Got the opportunity to join Danilo Ariza on the Bridgewater Golf Collective podcast to chat about the journey to play all the public golf courses in New Jersey.
Uncategorized
Numbers 10 through 13 (Quail Brook, Emerson, and two nines at Neshanic Valley)
Number 13 – Quail Brook Golf Course
Date played: 6/20/2013
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.
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.
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!
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.
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 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.
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 6 through 9 (Heron Glen, Cream Ridge, Gambler Ridge, and Stonybrook)
The next four courses on my journey were all played with friends I met at work. Most of us were not serious golfers at the time, but we were all more than happy to find a course to play and socialize outside of the workplace. It’s interesting now to think about how today – outside of my family relationships – golf defines a large part of who I am. At the time I played these courses, though, it was just something I wanted to do occasionally.
Heron Glen
Date: Undated, sometime in 2010
I switched jobs in 2008, and my wife and I moved to Somerset County shortly thereafter. Having made friends with a few coworkers a couple years into the new job, we eventually began to chat golf and planned to get out for a round together. Someone suggested that we play Heron Glen after work one day.
Located in Ringoes – which features some of the “wine country” of New Jersey – Heron Glen plays over 7,000 yards from the tips (but not from the tees we played) and is typically in pristine condition in season. While I have a soft spot for High Bridge Hills, Heron Glen is touted by many as the best public course of the three in Hunterdon County, and one of the best in the state. These posts from Erik Matuszewski show why.
Cream Ridge
Date: Undated, also sometime in 2010
Moving from wine country to horse country, Cream Ridge is your average public course, situated in western Monmouth County. The final minutes of the drive to Cream Ridge will likely feature multiple plots of farmland and stables, regardless of which direction you’re coming from. My first round there was with one of said coworkers who, despite having left the company and the area, remains one of my very best friends to this day.
The course features water in a few places, a few interesting tee shots, but overall is relatively run-of-the-mill. I like the approaches into the greens at 3 (across a widened area of a creek at the bottom of this downhill par-4), 4 (really the par-3 tee shot), 8 (a well-mounded green), and 18, which is a par-5 that is reachable in two, but very dangerous as water guards the right side of the last leg of the hole.
Gambler Ridge
Date: 3/29/2013 (finally, a dated scorecard)
Three years later, a coworker was getting the word out about a Good Friday golf outing he was hosting at Gambler Ridge. Needless to say, I was excited to join.
Just down the road from Cream Ridge Golf Course – and still in the town of Cream Ridge, NJ – Gambler Ridge is your everyman’s golf course. This is not a place you play to be wowed by layout or conditions. You play Gambler Ridge to knock it around with friends, have a few beers (if that’s your thing), and get a hot dog at the turn (which a friend of mine affectionately refers to as a Gambler Dog). Noteworthy features at Gambler Ridge are three drivable par-4 holes in 5, 6, and 13 (though attempting it at 6 and 13 is treacherous as water is significantly in play) and a double green for holes 15 and 17.
That first round at the outing was one of 16 to date (May 9, 2024) making Gambler Ridge far and away the course I’ve played the most. I’ve broken 80 a handful of times there, though the course does play easier than most and the tees are rated and sloped accordingly. My best round there – a 75 from the 6,294-yard “tips” for a differential of 6.2 – featured one of the craziest things that’s happened to me.
Coming up to the tee box at 10, with the group ahead of us very visibly still in the fairway, the starter asked why we weren’t teeing off. Pointing to the very visible group of people in the fairway, I said, “I don’t want to hit them.” The starter replies, “you’re not gonna hit them,” but he said it in a tone that said, “Given where THEY are in the fairway – and [possibly] considering the caliber of players I watch here on a daily basis – I don’t think YOU are capable of hitting it far enough to hit them.”
So, I indulged the starter.
I muttered something about waiving any potential liability to him (that’s not how it works, for anyone interested), teed my ball up, addressed it, and hit my drive. It was well struck, and we all watched as it drew off the right-side of the fairway, dangerously on a path towards the cart in the fairway. The ball came down, thankfully missing the group, but landing 5-10 yards left of the cart (well within the range of possibly hitting them) and bounded off into the left rough. They looked back at us, we looked back at the starter, and he was silent. Since he was concerned about pace of play, I put my driver back in my push cart, and jogged off to my ball.
