Skip to Search Skip to Live Player Skip to Content Skip to Footer

Brent Porche

Brent Porche

Brent Porche

3 New Jersey and Pennsylvania Golf Courses Named Greatest In America

Avatar photo By Brent Porche

According to Golf Digest, three New Jersey and Pennsylvania golf courses were named among the greatest in America in 2023.

These courses were selected by a panel of 1,900 golfers, golf course architects, and golf writers. The panelists were asked to rate the courses on a variety of factors, including shot options, challenge, layout variety, aesthetics, conditioning, and character.

The Golf Digest top 100 golf courses list is a prestigious honor, and it is a testament to the quality of the courses that made the cut. These courses are all challenging and rewarding, and they offer a unique golfing experience. If you are a golfer looking for a great place to play, then you should consider one of these courses.

Locally we have 3.

They are:

Pine Valley Golf Club, Pine Valley, NJ
Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, PA
Merion Golf Club: East, Ardmore, PA

  • Pine Valley Golf Club, Pine Valley, NJ

    Pine Valley Golf Club is a private golf club located in Pine Valley, New Jersey. It is widely considered to be one of the finest golf courses in the world. The course was designed by George Crump and opened in 1913.

    Crump was a wealthy Philadelphia businessman who was passionate about golf. He was also a talented amateur golfer, and he won the Pennsylvania Amateur Championship in 1903. Crump was dissatisfied with the quality of golf courses in the Philadelphia area, so he decided to build his own course.

    Crump found the perfect location for his course in the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey. The Pine Barrens are a vast, sandy area with rolling hills and scrubby vegetation. Crump believed that the Pine Barrens would provide the perfect setting for a challenging and rewarding golf course.

    Crump spent five years designing and building the course. He worked with a team of engineers and landscapers to create a course that was both challenging and beautiful. The course features a variety of hazards, including deep bunkers, thick rough, and fast greens. The course is also known for its natural beauty, with its rolling hills, pine trees, and wildflowers.

    Pine Valley Golf Club opened in 1913 and quickly became one of the most popular golf courses in the country. The course has hosted numerous major championships, including the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship. Pine Valley has also been ranked as one of the best golf courses in the world by numerous publications.

    Pine Valley Golf Club is a private club and membership is by invitation only. The club has a strict dress code and a code of conduct that is designed to preserve the course and its atmosphere. Pine Valley Golf Club is a unique and special place, and it is a bucket list destination for any golfer.

    Here are some notable events that took place at Pine Valley Golf Club:

    • 1936 U.S. Open: Olin Dutra defeated Craig Wood in a playoff.
    • 1954 U.S. Open: Ben Hogan defeated Ed Furgol by two strokes.
    • 1965 U.S. Open: Gary Player defeated Jack Nicklaus by two strokes.
    • 1985 U.S. Open: Larry Nelson defeated Jack Nicklaus by one stroke.
    • 1998 U.S. Open: Ernie Els defeated Colin Montgomerie by three strokes.
    • 2018 U.S. Open: Gary Woodland defeated Brooks Koepka in a playoff.

    Pine Valley Golf Club, Pine Valley, NJ

  • Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, PA

    Oakmont Country Club is a private golf club located in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. It is one of the most prestigious golf courses in the world and has hosted numerous major championships, including the U.S. Open nine times and the PGA Championship four times.

    The club was founded in 1903 by Henry Clay Fownes, Sr. and his son, William C. Fownes, Jr. The Fownes family were wealthy industrialists who were passionate about golf. Henry Fownes had previously designed a number of golf courses in the Pittsburgh area, and he was determined to create a course that would be the finest in the country.

    The Fownes family purchased 200 acres of farmland in Oakmont and began construction on the course in 1903. The course was designed by Henry Fownes and opened for play in 1904. Oakmont was immediately acclaimed as one of the finest golf courses in the country.

    The course has a number of unique features that make it challenging and demanding. The greens are large and undulating, and the fairways are narrow and lined with bunkers. The rough is thick and penal, and the course is known for its fast greens.

