GOLF REVIEW - HAMILTON FARM  An Exquisite Venue

http://www.hamiltonfarmgolfclub.com/

   Driving through the small hamlet of Pottersville I could tell that the days foursome knew they were in for something special as the usual jovial car rides on the way to courses was replaced by cautious comments about being both excited and nervous. Usually the review process puts together a wide variety of mixed handicappers to give a better indication of a course’s playability, but not on this day, as all knew this venue was much too spectacular to allow a 32 to chop up the fairways and greens. All of the day’s players were low handicappers who play multiple times per week, including one young lad who belts the ball 290 plus off the tee.

With a click of a button and a short introductory conversation on the post speaker the gates slowly opened to allow us entrance into this golfing oasis. The ride down the lane to the clubhouse is about ¾ of a mile and you immediately forget that you are in New Jersey as you could be virtually anywhere. One of the gents commented that as soon as he went through those gates he thought he was on vacation in some surreal golf village.

What we didn’t know, is that as soon as the gates opened and our name was announced, the clubhouse staff kicked into gear on our behalf like a crisply running Swiss timepiece. As our car pulled slowly to the curb the valet was ready to park the car, the clubhouse person was there to take our clubs directly to the range and Erin Walsh, membership director and the architect of our visit, was there to greet us and show us around.

Now if you are a person that has been reading our reviews for some time you know that we love the courses and clubs that go that little bit extra, that do those small things that make you and your guests feel special, cared for, and yes probably a little bit pampered. When we went into the locker room to change for the round and put on our shoes smiles beamed when the guys found their names on the mahogany lockers. The locker room attendant took our shoes for shining and gave us a bit of insight on the club and even offered a tip on how to put one of the trickier greens.

The attendant escorted us outside where we were met by the lovely Sierra, who made sure our cart was full of Gatorade, ice, and whatever other snacks and beverages the guys wanted. We were then taken to the driving range 12 minutes before our tee time so that we could warm up and it did not go unnoticed that the range balls were Titleist pro v 1. A lesson was going on in the far corner of the range for what appeared to be girls under 13 and they were very focused on their teacher’s instruction. We later learned that the teaching pro has several members of the PGA tour in his arsenal including Briny Baird who is currently ranked 61in the fed ex end of the year standings.

Our Caddie for the day, John from Boca Raton Florida, came to the range and introduced himself to all of us and gave us an update on when our tee would be available. Five minutes on the large an undulating practice green and we were anxious and ready to go for this end of summer surprise.

Standing on the first tee and taking a deep breath the world seemed to stand still as the deep greens of the courses swept over you like a mesmerizing haze of outdoor delight. It was truly a moment of golf ecstasy and then it was over, as the battle began.

There were many well played shots during the next four hours and as golf goes, there were also plenty of wayward efforts as well, but somehow the score, and the effort on this day, took a backseat to what is one of the United States top golf courses and this is not a comment that is being made lightly. Having played over 20 percent of the courses on golf magazines top 100 list, I can easily say that it is a travesty that this course is not included in the top 25. It is that good, and that doesn’t factor in the incredible job the staff does from top to bottom. We reasoned that the two major golf magazines must be paid off by some clubs to keep their status on the top 100 list, for to not include Hamilton Farm in that list is simply absurd. The nearby Somerset Hill Golf Course, which is in the top 50 on both lists, cannot even begin to compare to this masterpiece. Dr. Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry have quite simply designed a complete jewel here in the rolling hills of west central New Jersey and we tip our hat to them and say bravo, well done, incredible job. Can we say any more?

As usual we dissect every club through the following five criteria -

1)      Is the course in good condition?  -  You will be hard pressed to find a course in better condition anywhere in America. Every piece of this course from the first tee to the last is kept in meticulous condition that is hard to rival. The fairways were like putting greens, and the putting greens were so well crafted that if you took the caddies advice on the subtle breaks you always had a chance of making a putt if you stroked it true and that is the only thing a golfer can ever ask on a putting surface. The fairways were generous in width, the first cut very playable, and after that you were on your own in a dense mix of thick grass and fescue that penalized that poor shot as it should. The vistas are splendid and again the architects should be credited with taking the old Olympic Equestrian site and using the barns as backdrops sloping fields that Van Gogh would have been proud to paint. We will state it again. You cannot find a course that is in better condition than this one.

