The course

Golf has been part of Essex Fells since the Club was founded in 1896. Substantially redesigned by A.W. Tillinghast in the late 1920s and early 1930s, our 18-hole course has greens and approaches that reward careful shot selection. Club competitions, social events and games with family and friends keep golf at the centre of life here.

An architectural legacy

Seth Raynor surveyed the course and proposed improvements in 1921. Tillinghast's later plans went further. Research by Brendan F. O'Connor, comparing drawings with Club records, aerial photographs and Robert Trent Jones's 1947 survey, shows that much of Tillinghast's redesign was built, principally between 1929 and 1931. William Braid supervised the construction.

Tillinghast returned in 1936 and proposed a new seventh green, built in 1937. The course has evolved since, including more recent work by Rees Jones, while its Golden Age origins give Essex Fells a distinctive place in New Jersey golf.

Playing at the Club

The golf calendar includes competitive and social events for men, women and juniors, with opportunities to play with familiar partners and get to know other members. Caddies remain an important part of golf at Essex Fells.

Practice and instruction

Members have access to a double-sided driving range, short-game areas and practice greens. Professional instruction is available for beginners as well as experienced golfers working on a particular part of their game.

Explore practice facilities

Competitions

Club championships, member-guest and member-member tournaments are fixtures of the season, alongside women's groups and junior events. The calendar offers opportunities for members who enjoy tournament golf as well as those who prefer a social game.

Explore the course guide