Forest Hill Field Club

[Tim Martin]

Anyone have any comments or info regarding the above referenced club located in Bloomfield,N.J.? It is attributed to A.W. Tillinghast and I hadn't heard anything about it despite spending a fair amount of time in the area some time back. Although Glenridge CC has a Glenridge address the majority of the golf course sits inside the Bloomfield city limit and to my knowledge was the only course that could make that claim. Essex County N.J. has a lot of good courses but how did the Field Club hide in plain sight?


 

[Joe Bausch]

Forest Hill FC is a Tillinghast design that does sort of hide in plain sight (on the first tee the line is at the Empire State Building in the distance)!  I played it with Mike Cirba not long ago and it has a wonderful routing and some very cool greens.  The entire property is pretty small, I think 110 acres.  It could use a chainsaw here and there.  Grin.

Ron Forse has been doing work there for a number of years.

Photo album:

http://myphillygolf.com/uploads/bausch/ForestHill/index.html

[Tim Martin]

Joe-Thanks for the quick reply and the photos. I will look through the photos and report back.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I had never heard of FFC, but will have it on my radar now. The terrain looks interesting and the bunkering well placed. It looks like fun. Did the course ever have cross bunkers on a par five?

[MCirba]

There's a lot to like at FHFC and some terrific holes packed onto a small property.   There are also some greens unlike anything I've seen from Tillinghast prior, the 1st green among them.

Joe mentioned the need for tree pruning and I'd agree but I also suspect it's going to be tough/expensive for the club as many  of those trees are massive.   Joe found some early articles that suggest much of the area was exactly that "Forest Hill", and that the golf course was carved out of those trees.   Still, you could remove every pine tree and likely no one would notice.

Worth a visit, no question.

[Joe Bausch]

Did the course ever have cross bunkers on a par five?

I don't know for certain, Tommy, but a quick look using HistoricAerials would suggest no cross bunkers ever on the par 5s.

[Joe Bausch]

View from the first tee, where the Empire State Building in the distance is your cheater alignment aid:



And if you had no idea of the architect of the course, I bet some would guess Banks (not Tillie) after seeing the first green (greens had recently been punched and sanded):

[MCirba]

Interestingly, the course was built prior to the construction of the Empire State Building.  That cheater aid on the first tee shot is simply coincidental happenstance.

[Ronald Montesano]

I played and photographed FHC in the summer of 2017. The staff was very cordial and the course was in wonderfully-playable condition.


Two holes are located in a very low portion of the property, and are prone to swamping when the rains come. Holes located adjacent to each other are "protected" by stands of trees, as is the left side of the 9th hole, where the cart barn and pool are located. This is a shame, as balls hang up on the left, when the fairway is clearly canted (and very narrow to boot) to throw them to the right. It is the safe and smart play, but you aren't rewarded.


I enjoyed FHC very much. I didn't drive the ball particularly straight (much like Jordan Spieth in RD1 on Thursday) but laughed my way through a variety of recovery shots. If anyone has specific questions, I am happy to answer them.


FHC does not have the money to cut trees. The low area receives the majority of its attention. Improved drainage there would be massive. Then, trees might be addressed.

[Tommy Williamsen]

There's a lot to like at FHFC and some terrific holes packed onto a small property.   There are also some greens unlike anything I've seen from Tillinghast prior, the 1st green among them.

Joe mentioned the need for tree pruning and I'd agree but I also suspect it's going to be tough/expensive for the club as many  of those trees are massive.   Joe found some early articles that suggest much of the area was exactly that "Forest Hill", and that the golf course was carved out of those trees.   Still, you could remove every pine tree and likely no one would notice.

It is called FOREST Hills, after all.

[Joe Bausch]

There's a lot to like at FHFC and some terrific holes packed onto a small property.   There are also some greens unlike anything I've seen from Tillinghast prior, the 1st green among them.

Joe mentioned the need for tree pruning and I'd agree but I also suspect it's going to be tough/expensive for the club as many  of those trees are massive.   Joe found some early articles that suggest much of the area was exactly that "Forest Hill", and that the golf course was carved out of those trees.   Still, you could remove every pine tree and likely no one would notice.

It is called FOREST Hills, after all.

Almost.  Grin.  Forest Hill (singular).

[Mike Davidson]

And if you had no idea of the architect of the course, I bet some would guess Banks (not Tillie) after seeing the first green (greens had recently been punched and sanded):

I know that this course is attributed to Tillinghast (1926) but I was reading through the Evangelist of Golf and I see that Forest Hill Field Club is listed as a Banks design (1927-1928).  Anyone know anything more on this?  I (briefly) tried searching this forum and some of the old newspapers online but couldn't find anything confirming either.

[MCirba]

Mike Davidson,

Joe Bausch and I played there this past fall and I don't think either of us would be surprised to learn that Banks had a role in some modifications and perhaps rebuilding a few greens but I believe the Tillinghast attribution as the original creator is fairly well documented.   It will be interesting to see what folks can further unveil as to your question, though.   Thanks.