It’s probably the one of the dumber things I’ve done on the golf course. It’s also probably one of the more irresponsible things that starter has done. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
Stonybrook Golf Club
Date: 4/15/2013
Finally, the 9th course played on my journey is the now-defunct Stonybrook Golf Club. A 3,514-yard par-62 executive course with four par-4s and two par-5s, it had the interesting scorecard feature of having the same sequence of par for both the front and back nines (4,3,3,4,3,5,3,3,3).
I barely have a recollection of the course. I remember almost being able to reach the green at the “par-4” 1st hole with a 3-iron (only 226 from the back tees). I’m relatively certain that the par-5 15th finished with a hard left into the green. Other than that, I see a few moments here and there from my round with my coworkers, one of which would be with me at Hyatt Hills later that year when I discovered I would be taking on this quest to play all the publics. But I would only play Stonybrook three times, and much like the course, any other recollection is now gone.
Numbers 1 through 3
The first three courses I have listed as being played on my journey were all completed when I was still based in the town I grew up in: Wallington. As with most small towns, you can be forgiven for never having heard of Wallington. It’s a one-square-mile, heart-shaped borough in southern Bergen County, located 3.5 miles from MetLife Stadium, and about 12 miles from Times Square across the Hudson River. It’s most known for its concentration of people with Polish heritage (about half of the town’s population at the turn of the century) and the urban legend that it may have at one point held a record for having the most bars in a square mile (or something like that).
From Wallington, my first three trips around the state would be to courses in Morris, Middlesex, and Hunterdon Counties.
Now, when I eventually started to chronicle my quest around New Jersey, I was meticulous in documenting when I had visited a new course. However, I officially began my journey after having already played a number of different public courses in the state. Among those, there are a few where I unfortunately did not maintain an exact date of when I visited them for the first time.
Number 3 (Rutgers University Golf Course)
Date played: 6/4/2006
The third course I played was (sort of) one of them. On June 4, 2006, I played Rutgers University Golf Course. Rutgers is my alma mater, and on that day, I convinced three friends – who I had actually met while at Rutgers – to play the course with me. None of us were playing golf regularly, and two in the group didn’t really keep score. At this point, I don’t have any specific recollection of the day, but the meta-data of the memory (if I can call it that) is that 1) I was just glad to have convinced some friends to get out to a golf course with me, and 2) we had a good time.
But I had actually been to the Rutgers course previously – almost a year earlier, in fact, in September of 2005. However, it was only to play the front nine, and by the time I was trying to determine how to catalog all of the courses I played, I felt it was only fair to count an 18-hole course if I played all 18 holes.
It’s interesting to think about how different my life was at the time. Originally having gone to Rutgers in the fall of 1998, I eventually took time off to help my family, which involved moving to North Carolina for a while. I returned to New Jersey in 2004 and decided to finish my degree in 2005. While I can’t remember for certain, I’m guessing I played that original 9-hole round with a student discount. It’s crazy to think that I didn’t take advantage of that benefit when I had been on campus 6-7 years earlier, something I really regret. The truth, though, is that – having only played pitch-n-putt golf – I was just scared to get on a par-70+ course.
I would graduate after the 2005 fall semester, but not before a big (non-golf) life-changing event: I met the woman that would become my wife!
Number 2 (Twin Willows Par 3)
Date played: 5/13/2006
From a scorecard I have dated 5/13/2006 – with the friends who joined me at Rutgers – the Twin Willows Par 3 course is listed as the second course I played on my quest. I only have one other scorecard saved, and while it’s not dated, it may be within a year of either side of that 5/13/2006 round. But I’m certain that I played this course much earlier.
After my high school friends and I started playing pitch-n-putt golf at Hillman’s Golf Land, too timid to play bigger courses, we went searching all over the place for other par 3 venues. Our travels would even take us into New York, to the Executive Golf Course at Rockland Lake State Park and all the way up to Orange County to play a par-57 called Winding Hills. So, without a doubt, I was playing at Twin Willows with that same group of friends likely as early as 2000 or even 1999.
But when chronicling my list, I wanted to avoid guessing a date wherever I could. (Though, spoiler alert, I did end up having to do that.) Therefore, even though Twin Willows would have slotted in at the number one spot if I had dated (and kept) all of my earliest scorecards, it goes into the order officially at Number 2 with the May 2006 round.
I am definitely long overdue a trip back to this par-3 course, especially because the course now has a 10th hole available to play!
Number 1 (High Bridge Hills Golf Club)
Date played: 8/13/2005
Given my lack of accurate documentation for Twin Willows, Hunterdon County’s High Bridge Hills Golf Club slots in as the first public course I played in New Jersey. Back in August of 2005, my friends and I used a website called “EZLinks” (which later became the current TeeOff.com) to book a round at High Bridge Hills. Only, we didn’t just book a tee time: we used a “Name Your Price” feature, much like Priceline.com offered (until 2016).
