here’s to 2022! (… in December of 2023)

A recap of where I traveled to in 2021
Entering the final year of the journey

Number 132 (Pomona Golf and Country Club)

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Date played: 12/31/2021

Why use one font when you can use three?

Somewhere around the 8th or 9th hole at Brigantine, I realized that I might still have enough daylight after my morning round to knock another one off the list before trekking back home. Over the next couple holes, I pulled up my list of public courses on my phone to see what I could make work.

By then, I knew that I would be able to finish around 1:30 pm. Given that the sun would set just before 5:00 pm, it was unlikely that I would be able to travel anywhere and finish an 18-hole round. That left Pomona Golf and Country Club as the only viable option in the area.

Located in Egg Harbor City, Pomona has a great small-town feel to the whole property and experience, which serves as a charming respite from the bright lights of Atlantic City, the Garden State’s casino mecca just 18 miles away.

The patio at the clubhouse.

Walking into the clubhouse, the starter was regaling patrons at the bar with his story of surviving a lightning strike (!!!). Though I was a bit early for my 2:00 pm tee time, he checked me in and sent me right out as a single.

Coming off the 2nd green, I pulled my cart up to the single ahead of me, who was also waiting for the group ahead of him to tee off on the 3rd. Pairing up made sense to me, and when I asked if I could join him, the single – who let me know his name was Alex – obliged.

Alex and I finished the round together, talking about some of the golf in the area as well as my journey. He asked about some of my favorites so far, and I did my best to rattle off my “must play” recommendations. He let me know that Vineyard National at the Renault Winery – less than 5 miles from Pomona – was definitely one to look forward to.

Like Brigantine, the course at Pomona is almost entirely level, but very tight in some places. Tee shots on 2, 5, and 9 will be affected either by overhanging branches, narrowing the target landing areas. Greens are small and will test your accuracy. Once you’re actually on the greens though, your putts will generally have level lies for straight lines to the hole. Fairways were quite muddy on the day, but Alex assured me that was likely due to an extended period of recent rain, and that they are dryer in peak season.

The 1st green at Pomona.

Compared to most of the other publics I’ve played on the journey, conditions at Pomona leave something to be desired. Having said that, there is still a worthy purpose to this short course. At $17 to walk and $23 to ride – for two trips around the 9-hole layout – it’s a great place to practice and bring family to play.

One last note: Pomona is a cash-only facility. So, if you’d like to avoid a $2.10 ATM fee – plus whatever your bank might charge you – make sure you have USD on hand!

Here are a few more shots from the day.

2nd hole. Par 3, 150 yards. The tee shot is very much obstructed by trees on the right side.
5th hole, 290-yard dog-leg-left, from the tees. The landing area is the center of the frame, past the flanking, pincering trees.
5th hole, from jail, after failing to cut the corner.
The par-3 7th, 126 yards.
The approach into the green at 8.
“Mudball! MUDBALL!” -Bubba Watson
Number 132 (Pomona Golf and Country Club)

Number 130 (Washington Township Municipal)

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Date played: 12/13/2021

After finishing our post-round meal at Valleybrook, Matt and I headed over to Washington Township Municipal.

Fun fact about New Jersey (and probably a few other states): There are multiple municipalities that share the name “Washington”. New Jersey has six (!!!) of them, all of which you can read about in this New Jersey 101.5 article.

The eponymous Washington Township that played host to the 130th course on my journey is the one in Gloucester County.

The gate at Washington Township Muni. Luckily, it was still open, so we didn’t have to hop it.

“Tipping out” at 1305 yards from the further back of two sets of tees, this little nine-hole course offers great value golf. At the time we played, it was only $18 for golfers to go around twice and play 18 holes. Even as a nine-hole rate, I found that to be well worth it.

The course par is 28, consisting of mostly par-3s with the exception of the par-4 9th hole. The par-3 holes average roughly 130 yards each. The 3rd is the longest on the card, marked as 170 yards, and the shortest is the 7th, a partial wedge at 74 yards.

