Entering the final year of the journey

December 7, 2023 omrosasblog, books, creativity, golf, golf nj, journey, new jersey, new jersey public golf, new jersey public golf courses, nj golf, nj golf courses, nj public golf, nj public golf courses, perseverance, personal, public golf, public golf coursesLeave a comment

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)

Here's a look at what I covered on my journey in 2021.

25 courses played across eight different counties.

About 34 courses remain, and I hope to get them done in 2022. Give me a shout and join me if you can! pic.twitter.com/iMXRKCTxiq
— Orson Rosas Golf (@OrsonRosas) January 4, 2022

A recap of where I traveled to in 2021

Number 78 (Beckett Golf Club)

September 2, 2019September 3, 2019 omrosasbeckett, beckett golf, beckett golf club, closed golf course, defunct, defunct golf, extinct golf, gloucester, gloucester county, golf, golf nj, golfing, journey, new jersey, nj, nj golf, nj golf courses, nj golfing, nj public golf, nj public golf courses, public golf, public golf courses2 Comments

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.

20180816_181516 — You actually needed to play the 19th to get back to the clubhouse.

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.

20180816_162240 — In position for a good approach into 8.

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.

20180816_165111 — A bench at 15 tee offered a seat upon which to contemplate navigating that massive tree.

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.

20180816_181749 — The sun sets on Beckett Golf Club.

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.

Number 76 (Knoll Golf Club – East)

December 26, 2018December 26, 2018 omrosasgolf, golf new jersey, golf nj, golfer, golfers, golfing, golfing new jersey, golfing nj, journey, knoll cc, knoll country club, knoll country club east, knoll country club east course, knoll east, knoll east course, knoll east golf club, knoll east golf course, knoll golf club east, knoll golf club east course, morris, morris county, morris county golf, morris county new jersey, morris county nj, new jersey, nj, nj golf, nj golf courses, nj public golf, public golf, public golf coursesLeave a comment

Date played: 5/28/2018

When a golf course uses the ‘CC’ abbreviation in its name, it’s clear that’s short for “Country Club”. When “GC” is used, there can be slight uncertainty as to whether it’s “Golf Course” or “Golf Club”. The 76^th course on my journey seems to have a more complex issue with its name.

According to the website (knollgolfclub.com) the facility is named “Knoll Golf Club”, and there is an East Course and a West Course. That is of course, until you click on the East Course info link. Then, it’s “Knoll East Course”… but also “Knoll East Golf Club” approximately two words later. When you pull up to the clubhouse, the sign reads “Knoll Country Club East”. When you get your scorecard, it says “Knoll CC – East Course”. Others may call it “Knoll East Golf Course”, or simply “Knoll East”.

Now that we have that settled…

Knoll East – which is what I’m gonna go with for brevity’s sake – is the public half of the Knoll facility. Located in Parsippany – Troy Hills, the course is a shorter one, tipping out at just over 5,800 yards. What it lacks in distance though, it makes up for in personality.

20180528_075324 — Bombs away on the 1st!

The clubhouse is the highest point on the property, which makes for great elevated tee shots on both the 1^st and 10^th holes. That also means challenging approaches on the 9^th as well as the 18^th, where the back-to-front sloped green can end a round on a three-putt low note.

The 5^th is a demanding par 5 that requires playing to a distance off the tee and then navigating a chute on the approach shot(s). There are a couple fun short par-4s in the 7^th and 11^th, and the 12^th is a straight-forward par 3 that might instill some doubt with thoughts like “don’t be left OR right”.

20180528_103328 — The 12th is a scoring hole. Just don’t be left. Or right.

Whatever you decide to call it, Knoll East is nice stop for public golf in Morris County.

How I played…

While there were some birds in a nest on the exterior wall of the pro shop, unfortunately, there were no birdies on the card. That didn’t stop a good time though.

Highlights: Played +3 on an eight-hole stretch from 7 to 14.

Lowlights: You know that three-putt low note on 18 I mentioned? I write from experience. Also, the 5^th hole ate me alive.

Number 72 (Old Orchard Country Club)

November 18, 2018September 11, 2022 omrosasa w tillinghast, golf, golf architects, golf new jersey, golf nj, golfing, golfing new jersey, golfing nj, journey, monmouth, monmouth county, monmouth county golf, new jersey, nj, nj golf, nj golf courses, nj public golf, nj public golf courses, old orchard, old orchard cc, old orchard country club, orchard, tilinghast, tillinghast, winter1 Comment

20180221_080524 - Copy

Date played: 2/21/2018

A Tillinghast design brought to life in 1929, Old Orchard Country Club takes its name from the apple orchard it was built on. Located in Monmouth County, the course prides itself on a sense of family and community. While there weren’t many golfers on the course on a cold February day, that’s certainly the feeling I got when listening to conversations at the pro shop.

