Passaic County GC / FKA Preakness Valley GC??

[Rob_Waldron]

Passaic County Golf Club was established in 1892. Golf Magazine recognized Passaic County Golf Course as one of the first 100 golf clubs to be established in the United States. Apparenty the second course was built in the early 1930's. Does any one know who the architects were for the two courses? Thanks

[Mike_Cirba]

Rob,

The Red Course at Passaic County was designed by Plainfield pro Martin O'Laughlin in 1931.  There were later mods by Alfred Tull and Frank Duane.

The Blue course is the older of the two.  I've yet to play it but I'll see what I can dig up.

[Mike Nuzzo]

I've played them both a few times.
My grandfather lives near by - we played there when not at Sunset.

The blue had some shaping that looked like a banks diciple did a little work...
I also liked the turf wear patterns out of some of the bunkers - it looked like real sheep paths.

For a while these were listed as designer unknown - but I recently thought I saw a source for the blue - I don't remember where.

And yes the Red course did seem a whole lot more modern...  

[Mike_Cirba]

I'm going to have to look more when I get home.   I'm thinking the Blue course may have been the first course iteration of North Jersey CC, which had 18 holes designed and built between 1897 & 1899 by professional Tom Harley.

[Mike_Cirba]

Rob,

I can't find a darn thing (besides the Golf Magazine attribution) that indicates that the Passaic County Golf Course (either one) was built in 1892.   I have no idea the source of that info, but it would make them older than Van Cortlandt as a public course, and that ain't a fact.

If they were a private club, they should have been listed in the early club listing but I can find nada.   Even Dr. Quirin's book only mentions a 1927 opening with Marty O'Loughlin as the designer.

I'm really curious if anyone has anything else?

[Rob_Waldron]

Mike

I have not been able to find much history except the Golf Magazine notation either. It appears that Alfred Tull added a nine but I cannot find who designed the original 18.

[JMorgan]

I haven't been able to dig anything up either, although my hunch is Tom Bendelow, who did Hillside (NLE) near Plainfield in 1891.

[Mike_Cirba]

Rob,

I'm really starting to question the 1892 attribution without further info.   None of the periodicals I can find from that time mention it, unless, as I mentioned, it was the first course of a club that later moved.

However, I've ruled out the likely candidates, such as North Jersey CC.   Preakness Hills wasn't a club til the 20's, and anything else just doesn't seem likely.  

The course I'm most interested in near that immediate area is what today is called Scotch Hills GC, a 9-hole public course in Scotch Plains.  Despite a very interesting history, I've been unable to determine who designed it originally.   Bendelow?  Dunn?  Dunno!!  

It opened in 1897 as Westfield Golf Club and when that club merged with Echo Lake CC in the early 20s, the club was sold to a membership of African-Americans, the first such club in the country.

Former Shinnecock pro John Shippen became the pro and the club was re-named Shady Rest Golf Club.

It remained as such for a number of years, becoming a public facility some years back.   It has some of the wildest greens and most interesting holes on a very tight property I've ever seen.

[Tom Roewer]

Mike C. - I have a letter faxed from Delores Choteborsky, Public Information Officer Passaic County gnerated by E.A.Smyk County Historian which should clear this up .  I'll fax it to you as my scanner is fritzing.   Cheers  

[Mike_Cirba]

Mike C. - I have a letter faxed from Delores Choteborsky, Public Information Officer Passaic County gnerated by E.A.Smyk County Historian which should clear this up .  I'll fax it to you as my scanner is fritzing.   Cheers  

Tom,

Per my email, please fax it along.

Thanks!!
Mike

[George_Bahto]

Mike: I played the Passaic County muni quite a lot back in the middle 1960's when it was just 18 holes.

Pretty decent course for a county course - certainly better than most during that era. It got pretty tough getting started times so I moved on.

Hal Purdy built a lot of courses in NJ in the 1960's beginning with The Knoll East in 1961. That may have been his first course (and it looks it !! - you need a helmet on when you play this baby).

Purdy and his son also remodeled a ton of courses in NJ. I suspect there was an older course (probably-9 .... hey, Tony Pioppi - perhaps another nine-er !!) under the original 18 holes and perhaps he may be the designer.

[Rob_Waldron]

The courses may have also been known as Preakness Valley Park GC.

[Mike_Cirba]

Tom,

Did you fax it?   I wasn't in the office today so I wouldn't have had a chance to pick it up, so if you pop in, could you give us the condensed version?

Inquiring minds want to know.  

[Mike_Cirba]

Rob,

I'm not sure if you saw it, but Tom R. sent me a history of Passaic County that describes the opening and construction details.

The first 3 nines were designed by Martin O'Loughlin and opened in 1931.   I believe the 4th was added by Alfred Tull in the 50s.

The attribution of Passaic County to 1892 seems unfounded.

Hope this helps!
Mike

[Tom Roewer]

Mike - Glad you got it.  Rob - did you get yours?  

[Craig Disher]

Rob,

...

The first 3 nines were designed by Martin O'Loughlin and opened in 1931.   I believe the 4th was added by Alfred Tull in the 50s.

The attribution of Passaic County to 1892 seems unfounded.

Hope this helps!
Mike

A 1941 aerial shows 27 holes, all very similar to the current 27. The design is too modern for the holes to have been built prior to the 1920s/30s so if the 1892 claim has any validity, the early course was built over.

Strange that they would have crammed 27 holes on such a small site. It looks claustrophobic.

[Rob_Waldron]

Tom

Thank you for the fax. Apparently the course was not built until the 1930's. It is located in Preakness Valley Park so it was possibly called Preakness Valley GC at one time.

[Matt_Ward]

Rob, et al:

As someone who has played Passaic County GC for many years -- I believe the tag Preakness Valley Golf Club refers to the name of an internal men's club that existed within the roof of the Passaic County Golf Course. I can't say for certain when the club organized but it's genesis likely ties in with when the Passaic County GC came into being.

Years back I resurrected the Preakness Valley GC after having been dormant for so long.

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