Course Description
The North Jersey Country Club is the "father" of golf and the first golf club in this section of New Jersey. Play was started in March of 1895 as the Paterson Golf Club and early the next year the name was changed to the North Jersey Country Club.
It was from this humble beginning that the North Jersey grew into one of the better and larger clubs, not only in New Jersey but also on the eastern seaboard. While it was started back in 1895, it was not until May 6, 1897 that it was voted to incorporate. This was completed on May 19th with Garret A. Hobart, president and the other founding members as incorporators. Incidentally Garret A. Hobart later went on to serve as Vice President of the United States of America after his term as North Jersey Country Club’s first President.
Things moved along smoothly until 1917 - the year the United States entered World War I and on December 7, 1917 the club house was completely destroyed by fire, leaving the Club without a home, but undaunted by such a catastrophe the members soon saw to it that the large barns were remodeled into a commodious club house and ready for occupancy with the opening of the 1918 golfing season.
It was recommended in 1919 that the North Jersey purchase additional property and expand to 18 holes for $30,000. Bonds were issued and sold to the members to defray the expense.
The Club then looked to purchase the present site of the Club, Greenbrook Farm, a tract of land consisting of 327 acres, situated in Wayne Township, The largest meeting of the Club ever held, up to that time, was convened on September 21, 1921 at which it was decided unanimously to concur in the recommendations of the committee and to purchase the property. On October 17, that year, Greenbrooke Farm was transferred to the Club. On November 11, 1921, without ceremony and with but only four or five members present, the "first blow" was struck when the Construction of the Golf Course began. At times there were as many as 200 or 300 men working, carrying out the plans developed by the architect, the late Walter J. Travis. After one year, eight months, and eleven days of work the chairperson turned the course over to the Club, as playable, on July 22, 1923.
While it originally had been estimated that the cost of constructing the new course would be $50,000 it developed as the work progressed that owing to the unyielding conformation of the terrain, which could not be anticipated in advance, this amount was not nearly sufficient. As a result the finance committee after considerable negotiations was able to secure the necessary funds to meet this unforeseen expense with the result that up to the opening day $178,000 was spent on the golf course.
Another problem, and a serious one, was the lack of water on the property and after water experts gave little hope of solution, it was decided, upon competent authority, to construct a reservoir with the result that a dam, 234 feet wide and 26 feet deep, was constructed on the northerly side of the tract, extending from Beech Mountain to the lower base of High Mountain and which impounds some 4,500,000 gallons of water which is used for the fire sprinklers and watering the lawns, fairways, and greens. The cost of the dam together with the necessary piping was $34,000.
The foundation of the club house was started during the winter of 1922 and the corner stone was laid on April 21, 1923 and some months later it was thrown open for use.
Little changes were effected in the Club during the following years. The depression of 1929 saw the Club in good condition, but the membership fell off to some extent and this only was aggravated with the commencement of World War II when many of the younger members were called into the service.
The North Jersey, while other clubs were closing up, managed to weather the storm until the Fall of 1942 when the Board of Governors felt that for the future welfare of the organization it would be advisable to affect a reorganization with the result that the aid of the courts was sought and about a year later with the reorganization a reality the North Jersey picked up where it had left off.
EVENTS HOSTED
1905 NJSGA Amateur
1949 and 1995 NJSGA Open
1946 and 2000 Four-Ball Championship
1988 and 2010 NJSGA Women’s Amateur