From NorthJersey.com, Public golf course on landfill called money pit:

A proposed 18-hole public golf course atop North Arlington and Kearny landfills would cost $30 million to $40 million to complete and could not pay for itself, according to a 124-page report released by the National Golf Foundation.

That cost also could prove to be too high for the state and counties to make up the difference, given their dire budget situations. The state aid would be needed to clean up portions of the landfill unrelated to golf.

All Saints Episcopal Day School of Hoboken NJ is holding it's 12th annual "Tee Off For Kids" golf outing at Crystal Springs 5/16/2008.

All Proceeds beneifit our scholarship fund.

Register on line at: http://www.golfdigestplanner.com/2770-TeeOffForKids/index.html or call Karen Kinney 201-420-4469 for more info.

Future of Alloway Township golf course is uncertain: For a stretch a few years ago, the course and its facilities hit a rough patch and saw its revenues decline. But a revamped effort toward better maintenance and upkeep looked to get Holly Hills back to its place among the top 10 courses in South Jersey. According to Sebell, the decision of owner Ram Arya to close had been kicked around for a few months but the staff was only informed of the final decision in mid-December. Sebell said Arya, proprietor of Arya Golf Properties, is 64 now and ready to retire... And to the dismay of Sebell and many other residents, the closing of the semi-private club (which means members can call ahead to reserve a tee time) has been harder on them because it is unclear at this point if Holly Hills will even remain a golf course.

New York Times reported on Trump's announcement to rescue the EnCap golf and housing development:

The developer Donald J. Trump pledged yesterday to rescue the troubled EnCap golf and housing development in the New Jersey Meadowlands, saying he would come up with a new design, a world-class golf course and more upscale housing.

Donald Trump says he will find a new master plan for the housing and golf course to be built at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. Critics were wary of Mr. Trump’s involvement in the project.

Mr. Trump said in an interview that he had signed a deal to become a 50-50 partner with the current builder, Cherokee Investment Partners, in developing 785 acres covering four garbage dumps stretching across Lynhurst and Rutherford, N.J. The developer said he had already started interviewing five firms to find a new master planner for the project.

But Christopher Gale, a spokesman for the Meadowlands Commission, reportedly said “We don’t have any information concerning Mr. Trump, nor has anyone at this agency been approached by Mr. Trump.”

Should be an interesting story...

Daily Record: Morris Plains resident Brian Komline, who won his second New Jersey Open title in July, was named the NJSGA amateur player of the year on Wednesday.

From Bad Golf Shot Leads To Incredible Rescue:

A bad golf swing may have saved the life of an injured dirt biker in central New Jersey. Really.

The man was rescued after spending 17 hours trapped in the woods.

Dr. Vincent Romeo is a good golfer, usually hitting in the low 80s. On Thursday, though, he shanked a shot, clipping his ball way to the right of fairway 8 of New Jersey's Forsgate Country Club in Monroe. That one bad swing led to a hole-in-one for a dirt biker injured in the woods by the golf course. When Dr. Romeo went to his errant golf ball, he thought he heard something, but decided it was the wind.

"I am about ready to hit it again and I hear another cry and I realize … there was somebody," Romeo said.

Romeo then walked over to the woods and called out.

Read the full story here.

AP reports Two N.J. Golfers Get Back-To-Back Aces:

The men were still calming themselves after witnessing a member of the foursome, Thomas Brady, score a hole-in-one, when Dennis Gerhart stepped to the tee. One stroke later, the celebration began anew. Gerhart had also holed out.

"I've never heard of that happening anywhere in the world," Jim Woods, director of golf at Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township, said Thursday, a day after the dual aces were recorded on the club's Banks Course. "Two balls on the same hole in the same group is pretty impressive."

Holes-in-one are rare. Neither Brady nor Gerhart had ever made one before. The odds of a golfer scoring an ace: 5,000-to-1. But the odds of two players in a foursome performing such a feat are 17 million to 1, according to a Golf Digest article in 2000.

Cool.

Interesting review of Liberty National here: What can I say, the views are breathtaking and the course is rock solid. Having the opportunity to play Liberty National was and is a real treat. Views of Lady Liberty and Manhattan, not to mention the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, the largest suspension bridge in the United States, from just a short distance are spectacular.

From the Asbury Park Press' Staying on course:

The daily-fee golf landscape, driven by a build-it-and-they-will-come mantra during a course construction boom that lasted nearly a decade, has undergone a major shift throughout the country in recent years.

At the Shore alone, Pine Barrens Golf Club in Jackson, Woodlake Country Club in Lakewood and Jumping Brook Country Club in Neptune have all opted to close their doors to the public in favor of a private club environment.