Given its value for play, the municipal golf course in Washington Township is a wonderful option to either warm-up before play elsewhere or – as we did – cool down after coming from another course. For gamblers, seeing who can make the most of these short holes could be a fun way to settle bets. Other courses in close proximity include Scotland Run (6 minutes away), Wedgwood CC (9 minutes), Valleybrook CC (12 minutes), and Pitman (17 minutes).

I know I’ve said it before about these short courses, but having learned to play the game on a pitch-n-putt course, these places will always feel nostalgic and special to me. I genuinely wish there were more of them so others could stumble upon the game the way I did.

Enjoy these looks from around the course!

1st hole.
The green at 2.
The 4th, into the sun.
6th hole.
The par-4 finishing hole.
Number 130 (Washington Township Municipal)

Number 129 (Valleybrook Country Club)

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Date Played: 12/13/2021

After talking on a Friday about our available time off for the remainder of December 2021, my friend Matt and I decided to take Monday off and play a couple courses left on my journey. Late that evening, we confirmed our schedules and booked a tee time for the first course we would play, Valleybrook Country Club.

A few interesting notes about tracking this course on my list of New Jersey publics. First, for the longest time, I incorrectly had Valleybrook listed as a Gloucester County course. It is located in Blackwood, which is an unincorporated community in Gloucester Township… which is actually in Camden County, not Gloucester County. Second, it is not to be confused with Valley Brook Golf Course, which is about 110 miles to the northeast in Bergen County. Finally, it is a Ron Jaworski property, and it would be third I’ve visited after Ramblewood and Running Deer.

We were joined by locals Brian and Vaughn, who were able to help us navigate some of the course strategy, though most of it is right in front of you. The first five holes make their way around a neighborhood that is enveloped by the course. After that, you reach one of my least favorite layout design choices a golf course architect can make.

The stretch of holes from 6 through 11 are a series of par 4s and 5s that run parallel to each other, one going in one direction, the next one coming back in the other.

The middle third at Valleybrook CC.

I don’t know what it is about that pattern that bothers me so much, but it definitely sticks in my memory. For example, the same design choice can be found in holes 4, 6, 7, and 8 (with 5 being a short par 3 that breaks the pattern) at Harkers Hollow in Phillipsburg, NJ, the 32nd course played on my journey. Coincidentally, both Harkers Hollow and Valley Brook also have a body of water that runs perpendicular to these sets of holes (Lopatcong Creek and Pines Run respectively).

Similar back-and-forth in this section at Harkers Hollow.

In its defense, the water crossings in the set at Valleybrook are far more interesting. While Lopatcong Creek is a very narrow hazard with land that is level on either side of it, the Pines Run plays like a much wider ravine, coming into play for tee shots on the even-numbered holes and approach shots on the odd-numbered. Also, 9 is a par 5 that plays as a dog-leg with the hole crossing the water at an angle.

The middle section finishes with what might be considered the signature hole, the par-3 12th. It also plays across the same body of water, which by the 10th hole approach has widened significantly. It is slightly downhill and should play roughly 170 yards from the white tees we played. However, it was around 130 yards on the day, making it a very different hole than on the card.

The 12th hole from our unusually short tees.

The final third of the course has a much nicer flow to it. The 16th is indexed as the most difficult on the course and it is a great risk-reward par-4. From the tee to the landing area, the Pines Run flows along the left side of the hole. Long hitters who can move the ball from left to right may be tempted to bypass the main section of fairway and cross the creek for a short-wedge approach. Depending on your tee box, anyone laying up will only have 200-220 yards of runway that eventually ends up in a pond. While the smart play is somewhere safely in the middle of the landing area, you’re still left with 150-yard shot uphill into the green.

17 and 18 play around the driving range, and that takes us back to the clubhouse. Apart from the occasional grill food at the turn, I have rarely stopped to enjoy on-course food when there is a restaurant. However, having made good time that morning, we thought it might be worth checking out the food at Riley’s Pub before heading to our next destination.

