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.

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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.

*A shot from a 2016 round of the green at 18, looking back at the fairway.*

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.

*The 10th at Gambler Ridge. 385 yards from our tees, I had about 105 into the green from the left rough.*

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).

*A satellite image showing the ghost of Stonybrook.*

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 4, 5, and… 152 and 14?

February 23, 2024February 23, 2024 omrosasgolf, golf nj, golf-course, golfing, middlesex, middlesex county, middlesex county golf, middlesex county golf courses, 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, raritan landing, rolling greens, rolling greens golf club, rolling greens golf course, somerset, somerset county, somerset county golf, somerset county golf courses, sports, sussex, sussex county, sussex county golf, sussex county golf courses, tara greens, travelLeave a comment

Continuing the theme of my last post, I’ve got more, out-of-order courses to tell you about. As I mentioned, the first three courses I played were all at points before and up to June 2006. Very shortly after that, my wife and I had just gotten an apartment together in Middlesex County. From there, I would play an additional four courses over the next few years.

Number 4 (Raritan Landing)

Date played: 7/22/2006

While he’s better known for his design at Scotland Run, Stephen Kay also helmed the creation of the par-58 Raritan Landing Golf Course in Piscataway, NJ. Though I have an undated scorecard that likely preceded it, this Middlesex County executive course counts officially as the 4th NJ public I played based on a July 2006 round.

As a Rutgers alumnus, this is another place I wish I had visited more while I was on campus, literally just minutes away from the course. With four par-4s and 14 par-3s, this would’ve been a perfect place to play while I was still in my novice-golfer shell.

The greens at Raritan Landing have enough undulation in them to set them apart from most other executive or par-3 courses and they are bunkered enough to challenge the beginner. However, in my experience, the greens are usually kept at a speed that might be a bit slow for those looking to be challenged on the putting surface. (I’m not one of those people, so win-win for me.)

It’s only $40 to walk on the weekend, but an additional $20 if you want to ride. Given the course is a par-58, $60 to play a short course is a bit steep. I would recommend the very manageable walk if you made your way out there.

Number 5 (Tara Greens – 9-hole)

Date played: 5/16/2009

The nine-hole course at Tara Greens Golf Center was my first Somerset County course played. Closed sometime between 2014 and 2020, the first time I played it was in a round with one of my cousins in May 2009. The course featured two par-3s (one long, one short), five par-4s, and two of the wildest par-5s in the state of New Jersey.

*Scores of 6 and 10 on the 6th, and 9 and 8 on the 7th… yikes.*

Hole 6 was a 465-yard par 5 that presented itself as a 90-degree dog-leg-left from the tee box. You could cut the corner over some trees, but your landing area was narrow and it was completely blind. For all intents and purposes, it was a three-shot hole. That was immediately followed by the 7th, which was listed on the scorecard as 615 yards. I don’t know if actually stretched that long, but I can tell you that in the few times I played it, I never even came close to making par.

Looking at the scorecard map, the shape of the 6th is portrayed accurately, but my recollection of the 7th is that it was much more of a dog-leg-right. Either way, you can see that image below, alongside a satellite image of the course. A majority of the acreage for those two holes sat where the large, white-roofed distribution center is now, and you can actually see remnants of the 7th green, bit left of center, north of the building marked “WA Cleary Corporation”.

(Side note: roughly 15 years later, almost none of the businesses that advertised on the back of that scorecard are still around today!)

Number 152 (Tara Greens – Pitch-n-putt)

Date played: 7/3/2022

As part of the “golf center” experience of Tara Greens, in addition to the nine-hole course and driving range, the facility also offered a nine-hole pitch-n-putt course. I say “offered” in the past tense, because I recently discovered that in May 2023, Tara Greens announced that it would “not be opening for the 2023 season.”

*It wasn’t me, but I feel that deflated teary emoji.*

While that language leaves open the possibility of opening for the 2024 season (or any future season) it is probably highly unlikely. Given the sale of land to the distribution center years ago and the current real estate market (land isn’t cheap) the facility owners would have done well for themselves selling the remainder of the land to the highest bidder.

While I have one undated scorecard that I believe is from the time I lived in Middlesex County, and a few others from 2016 to 2020, I did not originally include the pitch-n-putt course in my list of NJ publics. After realizing that it met my criteria – it’s open to the public and offers a scorecard with yardages for each hole – I decided to avoid renumbering my entire journey and just slot the course in as my 152nd played.

If it doesn’t return – and again, it probably won’t – it will be sad to see it go. Here are a few pics from that day.

Number 14 (Rolling Greens Golf Club)

Date played: 8/31/2013

My final, out-of-order course for this post is a trip to Sussex County.

While I have an undated scorecard of a round with someone I worked with from 2006 to 2008, I counted Rolling Greens Golf Club in Newton as the 14th I had played based on a round played with two of my best friends in August 2013.

