New Jersey National GC (private)
Basking Ridge, NJ (an hour W of NYC)
1997, Roy Case
Fat Guy Review, 2011: In today’s marketing savvy society, I always find it a curious choice when new golf clubs include the word “National” in the name of the club.
A Google search revealed no definitive answers as to the origins of where the “National” designation began with regard to golf/country clubs. The only reference I’ve ever seen to any definition of the term came from David Owen’s The Making Of The Masters, which referenced Augusta National was so monikered because they strived for a “membership of a national origin” or nationwide scope. Even back in the early ‘30’s it was a marketing ploy designed to get potential members, many of whom were based in New York and already belonged to a country club, to open their minds to the concept of paying good money to belong to another club in another state. While the “second club membership” is common among the idle rich these days, Augusta needed all the marketing tools they could come up with as they tried to get off the ground during the Great Depression, even with Bobby Jones behind the thing. Certainly Augusta set the standard for Nationals, if not having invented the concept.
I’ve had more than a couple conversations about clubs with “National” in the title with various golfers both novice and seasoned, and of both public and private club pedigree. To a man, their ears perk up when you mention you just played a National, despite the fact that I doubt that most golfers truly understand what the designation even entails. The evocation of Augusta National conjures up visions of perfect conditions, unlimited course maintenance budgets, uber-exclusive membership requirements, hosting of important pro tournaments, and even a non-existent "National” club certification process are all implied, although none are required or even necessarily intended by the designation. I’ve played public, semi-private, and private Nationals from Cape May to Fairfax to Myrtle Beach, and experienced more mediocrity than greatness at each.
To my mind, a “National” reference in a club’s name implies only that they have and seek members/players from all over the country. By that definition, most resort courses, public courses in tourist destinations, and pretty much every course in Myrtle Beach could theoretically be called a National. For the private club Nationals, there’s a certain second club implication which likely holds true for at least some members, although even in today’s transient society, it would be rare for a club to be able to survive economic downturns without a core of locally-based members spending money at the club regularly. All of the other implied National characteristics, such as a world-class design and perfect course conditions, may or may not hold true. One would think that approaching those characteristics might be a requirement to attract such a private membership, but not necessarily.
So... Are modern-day clubs who add "National” to their name attempting to imply weighty money backing with a diverse second-club membership? Or are they simply trying to piggy-back on all of the Augusta-esque implications that come along with it? It seems to me that even if their intentions are simply an indication of the membership structure, they unfortunately also get saddled with the expectations of perfect conditions and phenomenal course design that come from the loose association with Augusta National. Sounds kinda counter-intuitive to the standard marketing moniker of “under-promise and over-deliver.”
Having said all that, when I received an invite to a business outing at New Jersey National, my expectations were a bit more muted than most golfers’ may have been. First of all, without the South Jersey Pine Valley pedigree, the words “New Jersey” and “National” probably wouldn’t sound like they belonged in the same sentence to those not from the area. Sounds like a place where Jon Bon Jovi would be a member (he's not, as far as I know). Although, Fat Guy is quick to admit that 2 of my Top 10 favorite public courses are in Jersey (Scotland Run & Twisted Dune), and it’s no coincidence that the sandy soil that covers much of Jersey is perfect for golf courses. In the case of New Jersey National, the club name may have been at least partially based on the course being part of the nationwide Club Max family of clubs, as well as competing for potential members with Trump National in Bedminster, just 25 minutes away (now there’s a club name/network that deserves to have National in the title).
The course at New Jersey National (designed by British architect Roy Case) is a very good one in very good condition. But I wouldn’t use the word great. It’s not visually stunning ala a Tom Fazio design. It’s not brutally difficult ala Pete Dye. It’s not a quirky links ala Stephen Kay, not a unique target layout ala Mike Stranz. Case’s design is fairly typical wooded parkland with rolling elevation changes, not overly or imaginatively bunkered, and a playable 6,200 yards from the Whites despite measuring 7,000 yards from the tips. Although 3 or so holes did stand out visually (#'s 13 and 17 jump to mind), many of the holes at New Jersey National fall into the immediately-forgettable category, despite quality parkland terrain and very good conditions. The course is also surrounded by a housing development, which is an immediate disqualifier for “great course” status by many. But the strong conditions, brutally thick 3-4 inch rough, and hump-back slopes of the lightning slick elevated green complexes make New Jersey National a semi-memorable experience (or semi-forgettable, if your glass is half-empty) as a tough challenge if nothing else. Nice clubhouse and locker rooms too.
