Number 110 (Running Deer Golf Club)

Date played: 4/6/2021

I was invited out for a weekday round at Running Deer by Chuck Wanamaker, who also had me out at Scotland Run in 2019. The course is just a 3.5-mile drive from Centerton Golf Club. In fact, if you walked off the 12th green at Running Deer and headed west-northwest through the forest, it’s only about a third of a mile to reach the 11th green at Centerton. As close as they are geographically, these two Salem County courses are worlds apart in terms of quality.

One thing about this journey that I’m not ready to burden myself with is ranking the courses I’ve played. For one thing, there are 169 public courses (as I’ve defined them) in New Jersey. I couldn’t possibly tell you the difference between what might rank a course 38th as opposed to 37th, let alone 138th as opposed to 137th. The gradations over 169 courses would become extremely fine.

Having said that, what I am comfortable doing is maintaining an unranked list of “must plays”. These are courses that immediately come to mind when I think about my journey. Running Deer absolutely makes that list with an indelible first impression. One of a handful of Ron Jaworski golf properties in New Jersey, it is far and away the best of the ones I’ve played to date.

Many public courses suffer from a lack of variety. Whether it’s multiple adjacent holes that just run back and forth like the line for an amusement park ride, or flat, unappealing terrain, you sometimes feel like you’ve seen the hole already. At Running Deer, you may not be able to find two visuals on the course that are similar.

There are short par 4s, forced carries for par 3s, water featuring in a number of places to make you tentative, and par 5s that are reachable in two but require excellent approaches. Whether natural or not, the end result of the terrain gives every hole a unique look. The bunkering alone really allows for even the straightaway holes – like 4, 6, 8, and 10 – to appear incredibly different.

The stretch from 9 to 12 are some of the most memorable in the state. Here’s a look:

*10 – a short par 4 – going out on the left, the par-5 9th – with its massive waste area – coming back on the right, and the remote openness of the farmlands of Salem County in the distance.*

*Looking back at the green at 11, surrounded by hazards.*

*12 is a beast of a par-4 with a serious risk/reward decision off the tee. You can cut across the corner on the other side of the creek, but your ball must navigate a few pines.*

To top it off, the green complexes are incredible. Many of the putting surfaces have significant undulations, some funnel-esque slopes, backstops, and tiers. Surrounding them are excellent bunkers and run-off areas. They’re also likely to be some of the biggest you’ve seen on a public course that isn’t a resort. Even if Running Deer were as flat and open as a parking lot, the greens alone would make it a great course.

If I haven’t made it clear already, let me be explicit: I highly recommend this course.

*It’s not often you can see undulations on camera in afternoon sun, but I think it’s pretty clear on this green at 3.*

Some video of the wavy character of 3 green.

*The par-3 5th, set up with a sucker pin to tempt you into the pond.*

*The green at 7 is massive*, *measuring over 50 yards wide.*

Number 109 (Knob Hill Golf Club)

May 30, 2022May 31, 2022 omrosasgolf, golf nj, knob hill, monmouth, monmouth county, monmouth county golf, monmouth county nj, new jersey, new jersey public golf, new jersey public golf courses, nj golf, nj golf courses, nj public golf, nj public golf courses, public golf, public golf coursesLeave a comment

*A group of trees off to the side of 6 green.*

Date played: 3/29/2021

My friend Matt and I wanted to get a round of golf in before an outing on Good Friday. We decided to take the Monday of that week off from work and head to Monmouth County to play Knob Hill.

A semi-private course situated on the westbound side of Route 33 in Manalapan, Knob Hill actually teases travelers with a peek at its 15th hole, which has its green placed just a partial wedge shot from the road. The course is a wonderful option for the golfing public, and I’ll try to cover some of its memorable features in a bit. But the story of my time at Knob Hill is really about its 7th hole.

It is a straightaway par 5 that plays with a good deal of width for about 300 yards. A good drive put me in the fairway and about 175 yards from the green with the wind blowing in and across a bit. I took a 5-iron for some extra club, and though the ball started on a good line left of the flag, it seemed to quickly fail in the wind. I honestly thought it would die short in the water.