The burger and fries were first class! I’m sure I was hungry, but that was objectively quality food. My hat’s off to the chef.

It was almost good enough to make me forget about the layout of 6 through 11.

Almost.

The 4th hole, an almost-drivable par 4.
11 green. The parallel zig-zag is over.
12 looking back up at the elevated tee boxes.
Classic signs at Valleybrook.
Number 129 (Valleybrook Country Club)

Number 128 (Hominy Hill)

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Date played: 12/12/2021

The gate at Hominy Hill.

I’ve met a number of people on my journey around the state through social media. While most of them are just golfers like me, some of them work in the turf industry, a vocation I have a deep appreciation for. One of those people is Mike Williams.

At the time we first spoke on Twitter, he was at Meadows at Middlesex. In 2020, he became the superintendent at Colts Neck. We had been chatting about getting together and playing, and at the end of 2021, we finally made that happen at Hominy Hill.

While we had to play a winter round to meet, we picked a pretty good day to do it. Reaching around 50 degrees in New Jersey in the middle of December was a blessing, and the course played wonderfully. If you’re looking for a challenging but really enjoyable round of golf, Hominy Hill Golf Course fits the bill. Located in Colts Neck, Hominy Hill is a beautiful 18-hole layout designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. that plays over 7,000 yards from the back tees. It has even hosted the USGA National Amateur Public Links championship on more than one occasion.

While the “hominy” in its name has nothing to do with the food – as clarified in this Monmouth County Park Systems blog post – the “hill” correctly hints at what I would describe as the perfect amount of elevation changes throughout the routing of a course not set on a mountainside. The course winds through gently rolling hills in classic parkland style, but I would say that landing areas are more generous than most public courses. Some greens were challenging even at December speeds, so I can only imagine how well they roll in prime season.

This is a course that came with a good deal of hype and was relatively unknown to me. Unlike big name properties like the Crystal Springs Resort courses and Atlantic County courses like Twisted Dune and Seaview, the average golfer on the outskirts of New Jersey may not know about Hominy Hill. Before I cataloged all of the courses in the state, I was one of them. Yet, a few people over the years had let me know that it would be one to look forward to.

Even in December, the course lived up to the hype. From the conditions, to the variety of holes, to the fact that it’s actually a part of the Monmouth County system, I rate it among the best publics in the state and count it as one of my must-play recommendations.

Apart from being a day at a spectacular course, it was great to have met up with Mike at Hominy Hill. As with everyone that has joined me on my quest, it was great to walk the course and chat about his work. I’ve learned that everyone who dedicates their professional career to turf management puts in a ton of dedication and effort, and Mike is no exception. Not only is he another New Jersey golf enthusiast, but he’s also someone who actually brings this hobby and passion of ours to life.

The approach at 1.
A look back at 8.
The uphill approach at 10.
11, a picturesque par 3.
Unabashedly proud of my drive at 13, a 370-yard par 4 from the white tees (… it may or may not have taken one or more hops on the cart path).
13 green.
The final approach at the par-5 14th must cross a creek to find the dance floor.
Looking back from behind 14 green, you can see how the hole plays downhill almost the whole way.
15 green.
16, another pretty, but long par 3 with a wide green complex.
I love these hole markers.
The finishing hole at Hominy Hill.
Number 128 (Hominy Hill)

Tornado hits Mercer Oaks Golf Course

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Date: 2/24/2023

Apart from the occasional wayward hurricane, New Jersey is not a state known for extreme weather events. On Tuesday, February 21, that changed for a terrifying hour when a very rare tornado hit Mercer County.

In its path was the West course at Mercer Oaks. By all accounts so far, and likely thanks to a sufficient tornado warning via an alert by the National Weather Service, no one was hurt on the golf course or anywhere else the tornado made contact.

The course will remain closed for some time as they work to clean up the damage.