The greens deserve their own paragraph. The main defense at NJN, the greens were probably the nastiest combination of steep-sloped surfaces and fast putting speeds that I've ever experienced (and it didn't help that the hole-changer's girlfriend must have broken up with him the night before). There were hole locations perched on the edges of tiers, on the edges of slopes, and on the crowns of small rises. There were at least a handfull of locations where any putt that was coming downhill or sidehill was guaranteed to go 12-18 feet by if it didn't happen to hit the back of the jar, no matter how soft you tapped it in the direction of the hole. Our foursome of mid-to-high handicappers probably putted off the green on at least a half-dozen occasions. One of my fellow players had a 15-foot straight uphill putt which he hit 12-13 feet... 3 times. Each time it ended up back at his feet. Another hit a makeable 8-foot uphill putt 2 feet by the cup... and it came within 4 inches of rolling backwards down the hill into the backside of the hole. I think the longest putt anyone made all day was a 9-footer. Greens like this might be fun the week after you watch The Masters, or if your iron game is good enough to try to keep it below the hole instead of just somewhere on the green. Otherwise, it's just deepening the frustrated wrinkle on your forehead.
I’ll attach a few caveats to my opinion of NJN; I played it in early October after a month of record rainfall in the area and a layoff from my golf game. Admittedly the sopping wet turf cost me several strokes, and caused a cart-path-only rule which added miles of walking on a fairly hilly course. The recent rains also undoubtedly contributed to the height and thickness of the rough, which caused frequent frustrating ball searches. The leaves hadn’t quite started to fall in earnest yet, although one green was covered in helicopter oak seed pods (I two-putted anyway, from blind luck). I also played with 3 older gentlemen who required a fair amount of assistance with cart-path-challenged club changes, ball searches, and locating the scarce yardage makers, which sapped a lot of my swing energy and added to my already-elevated frustration level.
Archtect Roy Case on New Jersey National, from a 2009 GolfAtlas.com interview: "New Jersey National was a helter-skelter job against a tough time constraint, with drawings being completed the night before a site visit. Eric [Bergstrol] was closely involved in all design decisions and there is a lot of Eric in the final form of the course. " [Fat Guy Note: Bergstrol was on the construction side of the business, moreso clubhouses and golf course housing developments, before he got into golf course design. It was during his time spent with Case on the NJN project that he began to consider and make the transition to the course design business.]
Best Bar Nearby: The on-site Red Oak Grille is open to the public and it's a great room of hardwoods, muted browns, and leather furniture with a fairly masculine slant. The dining room has old school Rat-Pack-style round booths. The Tuesday night I was there the place was shockingly hopping, with a Phillies playoff game on TV. The dining room was nearly full of young families, couples on dates, and business dinners. The bar was pleasantly crowded with couples, a few gaggles of upscale-housewife's-night-out (Tuesdays feature Ladies Night Out specials), and members bellied up after golf. Order the house drink called a FrappaGino (after head bartender Gino), the Kobe Sirloin or the crab farfalle pasta, and the chocolate molten cake.
4 miles away is the Green Knoll Grille (www.greenknollgrille.com). Hottie waitstaff, outdoor tiki bar, upscale indoor bar, multiple flat screens, and a kiddie play area. Order a Gummy Bear martini and a panini or a brick oven pizza.
Where To Grub: A town or two over in Raritan is the stylish Char Steakhouse (www.charsteakhouse.com), a NYC-style dining experience. Awesome steaks and great drinks too, but you might want to grab a shower at NJN and change into a pair of slacks before you drop by. God, did I just say 'slacks'? I'm turning into my Grandfather. Which isn't a bad thing.
