ive never even heard, will have to check out when im in the area.
Completely agree about Skyway, also a JC resident. The pace of play is always awful at skyway as well 3+ hours for nine holes is completely unacceptable.
I played Rock Spring right when it opened and wish I hadnāt (awful drainage and 5 inch high rough in places). Based on everything Iām reading now it appears that theyāve definitely improved the conditions of the course.
Love Weequahic, can play 18 holes in under 3 hours in the late summer afternoons.
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Iām going to be in Bergen County this weekend and seeing if anyone has a recommendation on winter golf in the area - willing to branch out a little bit from the home base. Anything open this time of year and still have the greens uncovered?
A favorite of the Refuge, though not in Bergen County, has become Rock Spring in West Orange. Depending where in Bergen County you are, it might not be too bad of a drive. Raynor/Banks design, was private until this year when the town bought it. Canāt guarantee theyāll be open but should be.
Iāve never played a Bergen County course I really liked, but if you are in the more northern part of the county, just over the border into NY is Blue Hill, a 27-hole muni in Pearl River Iāve liked. Spook Rock is supposed to be good but havenāt played there, and New York Country Club is a higher-end, āmember for a dayā type course which I remember being good but havenāt played in a few years.
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I believe rock spring is closed for the winter. They havenāt been answering the phone when Iāve called
Bummer. Their website has available tee times. Guess I wonāt be playing there tomorrowā¦
Thanks for the update
Just sneak on!
Also, just to clarify and not to be picky, but Rock Spring is owned by the town of West Orange, not the county (Essex). It isnāt part of the county system with Byrne, Weequahic and Hendrickās.
Iām also not sure if theyāre closed all winter or if theyāll open up during periods of sustained thaw. I called in late fall and they said they would be open as conditions allowed. Personally Iād prefer they remain closed in the best interest of the course. Weāll see.
Yup, donāt think I said it was a county course. Although as a non-resident of the county and town, the ownership makes little difference to me as long as it stays open and in its current state for as long as possible.
If they plan on keeping the course as-is for a while, then yes, it would be good for them to just shut it down. However, if we only may have another year or two getting out there Iād prefer they not have it shut down during a potentially playable period.
Quite frankly, if the courseās future depends on viability and making as much money as possible, Iād hope/expect the course would be open whenever thereās no snow and the ground is thawed out.
Sorry, I was reading āwhen the county bough itā as implying that it was a county course.
Regardless, there actually isnāt even a benefit to WO residents, including myself, which is a bummer. And while revenue generation is important, I just hope it doesnāt come at the expense of the health of the course. My understanding is that the property is slated to remain unchanged for at least next season, before they begin acting on plans to potentially reduce it to 9 holes. Not sure there is any amount of revenue that will prevent that from happening.
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Youāre right. Typo. My bad.
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All good! Hope to see you out there, whether itās this winter or next season! Thereās clearly enough folks here for a meet-up.
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I played RS last weekend - it was walking only, which kept it pretty empty. Fairways and greens were soft but good shape overall, there was a downed tree on 15 and some larger branches around the course, none affected play. The guy in the shop said they have no plan to close for winter and would be day-to-day depending on weather, so best bet is probably to call over.
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Theyāre open? Got voicemail for Francis Byrne, assumed the same for rock spring
Byrne is closed for the season, as is their standard practice. Hendricks and Weequahic open as weather permits; both are open now.
Rock Spring is not part of the county system, so this is basically everyoneās first experience with how the winter will be handled. Anser2ās post above is consistent with what I was told in the late fall.
(Edit to add, welcome, Anser2!)
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New to the boardālive in Westchester. Work in CT. Going to get fitted for new clubs for first time ever (after 20+ years with Cleveland CG4s). Any recommendations on good fitters?
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oh boy., do i have the thread for you!
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Oh thank you! Finally someone else that lives in Westchester. Where do you live?
Also whatās your social and motherās maiden name
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Good to know! Every time I called it went to voicemail so this is welcome news.
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