Tornado hits Mercer Oaks Golf Course

Number 127 (White Oaks Country Club)

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Date Played: 12/3/2021

With the temperature projected to be right around 50 degrees F on an early December Friday, I decided to take the day off to continue the journey in Gloucester County.

White Oaks Country Club, set in the (presumably White Oak) woods of Newfield, NJ, would be the 127th stop on my quest. The wind was up a bit and leaves were all over the place. However, being a weekday morning in the very late fall, it was beautiful to have the course almost entirely to myself. While I failed to play anything remotely resembling my best golf, I had a good time knocking another course off the list.

I typically prefer to play tees that are anywhere between 6,000 and 6,300 yards, and the white tees at White Oaks are perfectly in that range at 6,130. For some reason though, I thought it would be fun to play from the back (blue) tees at 6,532 yards. I have the length to make it manageable, but I was reminded that golf is more than distance off the tee. There is, of course, accuracy, and then everything else that follows in the game (approach play, skill around the green, and putting).

White Oaks has a nice mix of the challenge of some narrow holes, but it does offer width off the tee on others. Built in 2000, it is among the newest golf courses in the state that are available for play to the public. The green complexes offer somewhat lenient protection by bunkers, but the surfaces have great contour to them. The layout is almost entirely flat, so it is extremely walkable. The most memorable hole on the property is without a doubt the 17th, a 240-yard par 3 from the back tees!

Playing golf courses in the off-season – as my journey has often demanded – always makes me wonder what conditions are like in prime season, but I’m confident that White Oaks offers good value for its price. My weekday December round was only $24, which included a cart. Very difficult to beat that for public golf in New Jersey.

Finishing up at White Oaks meant that I completed five of the seven Gloucester County courses (not including Beckett Golf Club, which had closed since I played it). Here’s a look at some of the holes.

View from the tee on 2. Roughly 260 yards to run out of fairway at the dog-leg, there is also a pond to the left of the fairway at the corner. You will need at least 220 yards to get into the corner in order to see the green without being blocked by the trees on the right.
My look at the green on the par-5 3rd hole. Having hit one of my longest drives, I stretched this dog-leg left almost to the limit of the corner. However, I failed to capitalize on this 205-yard approach and would only manage to make par.
The second of two par-3 holes on the front nine, the 8th plays long from the back but to a very large green with little protection.
Looking back from 8 green, you can appreciate the size of the target. While difficult to see in this photo, you can just make out that the green is tiered, with the hole location here on the lower level.
A look at my play on the 11th hole at White Oaks.
If you’re riding and playing the blue tees, you’ll have to park your cart here on 12 and cross the entrance road to get to the tee box.
The view from the blue tees on 12. Already a moderately difficult par-3 at 175 yards, your trajectory – especially if playing a left-to-right ball flight – will be obstructed by the trees on the left.
Looking back at 13. While a straightaway par-4, it does play 401 yards from the back tees, with a bit of water to navigate on the approach on the right side of the fairway. Long is the safer play, with quite a few yards beyond the green to be able to play back on.
17. While it plays downhill, hitting a par-3 green from 240 yards is always a challenge. Add to that the waste area on the left, a bunker right, and it’s an absolute beast.
Number 127 (White Oaks Country Club)

Numbers 125 and 126 (Great Gorge Golf Club, Quarryside and Railside)

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Date: 11/18/2021

How are a men’s lifestyle/entertainment multimedia empire and public golf in New Jersey related? The answer lies on a piece of land in the northwest corner of the state in Sussex County.

Before there was OnlyFans, there was Playboy, and in 1970 the Great Gorge Golf Club was built in Vernon and opened as the Playboy Club. While most of the appeal lied in the Playboy-branded hotel with numerous activities and amenities, the club also featured 27 holes of championship golf designed by George Fazio.

The clubhouse at Great Gorge has a bar and restaurant, as well as a deck overlooking the course and the Mountain Creek ski area in the background.