Nevertheless, it carried, landed, and stopped safely on the lower tier on the front right side of the green. I was on in two.

Having never made an eagle before, I really wanted this putt to sink. At the same time, it was such a difficult putt that part of me just wanted to park it close for a birdie. I notoriously leave lag putts short, and at just over 30 feet, I was psychologically in lag putt territory. I didn’t want to be struggling for a three-putt par.

I was left with a 33-foot putt that moved right to left, with probably five feet of break. It was also a couple feet uphill. I had a putt on a preceding hole the rolled out almost 40 feet on a much more level green. Given the uphill lie, I decided that same putting stroke should be just about right for 33 feet on this green. With my speed decision made, I took a couple looks at the break again, put my head down over the ball and made as good of a putting stroke as I could to at least ensure that I started it on the line I saw.

The ball made its way onto the upper tier, and started banking left quickly. I started to doubt my line and speed, worried that it would miss on the low side. But about five feet from the hole, it seemed to maintain its pace and definitely had a chance. I shouted “go in!”

It went in! The ball rolled in perfectly! After 20 years of playing golf, I finally had my first eagle!

Elated, we moved on to the 8th hole, where I immediately gave those strokes back. I struggled with the water-surrounded green, and would make double bogey. That’s golf.

*From left to right: 10, 1, 9, 8*, *7, 6*

As its name implies, Knob Hill plays with a good deal of elevation change on a number of holes. The clubhouse is the highest point on the course, and whether you start your round on 1 or 10, your tee shots into either of these par-4 dog-legs will play to a pretty severe drop.

*15, under some repair at the time. Route 33 in the distance beyond the green.*

Other downhill holes include 15 and 17. The 15th is a downhill par 3 where over-clubbing coupled with a tailwind might put your tee shot into the passenger seat of a passing car. The 17th is a picturesque, drivable par 4, playing with some width, unless you choose to drive the green.

The 12th is a very short par 3 – only 125 yards from the back tees – but plays about 20 feet uphill. Also playing uphill is Knob Hill’s closing hole. Though it tees off from elevated boxes, the 18th plays into a valley and back up the hill towards the clubhouse.

I would leave the undulating terrain of Knob Hill with a couple notches in my golf belt – another course played on my journey, and my first eagle.

*The 7th green, perilously surrounded by water. Short, right, and long are all dead.*

*A great closing stretch of holes. Coming in from the top right, the par-5 14th moves left toward the entrance road.* On the left side of the frame in the distance is 15, with 16 being the left-most, coming back to the horizontal centerline of the photo. 17 turns back the other way, and then 18 returns to the bottom-right corner.

Number 108 (Seaview Golf Club – Bay Course)

May 30, 2022March 13, 2024 omrosasac, atlantic, atlantic city, bay, donald ross, gca, golf, golf course architecture, golf nj, hugh wilson, new jersey, new jersey golf, new jersey golf courses, new jersey public golf, new jersey public golf courses, nj golf, nj golf courses, nj public golf, nj public golf courses, public golf, ross, seaview, seaview bay, seaview golf club, wilsonLeave a comment

*Seaview from the far corner over 2 green. You can see the resort and clubhouse in the background in the upper left.*

Date played: 1/15/2021

Having carried over vacation days that I didn’t use during the COVID lockdown of 2020, I took the first forecast of warm weather in 2021 as an opportunity to take the day off and knock another course off the list. Heading to Atlantic County for only the second time on my journey, the Bay course at Seaview Golf Club would be my 108th destination.

Built in 1914, the Seaview Bay course is known to LPGA fans as the venue for the Shoprite Classic. In 1942, it also provided half the holes – along with some of the resort’s Pines course – for the tournament setup of the PGA Championship, where Sam Snead won his first major. While Donald Ross receives top billing for designing the Bay course, it more accurately credits its design to Hugh Wilson, with only the bunker work being installed by Ross a few years after the course’s completion.

