Somerset Hills Country Club
180 Mine Mount Road
Bernardsville
New Jersey
07924

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While Pine Valley is recognized as the best golf course in New Jersey and indeed the country, but the golfing tradition runs deep in New Jersey and Somerset Hills Country Club is but one facet of that proud heritage.

Founded in 1899, Somerset Country Club has been a refuge from city life for its members for over a hundred years. Designed by A.W. Tillinghast, the course has a naturalistic flow to it that moves with the land and is known for its subtlety and a lack of brashness. Somerset Hills doesn’t need to show off like other courses, it has the real deal.

The entire course has a par of 71 and a total yardage of 6659. Built on the contours of a former racetrack the front nine are a challenging delight. Tillinghast did not like to ease the players into their game and the course starts off with the exacting hole named ‘Orchard’ by the architect. Named so because it plays through an old orchard with a right dog leg. Having a yardage 448 and a par of 4, it doesn’t hold back.

While the from nine play on the old racetrack and are relatively flat and open, the back nine on the other hand are markedly different. The area is forested and as such the holes are tree lined and more diverse terrain.

The eleventh hole, named “Perfection”, is one of the most difficult holes on the course. It requires a straight shot directly through a small path through the trees, to a left sloping area. As one can imagine, a straight shot is critical when playing Perfection.

The fifteenth hole is called Happy Valley and this 407 yard, par four exemplifies Tillinghast philosophy more than any other. A strategic hole where one can stroke safely from the right or more boldly from the right. The hole is guarded by a water hazard and weeping willow tree, all on top of a dogleg.

Bring your “A” game to Somerset Hills.