Great Gorge comprises three nine-hole courses, each named for a prominent feature. The Quarryside nine has multiple holes that play through an area carved out of the mountainous rock forms. The Lakeside nine will feature the most water hazards of the three nines. Lastly, the Railside nine plays on either side of the still-active railroad track. I headed up to Great Gorge in the late fall where I would play the Quarry and Rail nines.

While there are distinctions between the nines that can be noticed in the holes that feature their signature namesakes, there is also enough consistency that made playing both the Quarry and Rail sides feel as one continuous, 18-hole course. The green complexes offer mostly simple bunkering, but the surfaces they protect are well-contoured and can roll at relatively serious speeds for public golf.

Number 125 – Quarryside

The only starting hole of the three nines that is not a downhill par 4, the 1st at the Quarry is a relatively straightforward, mid-length par 3. From there, it carves its way through a few elevation changes.

Hole 1, par 3.
The signs at Great Gorge are a nice touch.
The silo on 2. The tees are back towards where the silo’s shadow points. Golfers must hit to the landing area in the bottom right of the frame before turning their attention leftwards toward the green in the distance on this par 5.
A wide-angle look at the green at 4, with some of the rock formations behind it.
The approach at 5. This picture isn’t quite wide enough to show it, but your shot into the green will be through an area pinched by flanking rock walls. You can just see the beveled areas on either side where the foot of these walls meets ground level.
Hole 6, par 3. A challenging all-water carry from the tees.
Hole 7, par 4. A straightaway hole whose defense lies in the water hazard running the entire length on the left, as well as OB right.
Hole 9, par 4. The approach plays significantly uphill into this two-tiered green.

Number 126 – Railside

After returning up the hill from hole 9 on the Quarryside, the Railside 9 starts with a beautiful downhill tee shot into a very wide landing area. Once you’ve holed out on the first, the course then crosses the railroad tracks for which its named.

The green at 1 on the Railside is in the center of the frame, though the tees you see are actually for the 1st hole on the Lakeside, which play off to the left.
The paths are narrow and indeed steep. This is not the place to test-drive the carts.
The tracks splitting the Railside from some of the Quarryside. On the left is the green at 6 and the par-4 7th of the Quarry. To the right of the tracks is the 2nd on the Rail at the top of the frame, and the Rail’s signature 3rd hole in the center-right. You can see the trestle supports that remain of where the railroad used to run. From there playing to the top right corner of the picture is hole 4, a dog-leg right par 4.
Hole 5, par 3. Easily the most diabolical green on the property, at least of what I played between the Quarry and the Rail nines. Uphill and only 156 yards from the back tees, it’s easy enough to hit as a target. But its severe slope requires some deadly accuracy – and perhaps some luck – to be able to hold in a position for birdie.
Having missed the green at 5 in one of the invisible bunkers to its right, a decent shot out at the pin had me roll all the way down here, completely off the green. This ground-level pic shows why, with the hole sitting 2-3 feet above where this fringe is.
Solid flags.
Hole 6, par 5. 566 yards from the Green tees and playing well downhill as seen here. Plenty of room to miss left. This is a must-send tee shot.
Being an off-season round – and having played pretty miserably up to this point – I decided to go for the green in two from about 230 yards. The risk was topping my 3-wood into a reeded creek that runs across the fairway about 150 yards from the green. The reward was this 18-footer for an eagle, which I holed for the 4th of my career.
Sunlight faintly streaking across the sign at 8. This par-4 really narrows out in the landing area of a driver, with water to the left.
The sun sets over the derelict hotel on the Great Gorge property, now nothing more than a memory of a bygone era.
Numbers 125 and 126 (Great Gorge Golf Club, Quarryside and Railside)

Number 124 (Scotch Hills Country Club)

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Date: 10/23/2021

Just six miles from Baltusrol, nestled between Routes 22 and 28 is without a doubt the most historic stop on my journey through New Jersey.

In 1921, the Shady Rest Golf and Country Club was formed as the first black-owned golf club in the United States. From 1932 to 1964, John Shippen – the first American-born golf professional – called the club his home, offering his services as head pro and clubmaker.