*Quality flags reminding you how old this historic course is.*

My first round of the new year was an extraordinary one with quite a few highlight memories. I started the round with a birdie and would go on to card the most I’ve ever made in a single round. One of those was a chip-in from 25 yards on the par-4 14th. On 16, after essentially shanking a low bullet off the tee towards OB on the right, I watched it hit a tree and carom left into the first fairway bunker. I successfully scrambled from there to make par. It was just one of those rounds where it felt like not much can go wrong.

I had a great time being paired up with three members, two of which have either worked at or caddied at the course. It was fun to listen to stories of how the Bay Course has changed over the years, having been a private club until the 1980s. It was described by the members as a course that used to be pristine.

*A look across the bay at Atlantic City.*

Conditions have changed however, attributed in large part to increased traffic over the years since opening to the public. Among public courses though, it remains a beautiful layout and pretty well conditioned. Interesting views are always a bonus for a golf course, and you’ll get a number of peeks at Atlantic City from the holes just along the marsh area of Reeds Bay.

In trying to find a course to play, I debated whether it would be worth playing Seaview in winter conditions. Greens were recently punched, and – being a links-style course – the native grasses lining the lateral limits of many fairways were cut accommodatingly low. But $39 for a course that costs well north of $100 in prime season was too good to pass up. Overall, it was great value for a winter round and easy to see why this history-laden course should be a “must play” for any public golfer.

*Boldly welcoming you to the Bay Course.*

*This helpful plaque explains everything.*

*Love everything about the signs here, especially the small plaques indicating whether the hole was a part of the composite layout for the 1942 PGA Championship.*

*A look back at the first of the par-3s, the 7th. In the background, you can see the teeing grounds tarped off in preparation for the upcoming season.*

*Staring into the sun, you can see the gentle contouring of the green at 10.*

Number 107 (Wedgwood Country Club)

May 25, 2022 omrosasabandon all hope, dante, dante aligheri, dante's inferno, gloucester, gloucester county, gloucester county golf, golf, golf nj, inferno, new jersey, new jersey golf, new jersey golf courses, nj golf, nj golf courses, nj public golf, nj public golf courses, public golf, wedgwood, wedgwood cc, wedgwood country club1 Comment

Date played: 12/3/2020

Having wrapped up at 12:25 at Westwood, I raced over to Wedgwood Country Club to make my 1:00 tee time. I rushed to get my clubs and pushcart out of the trunk, ran into the pro shop to pay for the round, and was able to get onto the course right away. The sun was projected to set at roughly 4:30 that afternoon. While no one else was visible from the first tee, I wanted to make sure I kept good pace, not knowing if I would have enough daylight to finish.

The front nine at Wedgwood plays with a great deal of width. Most tee shots have generous landing areas and there are plenty of places where you can miss wildly and still be in play with a shot at the green. The highlight of the front nine to me is the 3rd hole. Unless you’re playing from the back tees, driver is not necessary on this par 4 and could even be a dangerous choice as water lies 50 yards short of the green all the way up to the front edge.

*Is this the tunnel to the 7th at Wedgwood, or the entrance to hell?*

The graffiti on the arch of the tunnel on the way to the 7th hole says “Abandon all hope”, but this would’ve been a more appropriate warning at the entrance to the back nine. Where the front plays relatively open, the back nine plays far more tightly with a number of tree-lined holes. There is OB left on 10, 11, 17 and 18, and not much room to miss in that direction.

*It’s mostly tight from here on in*, *but you catch a bit of a break in a bit*.

The only semblance of reprieve on the back, apart from the par-3s, are 13 and 14 which do have some width. But even 13 is a beast of its own, a long par 4 with a forced long approach. Playing at 435 yards from the back with water in play from the tee, coming up short to avoid the water altogether will leave an approach shot of about 180 yards. If they could stretch the tee boxes back 75-100 yards, it would be a fun par 5. As it stood, it was another deeply black number on the scorecard.

Being a weekday, there were certainly fewer golfers than normal, even for a winter round. Nevertheless, I only caught up to groups ahead of me a few times, and they quickly kept moving. After being battered by the closing half of Wedgwood, I walked up 18 with enough light to finish. Thirty-six holes of golf completed, and two Gloucester County courses checked off the list.