You would effectively bid on a tee time and the service would let you know if your bid was accepted. You could potentially get significantly discounted rates on your round, and we were fortunate enough to do just that. At a time when rates for a Saturday tee time were likely above $60 to ride – a guess, given that at the time of writing, an off-season January 2024 weekend round is $86 – we only paid $25 per person.
It’s difficult for me to describe the impression that this course instantly made. The context, as I’ve been writing about in this post and the last, is that I had really only played par-3 holes up to that point. This was my first foray into what others would probably describe as “real” golf. I had only played three different par-4 holes before stepping onto the first tee at High Bridge Hills, which happens to be a par-5, something I had never seen.
The most striking thing about the course – relative to other publics around the state – is the land movement. Situated on the southern outskirts of the New Jersey Highlands, I’m pretty confident that no matter how often you play High Bridge Hills, the number of uneven lies you have in a round will outnumber the level ones. While I don’t enjoy being punched in the face by a course, I think this is a challenge I welcome, and its rarity makes me hold HBH in high regard because of it.
There is a tremendous variety of shots you’ll have to play, from forced carries to semi-blind, to completely blind. The elevation changes only rest for brief moments, like holes 6 and 17. The rest of the course is a roller coaster, and I mean that in the best way. Ultimately, when I started this site almost 11 years after playing at High Bridge Hills, I would create a page for courses that I consider “must-play” publics in NJ, and I included HBH in that list.
Most of that decision was based on the nostalgia of how incredible that round felt, but I recently went back in December 2023, and I can say that I still hold it in the company of the best public courses in the state. It was difficult to tell if the December conditions were indicative of what conditions would be in prime season, but it didn’t matter – the layout, the green complexes, the views, all make High Bridge Hills a place that all New Jersey golfers should visit at least once in their playing lives.
Here are some photos from my December 2023 round, as well as some drone shots I quickly took before heading back home.
Number 0 (Where it all started)
When I started this blog, I let you know that you would be joining me “in medias res“. At the time, I had already played 34 courses that I would count against my journey to play all the public golf courses in New Jersey. Before I continue on writing about the remainder of my journey, I figured having wrapped up 2021 was as good a place as any to go all the way back to the beginning. Sort of like a Christopher Nolan movie… only way slower.
Date: Exact date unknown, but either summer of 1997 or summer of 1998 (we’ll go with summer of 1998)
It’s the summer of 1998. It’s been just over a year since Tiger Woods recorded his first major victory at the 1997 Masters and golf was becoming a bit more mainstream. The Broncos won the Super Bowl, the Yankees are about to become unstoppable for a few years, and Michael Jordan just led the Chicago Bulls to his 6th and final NBA Championship. On the radio, bands like The Offspring, Third Eye Blind, and Our Lady Peace are in heavy rotation. The one hit wonders of the era include Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping”, “Your Woman” by White Town, and The Verve’s “Bitter Sweet Symphony”.
My friends and I have just graduated high school and are gainfully employed (at least part-time). We can’t stand the heat of our newfound income burning holes in our pockets, so we search for ways to get rid of it. Movie theaters, billiards halls, Dave & Busters, diners, and fast-food restaurants are all adequate outlets that would help unburden us of our money. Then my friend Eddie suggests a new way to spend it.
The driving range.
In the 18 years of my life that preceded that summer, I had never swung a golf club. The closest I had been to the game was likely miniature golf, and I genuinely have no memories of even doing that. I had almost zero contact with golf, and that includes seeing it on television. I have one vague memory of a golf broadcast being on at a family friend’s house, and I don’t think they were all that interested in it either.
Nevertheless, I instantly loved hitting golf balls at the range. Mainly, it was a cheap way to spend time with friends. We could all pool a few dollars, get the largest bucket of balls on offer, and all slice balls into the right-side netting for the next hour or two. Golfers talk about the one shot that hooked them for life. The shot the contact of which was so pure, and the flight of which was so perfect, that it caused them to vow never to leave the game, in sickness and in health, till death do them part.
I don’t think I ever had such a moment. If I did, that memory was quickly forgotten and is now long gone. But hitting golf balls at the range was such a great way to hang out with friends that I had no intention of ever leaving the game. Perfect shot or no perfect shot, I was hooked. Twenty-five years later, that still holds true.
