TITLE:
Review - NESHANIC VALLEY GOLF COURSE - This is NJ finest Municipal Course
HC NEWS - You can sense it the moment you pull in the front gates, this is no ordinary municipal track, this is something special.
Neshanic Valley is the newest of the Somerset County Courses and it clearly outshines its sister courses.
Right from the get go the Hunterdon County News Team was treated brilliantly. The bag drop has polite rangers who carry your bag away to your cart, a nice touch for newcomers and our fellow was particularly cordial and informative.
Into the pro shop we met with Robert Ransone, Director of Golf Operations, who gave us a quick rundown on the many facets of golf going on at the complex. It is important to note that due to time constraints we did not have time to review the training facility, we will be going back to do that shortly.
Rob explained to us that the course is made up of three different and challenging nine hole courses. The championship course set up with the Lake and Ridge nines with the Meadow being the third. We were very surprised to learn that the course is going to be the host of major tournament qualifiers and also to some high level amateur events. Neshanic Valley has truly arrived in the eyes of the golfing community.
We were also surprised to learn that the onsite Calloway Golf Performance Center Now sells more equipment than any other Calloway onsite location in the world, surpassing Pebble Beach recently for that honor and to acknowledge that fact Arnold Palmer, right before he was at the dedication of the new USGA Hall of Fame museum that bears his name, came to Neshanic to honor the centers great job.
On to the course. The first thing you learn and need to be aware of is that they do not want anyone driving in the rough. They want you to drive across it quickly in the cart and then drive on the fairway. This seems simple but for those of us who are used to doing the opposite it took a bit of reminding. Another key here is playing the right set of tees. The blue tees are the equivalent of most other courses white tees and are a far challenge to the 15 to 25 handicap. This course has a good deal of undulation and even when it seems that the hole might play short from the blue tees, lets say the third hole on the ridge 9 which is only 384 on the card but plays directly uphill into the prevailing wind and will still make you stretch out your driver.
The course is in immaculate condition. The fairways are simple beautiful and the greens are fast and smooth. If you are not used to playing greens with a bit of zip in them you are wise to sit on the practice green before your round and get accustom or face the possibility of blowing it 20 feet by on your first putt.
At the turn we stopped for quick dog, which is conveniently located in the bottom floor of a clubhouse that is simply amazing and is available for parties, weddings etc… see the website below for those details. The building looks like it should be in the Hamptons overlooking the Atlantic, no expenses were spared and it shows. This will be a top notch facility for the next 100 years.
As far as we could tell there was only on thing strange about the set up - there is no water on the course. Now it didn't take a genius to figure out that the County of Somerset wants you spending money from the girl driving the beverage cart around but for a place the exuded class form every orifice this seemed to be very low brow. Speaking for myself, I think there should be water coolers on every hole, especially during the dog days of summer that we have been passing through, but every other would be fine. With all the research that has been done on hydration not providing water seemed out of context with the rest of the operation. We did see the cart quite often but the gals can only hustle so much and I did find myself wishing for a cup of H2O on more than one occasion, bearing in mind that it was in the lower 90's.
With that said this is a great golfing experience, pace of play was very comfortable, everyone we interacted with was very nice, the amenities, clubhouse etc.. were superb, the pro shop was not overly expensive, I found a nice pullover for the rain for $48 and the downstairs veranda looking over the first tee and ninth green of the meadow course is a fantastic way to settle your bets over a beverage when the day is done.
THE HC NEWS RATES THIS COURSE FIVE OUT OF FIVE and now considers it the best municipal course in the state, leaping past Flanders Valley who held this distinction for quite a long time.
Course descriptions and pictures are below
For all pertinent information you can view their website here.
http://www.somersetcountyparks.org/activities/golf/nvgc/golf/golf.htm
Hole
umber one - Ridge course - undulating downhill par four with a dogleg right.
HERE IS YOUR FIRST LESSON ABOUT THIS COURSE - The fringe, which looks like you
can easily putt across, has tremendous grain and will swallow a ball, use your
wedge.
I told my
playing partner to aim at the tower - mid pic - , he aimed at the silo and was
in the env area. This is a dog to the left, bunkers off the tee left will leave
a tricky second.
This is a
tough par four, up the hill. It says 384 but plays like 420.
This is a
great little par three. The key to the hole, a massive swale that runs right
through the middle of the green. Todays pin was right on the ridge and a mildly
aggressive putt from the top sent you off the back. Again the fringe in front is
like sandpaper and will grab a ball not firmly struck.
This was
my favorite hole on the course and the first time you play it you will have no
idea where you are going . Luckily a ranger came along and gave us guidance
before we hit. The top off the cart off in the distance in the pic is your
aiming point, but you better hit it long or your second will be befuddling. The
hole, in case you can't find it, it off to the left over all the trees etc... A
gambling second shot can get you down in two, however if you drive is not
perfect you can lay up to the end of the fairway straight in front of you and
leave a shot of about 155, even though it looks much longer when you are
thinking about what to do. Enjoy this hole, it will make you want to go back and
play it many times over.
Take
enough club, it plays into the wind. Anything left keeps bouncing into the waste
env area. Green goes more to left than you think.
Some
needed re-hydration.
The left
trees are dead as the gent striking the ball just found out. It plays a bit
downhill, you don't have to kill it off the tee.
Looking
back at the tee
And
toward the green from the same spot as above. This is a nice par five. Hit three
reasonably good shots and you are easily at your destination.
Everyone
did seem afraid of the bunker and ended up to the left.
Uphill to the house. Another hole that reads 364 but plays about 400 into the
wind, beware of the first cut, it will grab you club and turn it over. For the
back nine please click the story below this one for a further tour. Enjoy this
is a wonderful place to play golf.