18, into the setting sun.

*A look back at 7. Not sure what Dante was worried about. It was pretty tame.*

*The 17th. Anyone else feeling claustrophobic?*

*Legend has it the statue refused to move, so they just built the practice green around him.*

Number 106 (Westwood Golf Club)

May 19, 2022 omrosasgloucester, gloucester county, gloucester county golf, golf, golf nj, new jersey, nj golf, nj golf courses, nj public golf, nj public golf courses, public golf, public golf courses, public golf courses nj, westwood, westwood golf, westwood golf club1 Comment

Date played: 12/3/2020

With paid time-off left to burn before the end of the year and a close eye on the weather as we entered December, I spotted a Thursday where it would be around 50° F. I quickly jumped at the opportunity and booked the day. Doing my best to plan for a potential frost delay and limited daylight, I tried to come up with a plan to play two new courses on my list.

With only nine and a half hours of daylight to work with, I knew I needed courses relatively close to one another. I was able to find good candidates in Wedgwood Country Club and Westwood Golf Club, which are only about nine miles apart. With the earlier tee times available at Westwood, that would be my first stop at 7:45 am.

Multiple groups waited at the first tee and there was a buzz about the course in different conversations with the starter. There was talk of plenty of work having been done in recent months, including the removal of trees and the installation of cart paths, something the course apparently had been without in years past.

*All quiet into the distance on the first hole, but chatter and buzz were behind the camera.*

After about a 40-minute frost delay, I was sent off in a group of three. The first four holes is a fantastic stretch. The round opens with a short par 5 followed by a drivable par 4. The 3rd is a zig-zagging par 5 and although the chicane is subtle, it will likely still demand three shots. The 4th is another drivable par 4, but only if you’re brave enough to take your tee shot over a significant plot of trees that would leave you in jail should you fail to carry them.

The remainder of the course presents its challenges in different ways. The 6th is a beast of a par 4, stretched out to 430 yards with a significantly uphill tee shot. While relatively short overall at roughly 6,200 from the back tees, the 9th, 11th, and 13th are par-3s that all play over 190 yards. The 15th is a short par 4 with a tree in the middle of the landing area that plays a role somewhere between target and nuisance. The greens are a challenge all around the course and the old adage of “stay below the hole” is absolutely true at Westwood.

As we made our way to the 17th tee, I checked the time and saw that it was a few minutes after noon. I had booked a 1:00 tee time at Wedgwood, and I’d have to account for a 20-minute drive and time to get started. Thankfully, pace of play had been great all morning, and we finished the last two holes by 12:25, giving me just enough time to run straight from the 18th green straight to the car and start my 9-mile sprint over to Wedgwood.

Hospitality Note: The gentleman named Matt at the pro shop who checked me in could not have been nicer. He immediately made me feel welcome as a first-timer and made sure I was situated with everything I would need to know. It amazes me that more courses don’t realize how much of a difference this can make in the experience of golfers and Westwood nails it.

*Trees behind 9 green, which is in the background right*

*The approach at the 90°* *dog-leg-right 15th. The tree in the foreground left must be considered off the tee.*

Number 105 (Ocean County Golf Course at Forge Pond)

April 21, 2022May 19, 2022 omrosasexecutive, executive course, executive golf courses, executive layout, forge pond, golf, golf new jersey, new jersey, new jersey golf, new jersey public golf, new jersey public golf courses, nj golf, nj golf courses, nj public golf, nj public golf courses, ocean, ocean county, ocean county golf, ocean county nj, public golf, public golf near me, public golf nj, short golf courseLeave a comment

Date played: 11/27/2020

Like almost anywhere, a vast majority of the public courses in New Jersey are regulation length. It’s something I used to lament when my friends and I just started playing the game in the early 2000s. We picked up the game on a pitch-n-putt course and were only brave enough to work in a couple par-3 and executive courses to the rotation of courses we were willing to play. I had always wished for more short courses.

Fast forward 20+ years, I’m more than halfway through my quest to play all the publics in NJ. Not only have I found more of these courses, but there have even been a few times where I’ve played them either on the same day or in subsequent outings.