The front and back nines of the course are split in two by Turtle Mill Brook, which widens to surround the island green of the signature par-5 7^th hole. The overall layout can be thought of as a butterfly, with the body running along the brook through the 9^th fairway, and each nine as its two wings.

The routing traces the outer edges of the wings and then back inward. The front nine takes you around the southern perimeter of the course and back to the clubhouse along the brook. The back nine then runs around the northern edge and back inward again, but not before making an interesting stop at 13.

Old Orchard 13 - scorecard — *Scorecard artist’s rendition of 13…*

On the scorecard layout depiction, even though it’s a par 4, the 13^th hole looks as if it plays in three shots like a C-clamp. I’m not sure if tee boxes have been moved since that layout was drawn, but in reality, it’s a relatively easy (14^th handicapped) two-shot hole where you can play a mid or long iron off the tee and be left with a scoring club into the green if you find the fairway. The brave can even try to carry the trees right and go for the green off the tee, something one of my playing partners for the day did with decent success.

Old Orchard 13 - rotated — *… 13th hole in reality.*

As I’ve mentioned before, part of the fun of this journey is meeting other golfers around the state. At Old Orchard, I joined a threesome of regulars who were great company, one of whom had what was easily the most interesting bag of clubs I had ever seen. There were nine fairway woods! That included an 11w, 13w, 15w, and a 50-degree “scoring wedge” (but definitely a wood).

The story goes that he had a bad bout of the shanks during a golf trip down in Myrtle Beach. He noticed the fairway woods for sale in the pro shop, and the rest is history. Well, at least local golf history among Old Orchard regulars, and in the playing of the 72^nd public course on my quest.

How I played…

Pretty ******* terribly. It had been my first round in a month, and while I hit eight fairways, I really didn’t do anything else well. Having hit four GIR, I was 0 for 14 scrambling. Other than good company, it was a round to forget.

Number 71 (Ash Brook Pitch & Putt)

November 10, 2018November 28, 2021 omrosasash brook, golf, golfing, golfing new jersey, golfing nj, journey, kemper sports, new jersey, nj, nj golf, nj golf courses, nj golfing, nj public golf, nj public golf courses, pitch & putt, pitch-and-putt, pitch-n-putt, public golf, public golf courses, union county, winter, winter golf, winter solstice1 Comment

Date played: 12/21/2017

Arriving at Ash Brook at 2:40 pm on the winter solstice, daylight was at a premium. Lucky for me, I was only looking to play the pitch-n-putt course to wrap up my three-course day.

Pitch-n-putt golf will always hold a special place in my heart because it’s how I learned to play the game with a group of high school friends. I discovered the Ash Brook pitch-n-putt when I played the regulation course in 2015. It seemed like a sequestered practice area, and I didn’t give it much thought beyond that, but this was also about six months prior to realizing that I would want to play every bit of public golf in New Jersey.

A nine-hole course spanning 673 yards, there is no hole over 100 yards. Depending on a golfer’s ability, there may be a couple holes where you’re taking a full wedge shot – like the uphill, 92-yard 1^st – but most holes will be “feel” shots from the tee box.

20171221_151508 - Copy — *A look at the 2nd hole. Even though you’ll tee off from mats, you will appreciate the quality of the maintenance on this short course.*

Which brings me to the one point of disapproval most golfers will have with the pitch-n-putt course; it plays off mats (the horror!). Personally, I don’t mind. It certainly isn’t good practice for ball striking, but the pitch-n-putt isn’t about that. This is really a place for beginners and younger players to learn the game. And with that in mind, I have yet to play at a better place than the Ash Brook pitch-n-putt.

Beyond the mats for tee boxes, the course is in immaculate shape. The greens are expertly manicured, with clear distinction to the fringe and again to the rough. The rough around some of the holes will be a true test, especially for someone learning to play the game. There is a mix of level holes and a few with elevation changes. It is remarkable what they squeezed into this plot of 700 yards. Again, you would be hard-pressed to find a better pitch-n-putt facility. All of this for a twilight rate of $7 on a December afternoon.

20171221_153817 - Copy — *Beginners will learn to hone their tee-shot accuracy as the well-grown rough is a deterrent.*

There are some who might argue that this shouldn’t count as a course on my journey. Whether it’s the mats, or the overall lack of yardage and minimal club choices, there are reasons “this isn’t real golf”. That may be true. For me, it’s somewhere the game – or at least some semblance of it – can be played, and it’s open to the public. And for that, it will be counted as Number 71.

Orson Rosas Golf

Golf from New Jersey and beyond

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