Today, we know the course as Scotch Hills Country Club.

The svelte-looking Scotch Hills CC with the 5th green in the foreground and the clubhouse in the distance.

A nine-hole course set on a narrow piece of property, Scotch Hills runs uphill towards the back of the course at the 5th green and then turns back down the hill towards the clubhouse. While the opening and finishing holes are on relatively level ground, there is a fun test of elevation changes from holes 2 through 8. The course offers small greens as targets, so if your approach play is off, you’ll need to make sure you have your short game on hand in order to score.

The course opens with a straightaway par 4. Anything wildly left or right will have room to land, but will only offer an obstructed approach shot as two sets of in-play trees line the fairway within 100 yards of the green.

The first hole.

The 2nd – which I would consider the course’s signature hole – is a par 4 which plays through a tight chute off the tee and slightly uphill. Most of the fairway sits on a very rounded mound which will deflect balls off to the left. Approach shots from the downhill collection area will be playing to a green 10-20 feet above the lie.

The view from the tees at 2.
Flyover from the opening tee shot, through the chute at the 2nd tee, and up past the greens at 2 and 6.
Looking back from the green at 2, you can see the pronounced mound in the fairway.

The 3rd hole is a downhill par 3, where anything long is potentially dead in the woods.

The 3rd.

The 4th hole has you back on the some of the lowest lying area on the course, teeing off uphill. Approaches on this par 4 will be to a green that slopes away from you and is at the end of the foothill. Players will have to decide whether to carry a lofted club to the green with spin or try to land short of it and allow the ball to trundle down the hill and onto the putting surface. A bunker further down the hill and beyond the green awaits any approaches that are sent too far.

The green at 4 in the foreground, with the 5th fairway running up the hill on the left with the green in the distance.

A significantly uphill par 4, the 5th hole is drivable. However, driver may be too much club for many players. After playing a 4-iron safely to the fairway, I played a second ball for fun with a 3-wood, and the ball went through the green and was just kept in play by some stray branches on the ground. If you’re going for the green, err on the short side based on your club yardages.

A look back at the green at 4, showing the downhill approach and a view of the collection bunkers.

The 6th is a VERY short par 4, playing only 220 yards from the back tees. There is ample room to take on the green, but players need to carry a bunker in front that is about 15 yards short of it.

At the par-3 7th, players are faced with another downhill tee shot to a slightly tricky target. It slopes downhill to the left, so the best tee shots will be ones that are fortunate enough to play right of center on the green.

The 7th. From the tees, while you can’t see the green, you’re almost given a hint as to its right-to-left downhill contour based on the crest of the hill before it.

The 8th hole is the course’s longest par 4 at 380 yards from the back tees. On the tee box, it feels very narrow with the trees lining OB from the road on the left. The fairway is cut to favor this side with almost no rough on the left before your lie could be obstructed by the overhanging trees. There is much more room on the right, but there is a significantly wider rough area before a penalizing patch of trees. Any long (and straight) hitters should be careful not to drive the ball through the fairway as there is a water runoff collection area where finding a ball may prove difficult. The green slopes right-to-left and back-to-front.

The approach into 8. Beyond the hill that crests across the front of the green in this shot is the water runoff area that should be avoided. If a poor drive finds you too far to reach the green, your second shot should be played out to the right, towards the greenside bunker.

The finishing hole is a long par 3 – roughly 190 yards when we played – and ever so slightly uphill, albeit to a generous green.

The green at 9, with a view of the green at 1 in the distance on the right.

My good friend Ed and I walked the course on a quiet Saturday. Some rain had fallen before we went off and seemed to threaten to start up again, but thankfully, we remained relatively dry throughout the round. Neither one of us had our “A” game with us but we always have a good time regardless, and playing Scotch Hills to complete all the courses in Union County was no exception.

For more information on this significant piece of golf history, please visit the Preserve the Shady Rest Golf & Country Club site!

Number 124 (Scotch Hills Country Club)