April, 2016: Par-3 at Hole in One Golf Center, followed by Pinch Brook a few weeks later
December 1, 2017: Played both the par-3 and the executive courses at Bel-Aire Golf Club
December 21, 2017: Learning Center 9 at Galloping Hill, followed by Plainfield West 9, followed by the par-3 at Ash Brook

My 105th public course was another such outing. After playing the beautiful par-31 Minerals course in Sussex County a week earlier, I booked a Black Friday round at Forge Pond with my good friend Matt.

Listed formally as the Ocean County Golf Course at Forge Pond, the course is a par 60, comprising six par-4 holes and 12 par-3s. Not knowing anything but its par and length before playing, I expected very simple design elements, straightforward holes, and flat circles for greens. What I found instead were incredibly well-designed green complexes, great use of the overall yardage, and a few great tee-shot decisions to make on the par-4s.

*The green at 2. There is a touch of a false front and a distinct shoulder in the back where this pin was placed.*

The layout is separated into two sections, with holes 3 through 7 situated on the southeast corner of the property. From the green at 2, the walk to the tees at 3 is about 300 yards, and you’ll take the same path back when making your way from 7 to 8. Apart from that stretch, the course is very walkable.

I was excited at the prospect of playing another executive course. I thought of it as an opportunity to try to go low during the off season. Realizing on the practice green that I forgot my putter at home though, the air was taken out of my hopes. Matt suggested I putt with my 3-hybrid. Given that the pro shop didn’t have a putter to rent or borrow, I didn’t have much choice.

Golf is such a funny game. When you think your chances are gone, sometimes things go your way. Somehow, I chipped in once, made my way around in 31 putts with the hybrid for the other 17 holes, two of which were birdies, and played really well overall.

One of six par-4s at Forge Pond

Numbers 104 (Minerals Golf Club)

April 21, 2022May 3, 2022 omrosascrystal springs, golf, golf nj, minerals, new jersey, new jersey golf, new jersey golf courses, new jersey public golf, new jersey public golf courses, nj golf, nj golf courses, nj public golf, nj public golf courses, public golf, public golf courses nj, Robert Trent Jones, RTJ, sussex, sussex county, sussex county golf1 Comment

Date played: 11/21/2020

Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Minerals Golf Club is a nine-hole executive course that rolls along the side of the same mountains that compose the Mountain Creek ski resort. While set in a beautiful mountainside residential community, there aren’t many places where it feels that the homes encroach on the course, giving golfers the freedom to swing away.

*A look at the downhill 3rd, with some of Sussex County’s mountains as the backdrop*

Billed as the family-friendly choice of the six courses in the Crystal Springs resort system, Minerals is a great place for learning the game that is a step up from pitch-n-putt or par-3 courses. Each of the greens include a second pin that has a larger, 8-inch cup for younger or beginner golfers. The course features four par-4 holes and five par 3s that include some truly picturesque holes, particularly the par-4 third and the long par-3 sixth.

*The par-3 6th, from off to the side. At 230 yards from the back, this is a tough green to hit.*

It was truly a joy to be out on a course like this. I’ve been playing golf for just over 20 years, the first four of which were played almost exclusively on par-3 and executive courses. Places like Twin Willows in Lincoln Park and – over the border in Rockland County, NY – the Rockland Lake executive course were the next-step training grounds for my golf game after leaving the comfort of the 50-yard pitch-n-putt where I learned to play.

Being at Minerals reminded me of those places, but with considerable improvement in course quality. Checking in on the list of places that remain on my journey, I can see that there are many nine-hole courses, a few of which are par-3 or executive-length. I can only hope to find more that are like Minerals.

*The 7th and 5th, straddling the main thoroughfare through the community.*

*All nine holes from the foggy skies over Minerals*

Number 103 (Concordia Golf Club)

April 18, 2022April 21, 2022 omrosasconcordia, concordia golf club, covid, covid cup, covid pin, golf, golf middlesex county, golf nj, middlesex, middlesex county, middlesex county golf, new jersey, nj golf, nj golf courses, nj public golf, nj public golf courses, public golf, public golf courses, public golf courses njLeave a comment

Date played: 11/16/2020

At the end of 2017, I thought I had played all of the public courses in Middlesex County after my trip to the Plainfield West 9 course. At the time, that was true.