2)      Can you play a fast round?  We played in just over four hours. The general impression we left with is that during the week the play here is sparse, allowing you to play as quickly or slowly as you might want. On the weekends the caddie thought they might get as many as 100 players, which is minimal, allowing you to play to your hearts content.

3)      Is it affordable?  Hamilton Farm is one of the upper echelon clubs, not only in New Jersey, but in America and they are priced to reflect that stature. You get what you pay for the old saying goes and this is true here. If you are someone looking for a golf club in this league you should immediately get in touch with Erin Walsh, who is quite simply fabulous to interact with, either via email at ewalsh@hamiltonfarmgolfclub.com or by calling her 908-981 -4129 so that she can explain to you the multiple options that exist including

 Local Individual Golf entitles the Member to use all of the golf and social facilities of the club. Immediate family members of the Individual Member shall have social privileges of the Club.

Local Family Golf entitles the Member, Member’s spouse and dependant children to use all of the golf and social facilities of the Club.

Regional/New York City Membership has been created for those who maintain a residence at least 50 miles from Hamilton Farm Golf Club within the state of New Jersey or to those who reside within the five boroughs of New York. Regional/NYC Membership provides unlimited access to all of the Club’s golf facilities and amenities, as well as all of the Club’s social events.

National Membership has been created for those who reside outside of the state of New Jersey and the five boroughs of NYC. National Membership provides unlimited access to all of the Club’s golf facilities and amenities, as well as all of the Club’s social events.

House Membership provides access to all of the Club’s dining, lodging and social facilities for the Member and Member’s family, including limited golfing privileges.

4)      What are the Members like? There weren’t very many members around the day we played, but I did manage to have interaction with a few guys over the washroom sink and they were great, giving me tips on several holes etc..  So I asked some staff members about what they thoughts and I got the same response over and over. The members are successful people, who appreciate their success and want to enjoy it, but they do not think they are gods gift to the world. They are down to earth, like to enjoy themselves and try to make the club as welcoming to everyone that passes through the front gate.

5)      The Staff – From top to bottom perfect. This group is quite simply fantastic, well mannered, polite, smiling, a joy to be around. They are there to make the members feel special, and they do that and so much more.

Overall impression, this is simply one of the best courses on America. If you were looking to join a club of this stature in the area and you didn’t take Hamilton Farm into very serious consideration you would be doing yourself an immense disservice. It’s that good. This course get an HC NEWS review of Triple A+

STONEY LANE is a 367 uphill par four that lets you catch your breath, for a moment.

The second shot of 100 yards is one of the few green light special go for the pin holes.

The green, while flowing back to front, is one of the easier to putt.

WATER JUMP is a reachable downhill uphill 559 yard par five. Our big hitter had no problem reaching the green with his second shot.

For the shorter hitter you can lay up into the second fairway over the creek and leave yourself a short third.

Though the third shot does have plenty of visual intimidation, including a creek, stone bridges, and some well placed bunkers.

Sierra, a very welcoming sight at the turn.

SHAG BARK starts the back off with a 380 yard par four dogleg left. If you can drive it over the tree line on the left you will have a very short second.

Second shot is downhill, beware the pull shot into the left bunkers.

CARRY - the par five 11th plays 533 up the hill and again our big hitter, 310 off of this tee, easily got home in two.

The second shot is wide open so take a 3 wood and smack it.

The Green is elevated and by this time of the day you should have the speed of the greens down so take a good run at birdie.

RELIEF - a 212 yard par three that plays shorter than that. Was happy to put one 2 feet for bird.

If you pull left you will be faced with this monster.

RAVINE is a 432 yard par four. The left side is wide open, give it a good poke.

LONG LOOK - this is one of the most interesting looking holes anywhere. Look at all of the bunkers that are visible from this par 5 545 yard tee.

Your second shot will have you staring these bunkers in the face.

But when you get to the green and look back, where did all of those bunkers go???