All of this took place some 17 years before I knew I would go about my quest, at a facility called Hillman’s Golf Land, what I’m calling my course “Number 0”. While it no longer exists, Hillman’s was located along the Passaic River in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, featuring a driving range, miniature golf, and a pitch-n-putt course.
The scorecard said it was an “18 hole par 3 short course,” but in 1998, there were only nine holes ranging from 35 to 55 yards. However, it only cost $10 to go around twice for an 18-hole round, and wedges and golf balls were provided to anyone who paid the fee and needed them. The course was lit for night play, something that is a rare find today, and that’s when my friends and I played most of the time. In fact, I can’t recall a round that we played in daylight.
I have 12 scorecards saved, with the names of ten different friends and family members written in them, but unfortunately, no pictures of the course itself. Unlike today, where everyone always has a camera with them in their cell phones, in 1998, the only technology my friends and I were carrying were our pagers. Even if we were to have cell phones – which did exist at the time – they wouldn’t have had cameras.
The lack of pictures has left me with very faint memories of how the course was actually laid out. There are some things I am relatively certain about. The first hole played towards the river, with your back to River Drive, to a flat green. The tees for the second hole were separated from the first green by a tall section of chain link fence, like the backstop of a baseball field in a public park. The second hole was situated at roughly a 90-degree angle to the right (relative to the first hole) and played to a green that was a bit raised and sloped away from players.
Beyond that, everything is kind of a blur. I want to say that the 3rd and 4th holes continued to play in the same direction as the 2nd, and that the 4th green was the furthest point from the start. I have a faded picture in my mind of what the parking lot looked like under the night lights while standing on the course.
Scouring the internet for pictures yielded the same couple over and over again, and both were also from an era well before I had played it.
Whether I have pictures or not, it doesn’t change the fact that Hillman’s is indeed gone. And though the memories are faint, faded, and blurry, it will always be the place that spawned my love for golf. After that summer, my friends and I would soon go on to search for any other pitch-n-putt or short courses in our area, and eventually, I’d make my way onto rated and sloped courses. And some years after that, I’d run into a man named Kermit at the course Hyatt Hills Golf Complex, sending me on the quest that I blog about here.
Bonus time-travel content!
Number 132 (Pomona Golf and Country Club)
Date played: 12/31/2021
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.
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.
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.
Number 131 (Brigantine Golf Links)
Date played: 12/31/2021
Having been out earlier in the week at Spooky Brook on Tuesday, 12/28, I thought I had played my last round of the calendar year. When I posted about it on Twitter, fellow New Jersey native, John, let me know that I should check the weather for later in the week.
The forecast for New Year’s Eve was in the 50s. Some places were pushing almost 60 degrees.
Knowing that I’ve been overcome with a desire to wrap up this journey soon, and having the entire week off of work, I had to play again. I decided to head to Atlantic County, where I still had plenty to play. The choice would be an 8:27 tee time at Brigantine Golf Links.
Known formerly as The Links at Brigantine Beach, the course bills itself as New Jersey’s only authentic Scottish style links course. Located almost essentially on the Atlantic Ocean, the course sits on a narrow parcel of land on the bay-side of the beach-town community of Brigantine.
My tee time had me join up with father/daughter pairing Wayne and Megan, who I quickly found to be perfect golf company, which really just amounts to being pleasant and supportive of others in the group. Through our conversation during the round, we even had a “small world” moment when we found out that Megan and I actually work on the same campus (though, for different companies). To top it all off, I had my best round of the year: two birdies, each followed by a bogey, 13 pars, and one triple-bogey totaled a 75 (+3). I don’t break 80 often, and this – although an off-season round – was by far my best differential (3.8).
While I’ve never been to Scotland, from what little I know of its golf courses, I would say that calling Brigantine Golf Links “authentic Scottish style links” is quite a stretch. It’s a quaint, almost entirely level routing where you’ll see plenty of neighborhood homes around the course. I’m not sure how the course plays in the summer, but I don’t think it would play all that firm or fast. The best greens on the property are probably the ones on 11, 16, and 18. The remainder are typical public course greens.
Being on the very outskirts of Atlantic County, I don’t know that I would send anyone a great distance to see Brigantine. But, it’s a course whose greens fees won’t break the bank, and if you’re already spending the weekend in say, Atlantic City, then it’s a nice local option for a beach weekend.
Here are some pictures from around the course!
Number 130 (Washington Township Municipal)
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.
“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!
Number 129 (Valleybrook Country Club)
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.
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).
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 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.
Number 128 (Hominy Hill)
Date played: 12/12/2021
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.
Orson Rosas Golf 