But, as I’ve written before, this journey is ever-so-slightly amorphous. From the time I began tracking my travels in earnest, the list of public courses in New Jersey has seen some close (see: Beckett Golf Club) and some new ones open (like Skyway). Occasionally, a formerly private course decides to become fully open to public play. That was the case with my 103rd course, Concordia Golf Club.

Located in Monroe, the previously private course is set in a senior-living community. While the routing doesn’t quite follow it, the course is laid out in something of a figure-8 around two large portions of the neighborhood, with most holes flanked by homes. Depending on how wayward your shots can be, water is a factor on at least seven holes, which is a nice feature for a community course.

*Behind the teeing grounds at 13, the first water-lined hole on the lengthy back nine.*

At just under 6,300 yards from the back tees, the course has a deceptive façade of not seeming long on the scorecard. It’s misleading because while the front will play short at under 2,900 yards, the back nine stretches to almost 3,400. I was lulled into a sense of ease by the front nine, not realizing what was in store on the way back in.

There is also a great variety of holes overall. There are drivable par-4s in holes 3, 5, and 10. Some holes play to immensely wide fairways – like 6 and 8 – while many will challenge your driving accuracy with much narrower targets. My only criticism is that the par 3s were all relatively the same yardages from the back tees (186, 194, 194, 176).

*The green at 4, the first of the par 3s. The COVID pins were still in use!*

While the conditions of the greens were a bit inconsistent, they were great overall. The fairways could use a little TLC, but the rates are very reasonable (I paid $30 to walk on a weekday). Overall, I really enjoyed my experience here and would recommend it for a first-time visit. I’m glad I got to play it and complete all of the Middlesex County public courses… again.

*A look back at my final hole of Middlesex County… again.*

Number 102 (Centerton Golf Club)

April 18, 2022 omrosascenterton, centerton golf club, golf, golf nj, golf salem county, golfing, new jersey, new jersey public golf, new jersey public golf courses, nj golf, nj golf courses, nj public golf, nj public golf courses, public golf, public golf courses, public golf courses nj, salem, salem county, salem county golf1 Comment

Date played: 11/6/2020

My 102nd course came about as another great instance of what social media has added to my journey. Tim Casale is a south Jersey resident who initially reached out on Twitter to ask which courses I had yet to play down his way. I let him know that I still had many to go in a number of southern counties and cited some of the specifics in the counties closest to him.

A couple months later, Tim mentioned that he’d be taking a weekday off to play some golf and asked if I wanted to join and check another course off my list. It was a no-brainer for me, and with time-off-work to burn in the calendar year, I confirmed I would join. Tim looked to find tee times at some courses. We thought we might have something at Indian Spring and then Pitman, but both fell through.

After an exercise in synchronized booking through GolfNow, we were set for a Friday round. Eventually, we landed on a round at Centerton.

Seven years into my journey, this would be only my second trip to Salem County, and three years after the first, which was a 2017 impromptu stop at Town and Country Golf Links. Located in Pittsgrove, it’s only about 20 miles from the Delaware River border at the Turnpike/I-295 crossing. It was a bit of a hike from the middle of the NJ where I’m located, but having played just about everything in the middle third of the state, most of the remaining courses are.

*From left to right, 18, 1, 9, and 10 at Centerton*

We arrived at the course and made our acquaintances. Tim’s brother and father would also join us, and it was nice to meet them and feel like I was part of a regular group. After chipping and putting on the practice green for a bit, we made our way to the first tee.

While I could not have started the first hole any better – piping my drive down the center of the fairway and making a routine par – it was pretty shaky from there on. I snap-hooked and pulled my tee shots on 2 and 3 respectively, and though I recovered well from 4 through 7, I fought those misses around the remainder of the course.