It's part of an overall retrenchment in an increasingly problematic market where overall rounds are down, competition for golfing dollars is up and an air of caution permeates the decision-making process.

Then there's Eagle Ridge Golf Club, where heavy equipment is rumbling around on 90 acres of land adjacent to their 18-hole course, carving out nine more holes. And with plans to do a major expansion on their 27,000-square-foot clubhouse early next year, the eight-year-old club is clearly bucking the trend among semiprivate facilities.

"It's a very exciting time for us," said Jerry Kokes, one of Eagle Ridge's owners. "The more that go out of this business, the better for us. We'll be the only semiprivate course around with 27 holes."

Read the full story.

From Cybergolf:

Billy Casper Golf ("BCG") has announced its purchase of the 36-hole Royce Brook Golf Club in Hillsborough, N.J. The acquisition increases the number of BCG-managed properties in the Garden State to six.

Featuring the private West Course and the public East Course, Royce Brook boasts two stout designs, excellent conditioning, and practice and instruction facilities.

Other New Jersey courses managed by BCG include layouts such as McCullough's Emerald Golf Links (Egg Harbor Township), High Bridge Hills Golf Club (High Bridge), Cranbury Golf Club (West Windsor), Indian Spring Country Club (Evesham Township) and the private Rossmoor Golf Course (Monroe Township).

A press release announces new staff at Hamilton Farm Golf Club:

Steve Archer, Hamilton Farm's new Director of Golf, comes from Quail Valley Golf Club in Vero Beach, Florida, where he has been for the past six years. He will serve as the Director of Golf at both Quail Valley and Hamilton Farm.

...Mike Adams has joined Hamilton Farm as the Director of Instruction. Recognized as one of the top 50 instructors in the world by Golf Digest, Adams has been a private instructor to more than 100 PGA, LPGA and Senior Tour players.

...Karen Noble has joined the Hamilton Farm team as a teaching professional. Noble spent the last six years as the teaching professional of Sunningdale Country Club in Scarsdale, New York.

On October 11, 2007 The Long Valley Woman's Club will sponsor its Second Annual Charity Golf Outing at the Hawk Pointe Golf Club at 294 Route 31 in Washington, N.J. All proceeds will benefit the Morris County Battered Women's Shelter, Hackettstown Medical Center, Lyons Veterans' Hospital, and other local community organizations.

Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. with a box lunch on a cart at 11:45. The shotgun start is at 12:00 p.m. followed by awards, dinner buffet, and cash bar at 4:30 p.m. The cost is $150 per golfer. Pre-registration by September 26 is required. Register on-line at www.lvwc.xpgr.com or mail: name, address, phone of everyone in your group, along with your check made out to:

Long Valley Woman's Club
Attn: Golf Outing Chairman
P.O. Box 534
Long Valley, N.J. 07853

Anyone wishing to attend the dinner without golfing may send a check for $40 to the same address. The dinner buffet is at 4:30 p.m.

Any businesses or community groups may get sponsorship information from Eileen at (908) 852-8219. We hope the town will support this charitable effort and have a fun day at the same time.

From the press release:

The Architects Golf Club (Architects)—a semi-private facility designed for corporate or social occasions and only legacy golf course in New Jersey—celebrated the official opening of its clubhouse today. Owners Larry and Dennis Turco were joined by Lopatcong Mayor Douglas J. Steinhardt for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Architects also unveiled a new practice facility, with 30,000 square feet of natural turf, fairway bunker and short-game green for chipping and sand play.

The 16,000 square foot state-of-the-art clubhouse is designed for corporate or social occasions. In addition to Thyme Restaurant and Bar—which offers French-inspired cuisine and upscale dining with indoor and outdoor seating—the clubhouse features banquet facilities for golf events, weddings, corporate or social functions; men’s and women’s locker rooms; private member lounge and a pro-shop.

Press of Atlantic City, New rule forces high school girl golfers to tee off with boys: Girls playing in boys or coed golf matches are allowed to play at the next, closer set of tees. Until now. Starting Monday, girls playing in the boys NJSIAA state golf tournament will have to play the same tees as the boys. That means a difference of hundreds of yards. It figures to have an impact upon individual and team scoring.

From Still many places Woods hasn't played:

"I've never even been to Pine Valley or Seminole." Pine Valley is annually ranked the best course in the country by some publication, and it was strange Woods has never been in the southern New Jersey area long enough to play it. Jack Nicklaus went there during his honeymoon.

Any New Jersey golfers out there with PV privileges want to help a Tiger out?