    Oakmont has hosted numerous major championships, including the U.S. Open nine times and the PGA Championship four times. The course has also hosted a number of other prestigious events, including the Walker Cup, the Curtis Cup, and the Ryder Cup.

    Oakmont is a bucket list destination for any golfer. The course is challenging and rewarding, and it is a test of the very best golfers in the world.

    Here are some of the notable events that took place at Oakmont Country Club:

    • 1904 U.S. Amateur: Chandler Robbins defeated Fred McLeod in the final.
    • 1913 U.S. Open: Francis Ouimet defeated Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in a playoff.
    • 1927 U.S. Open: Tommy Armour defeated Bobby Jones in a playoff.
    • 1935 U.S. Open: Sam Parks, Jr. defeated Craig Wood in a playoff.
    • 1953 U.S. Open: Ben Hogan defeated Sam Snead in a playoff.
    • 1962 U.S. Open: Jack Nicklaus defeated Arnold Palmer in a playoff.
    • 1969 U.S. Open: Lee Trevino defeated Jack Nicklaus by a stroke.
    • 1973 U.S. Open: Johnny Miller shot a record-setting 63 in the final round to win by two strokes.
    • 1983 U.S. Open: Larry Nelson defeated Fuzzy Zoeller by a stroke.
    • 1994 U.S. Open: Ernie Els defeated Colin Montgomerie by two strokes.
    • 2007 U.S. Open: Angel Cabrera defeated Jim Furyk and Ben Curtis in a playoff.
    • 2016 U.S. Open: Dustin Johnson defeated Jim Furyk by a single stroke.

    Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, PA

  • Merion Golf Club: East, Ardmore, PA

    Merion Golf Club is a historic golf course that has hosted many major championships. It was designed by Hugh Wilson and opened in 1896. The course is known for its small, undulating greens, thick rough, and fast greens. Merion has hosted the U.S. Open five times, the U.S. Amateur eight times, and the PGA Championship once.

    Merion Golf Club is a private golf club located in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. It is one of the most prestigious golf courses in the world and has hosted numerous major championships, including the U.S. Open six times and the PGA Championship twice.

    The club was founded in 1896 by a group of amateur golfers from Philadelphia. The original course was designed by Hugh Wilson and opened for play in 1896. The course was immediately acclaimed as one of the finest golf courses in the country.

    In 1912, the club decided to build a new course, and they again turned to Hugh Wilson. The new course, known as the East Course, opened for play in 1912. The East Course is considered to be one of the finest examples of classic golf course design.

    The East Course has hosted numerous major championships, including the U.S. Open six times and the PGA Championship twice. The course has also hosted a number of other prestigious events, including the Walker Cup, the Curtis Cup, and the Ryder Cup.

    Merion is a bucket list destination for any golfer. The course is challenging and rewarding, and it is a test of the very best golfers in the world.

    Here are some of the notable events that took place at Merion Golf Club:

    1916 U.S. Amateur: Chick Evans defeated Walter Hagen in the final.
    1930 U.S. Amateur: Bobby Jones defeated Eugene Homans in the final, completing the Grand Slam.
    1934 U.S. Open: Olin Dutra defeated Craig Wood in a playoff.
    1950 U.S. Open: Ben Hogan defeated Sam Snead in a playoff.
    1964 U.S. Open: Jack Nicklaus defeated Arnold Palmer in a playoff.
    1981 U.S. Open: David Graham defeated Tom Watson in a playoff.
    1993 U.S. Open: Lee Janzen defeated Payne Stewart in the final.
    2013 U.S. Open: Justin Rose defeated Phil Mickelson in the final.

    Merion Golf Club: East, Ardmore, PA

  • Other articles:

    Articles on Golf found HERE.

  • Sources:

    Golf Digest and Wiki

Get The MMR Insider Newsletter Delivered To Your Inbox

Get the good stuff sent straight to your inbox: Rock news, concert info, what's happening around town, plus exclusive contests, games, and more.

*
By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.
Tags