*The first par 3 is a long one. I probably missed this green a cool 30 yards left.*

The course is very flat and walkable. There is room to miss, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it a second-shot course. Some tee shots do require attention, like the drives on 2 (which is narrower than most) and 10 (which is a dog-leg right that will require a placement decision). Then, there is the 6th, where a poorly struck tee shot may have you stuck behind Roger’s Tree.

Depending on the tees you play, Roger’s Tree is located anywhere between 80 to 110 yards from the teeing grounds on this straightaway par 4. (OK… so it would have to be a really bad tee shot.) I don’t know why, but I was intrigued by the idea of such a tree.

*Roger’s Tree. Or is it The Rogers Tree?*

Presumably, it’s a memorial. I’ve seen benches and in-ground plaques that are tributes to those who have passed away or even just member donors. But this one has a relatively crudely thrown together piece of plywood, painted white, with “ROGERS TREE” in black lettering. I’d love to know the story behind it. Who is/was Roger? Did he plant the tree? Was he always hitting it off the tee? If so, did his buddies put the sign up as a joke?

Whatever its history is, I’m glad to have avoided it. I’m also glad to have met up with Tim and his family as I continued my journey.

*15 green, watched over by a tree that is not Roger’s*

Number 101 (Hendricks Field Golf Course)

December 2, 2021 omrosascharles banks, essex, essex county, essex county golf, gca, golden age, golf, golf course architecture, golf nj, hendricks, hendricks field, new jersey, nj golf, nj golf courses, nj public golf, nj public golf courses, public golf, renovationLeave a comment

Date played: 9/22/2020

Do you remember the scene in Forrest Gump where he was running across the country? Red shorts. Sweaty, yellowed shirt. Scraggly beard hanging below hyper-focused eyes. He said he just felt like running. He didn’t explain his purpose. Viewers simply witnessed his inexplicable need to continue running – compelling him and leading him through his journey.

And in some ways, I understand that unrelenting urge to accomplish something. To triumph.

My golf journey hasn’t been as eventful. Nor has it been Oscar-worthy. And there is no way my wife would let that beard happen. But it’s my journey, nonetheless. Call it a bit of wanderlust – an attainable adventure across the Garden State.

I don’t always have something new to say. The grass is green. The ball is white. And the sky is almost always blue. But it’s the little things that keep me going. I meet fellow golfers, play interesting courses, or just experience New Jersey locales that I likely may have never visited otherwise.

Having finished at Darlington early enough in the afternoon, Brian and I decided to see if Hendricks Field still had available tee times. We hopped in our cars, made the 40-minute drive south to Belleville, picked up lunch along the way and got to Hendricks. Thankfully, after a short wait, we were able to walk on.

Brian and I have played a few times together since connecting over Twitter. Over the past couple of years, I’ve gained several new, regular golf partners. I’ve also met interesting characters, like Kermit, who unknowingly started me on this quest after telling me he was already on it. At Hendricks, we were joined by a single, whose name I unfortunately can’t remember. Some new friends stay, while others are fleeting and sometimes fascinating details in my story.

Our unnamed third, teeing off on *the 3rd*, *with a buck just a stone’s throw from the tee box*

The courses are all a little different, but it’s nuances of each outing that stick with me the most. Whether it’s the people I play with, the shots I hit (or didn’t), or the intriguing details about the golf in my home state.

For example, did you know Hendricks Field was originally designed by Charles Banks, one of the prominent architects from America’s “Golden Age” of golf course design? Shortly after we played there, Hendricks underwent a renovation which honored Banks’s legacy of thoughtfully crafted holes, while also incorporating new features to support environmental sustainability (i.e. grass that requires less water and pesticides).

At the time of writing, I am about 75% of the way through my journey. As I close it out, I will see more green, white, and blue along the way. I look forward to what I might learn and who I’ll meet on the next course, each detail adding a little more color to my journey. Subtle moments shading and painting a picture of the New Jersey landscape.

Located in Belleville, Hendricks was the last course I needed to play to complete the Essex County publics. As I move on to courses in other counties with my own hyper-focused eyes and Gump-like determination, I am grateful for the opportunity to do something I love and tell the world about it.

Orson Rosas Golf

Golf from New Jersey and beyond

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