A par 65 from just under 5,200 yards, Rolling Greens was a tight test on a number of holes, particularly the par-4s. I can’t quite remember if it was the par-5 13th or par-4 15th, but even though they offered a bit of space on the approach, one of those extreme dog-leg-left holes also had a very difficult tee shot to navigate into a narrow landing area in the elbow of the hole.

*Holes packed together like a microscope image of reproducing bacteria.*

In 2021, I learned that Rolling Greens had closed sometime in 2019. Over time, a number of courses have been removed from my list, some of which I played, others which I hadn’t. There’s a bit of a missed-opportunity sting to learn about a course that I never played which no longer exists. But like many of the courses gone from the early part of my journey, there’s a deeper pain of an erased personal history when I see a course I played get relegated out of reality and into history books.

Here is a satellite image of Rolling Greens which still shows much of the shape of the layout.

Numbers 1 through 3

January 9, 2024January 9, 2024 omrosasgolf, golf nj, golf-course, golfing, High Bridge, High Bridge Hills, High Bridge Hills Golf Course, 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, Rutgers, Rutgers University, Rutgers University Golf, Rutgers University Golf Course, sports, travel, Twin Willows, Twin Willows Golf, Twin Willows Golf Course, Twin Willows Par 32 Comments

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.

*The front nine of our round. I have no idea why I circled a 7 and three 8s.*

*Some more random circling on the back nine. In other news, 43 coming in was probably about the very best I could do at the time. That’s just above an average nine-hole score for me today.*

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!

*The first time I played at the Rutgers course, though not the round that would count towards my journey.* *It’s also probably around the time I first locked eyes with the future Mrs. Rosas.*

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.

*The only dated scorecard I kept from Twin Willows.*

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!

*The “10th” hole* *that was added since I played last is the one *with the waste area* at the bottom of the frame and plays as the 1st. What I knew as holes 1-9 are now actually holes 2-10.*

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.

Another internet glitch! A remnant of the old EZLinks site is still findable on Google. The look and feel were a bit more modern by the time we used it in 2005, but it’s cool to see relics of golf history like this.

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.

*The scorecard from the first official round on my journey. A 56.5-foot birdie followed by a five-putt triple bogey. That’s how you close out a round!*

Here are some photos from my December 2023 round, as well as some drone shots I quickly took before heading back home.

High Bridge Hills from above. With the cart barn and maintenance shed in the center of the frame, the 9th and 1st holes straddle the pond to the right. To the left and above it is most of the back nine.

*The one-shot 4th hole, with a view almost (in the smallest way) reminiscent of 16 at Sleepy Hollow with the reservoir in the background.*

*Above the 4th hole, a look back most of the first six holes.*

*The par-3 8th hole, with elevated, terraced tee* *boxes on the right and the green near the lower left.*

*Behind the 8th green, looking up at the tees.*

*Over the back nine, looking at 12 and 13.*

*18 green, with 10 playing alongside it on the right into the distance.*

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 132 (Pomona Golf and Country Club)

December 4, 2023December 4, 2023 omrosasatlantic, atlantic county, atlantic county golf, atlantic county golf courses, australia, california, claremont, colorado-golf-journal, golf, golf nj, new jersey, new jersey public golf, new jersey public golf courses, nj golf, nj golf courses, nj public golf, nj public golf courses, permanent, pomona, pomona golf & country club, pomona golf and country club, pomona golf club, public golf, public golf courses, tenure-trackLeave a comment

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.

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.

*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.*

Number 131 (Brigantine Golf Links)

December 3, 2023December 4, 2023 omrosasart, atlantic, atlantic city, atlantic county, atlantic county golf, atlantic county golf courses, brigantine, brigantine golf links, food, golf, golf nj, home, links at brigantine, new jersey, new jersey public golf, new jersey public golf courses, nj golf, nj golf courses, nj public golf, nj public golf courses, photography, postaday, public golf, public golf courses, technology, travel1 Comment

Date played: 12/31/2021

*Coming up on very near 100 years at Brigantine.*

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)

August 12, 2023August 13, 2023 omrosasgloucester, gloucester county, gloucester county golf, gloucester county golf courses, golf, golf 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 courses, washington, washington tonwshipLeave a comment

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!

Number 129 (Valleybrook Country Club)

July 9, 2023July 12, 2023 omrosascamden, camden county, camden county golf, camden county golf courses, golf, golf nj, jaworski, jaws, jaws golf, 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, ron jaworski1 Comment

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).

*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.

*11 green. The parallel zig-zag is over.*

*12 looking back up at the elevated tee boxes.*

Number 128 (Hominy Hill)

May 21, 2023June 11, 2023 omrosasgolf, golf nj, hominy, hominy hill, monmouth, monmouth county, monmouth county golf, monmouth county golf courses, 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, Robert Trent Jones, RTJLeave a comment

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.

*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)*.

*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.*

*16, another pretty, but long par 3 with a wide green complex.*

Number 127 (White Oaks Country Club)

January 29, 2023 omrosasgloucester, gloucester county, gloucester county golf, gloucester county golf courses, golf, golf 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 courses, white oaks, white oaks cc, white oaks country club, white oaks golf clubLeave a comment

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.