[Doug Wright]

 I just realized I have a free afternoon Sunday in the Newark, NJ area  before heading from EWR to Belfast for an Ireland sojourn. Although I could take in the undefeated  J-E-T-S game vs. winless Philly or go into the City, I’m thinking golf would be a pleasant option. So, any ideas about public courses in the vicinity of Newark International Airport? Many thanks.   

[Patrick_Mucci]

Fly into LaGuardia and play Ferry Point

[Benjamin Litman]

Given that you will presumably have time constraints, consider the new nine-hole public course in Jersey City called Skyway. I haven't been yet, but I'm keen to do so (I actually enjoy the aesthetics of industrial architecture).


Here's the website: http://www.skywaygolfcourse.com/

[Lenny Polakoff]

Public golf is tough in that area
Francis Byrne Golf Course in West Orange is about 20 min from the airport no traffic.
Galloping Hill is also not far, 78 to the garden state parkway

[JC Jones]

Fly into LaGuardia and play Ferry Point

Moron.

[David_Tepper]

Doug -

Have far are you willing to travel? Would you rent a car?

Hominy Hill in Colts Neck, NJ is less than 40 miles from EWR. It is a circa 1960's RT Jones course that has hosted both the Men's & Women's Publinx.

http://hominyhill.com/

DT

P.S. I have not played there in 20 years.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Fly into LaGuardia and play Ferry Point

Moron.

J.C.
 
That's "Moron in Chief" to you.
 
Lenny & David,
 
I've found that the only way you can make the travel times you listed or get to Hominy Hills the same day is if he leaves Newark Airport at 2:00am.

[JC Jones]

Fly into LaGuardia and play Ferry Point

Moron.

J.C.
 
That's "Moron in Chief" to you.
 
Lenny & David,
 
I've found that the only way you can make the travel times you listed or get to Hominy Hills the same day is if he leaves Newark Airport at 2:00am.

Did you calculate the cost of him changing his flight 3 days before hand and whether he can keep the same schedule for arriving in Belfast he currently has?

[astavrides]

Knoll West and Hominy Hill are both 48 minutes form Newark Airport according to Google Maps. Architects club is 1hr 8 min. All 3 courses are very enjoyable and of architectural interest. I can't think of anything of that much interest that is any closer than that.
Forsgate CC (Banks course), 35 min, is private would be a very good choice too if you have access. (There are other highly rated private courses near the airport, but I haven't played any of them and you did say 'public').

[Patrick_Mucci]

Fly into LaGuardia and play Ferry Point

Moron.

J.C.
 
That's "Moron in Chief" to you.
 
Lenny & David,
 
I've found that the only way you can make the travel times you listed or get to Hominy Hills the same day is if he leaves Newark Airport at 2:00am.

Did you calculate the cost of him changing his flight 3 days before hand and whether he can keep the same schedule for arriving in Belfast he currently has?
 
JC,
 
You have so much to learn.
 
Just because he's flying into LaGuardia doesn't mean that he has to change his flight from Newark to Belfast.
 
Without traffic, Ferry Point is about 10 minutes from LaGuardia and less than 30 minutes from Newark.
 
Since he's flying into NY on a Sunday, he won't be faced with commuter traffic.
 
Getting hit with a $ 100 change fee is worth the price if he can play Ferry Point.
 
The real question is:  Can he get the time he wants at Ferry Point ?  And, will his flight into NY be on time.
 
Flights into LaGuardia are usually cheaper, provided his airline has gates at LaGuardia.
 
Even if he flies into Newark, he could play Ferry Point if he can get the tee time he needs.

[Jerry Kluger]

Pat: Did you really like Ferry Point that much?


Doug: Play Weequahic Park golf course in Newark - built in 1904.  I played it 40 years ago - mostly with bookies, drug dealers, etc.  I don't know if you will ever play golf again but hey, there are certain once in a lifetime experiences, some are such because you won't survive for your next experience.

[Phil Lipper]

The part that has mostly been missed in this discussion is that public golf on a Sunday in northern NJ is really tough as far as tee times are concerned. The likelihood of getting a tee time this close to Sunday is pretty slim. Also you need to be prepared for a 5 hour round of golf.

[MCirba]

Doug: Play Weequahic Park golf course in Newark - built in 1904.  I played it 40 years ago - mostly with bookies, drug dealers, etc.  I don't know if you will ever play golf again but hey, there are certain once in a lifetime experiences, some are such because you won't survive for your next experience.

About 20 years ago I woke up early and drove out to play Weequahic Park as a student of history.   I've also got a thing for old muni's so I've got that going for me.

Anyhoo, I get there at the break of dawn and head over to the Starter's shed to see if he can hook me up as I'm a single.   As I'm explaining my plight I notice that he's sweating and looking a bit glassy-eyed.   I'm in mid-sentence and he suddenly jumps up, bolts over to the door of his shed, pops out and starts vomiting large amounts of some orange colored drink of choice.   Heaving violently for about thirty seconds, he regains his composure and comes back into the shed, takes my money, hooks me up with a twosome, and acts as if nothing extraordinary happened.

Then, my twosome quits after nine holes so I'm left to play the back nine as a single.   A number of holes venture out into the neighborhood that is potentially life-threatening.   I can't recall that I was ever so happy to finish a round of golf anywhere.

[Jerry Kluger]

Mike: It is amazing that it still exists but if they did away with it there wouldn't be anything they could replace it with. I grew up in the area and it was a nice park and it had a horse training track area and there were some great restaurants within walking distance.

[astavrides]

Mike: It is amazing that it still exists but if they did away with it there wouldn't be anything they could replace it with. I grew up in the area and it was a nice park and it had a horse training track area and there were some great restaurants within walking distance.

Trenton was probably a nice town in those days.

[Chris Wegner]

Doug,

I believe your layover already occurred, but if not I invite you to come to Skyway. Only 9 miles and 15-20 minutes from the airport it's a great 9 hole layout. The website is still a work in progress and doesn't really show how nice the course is. Hudson County golfers have been coming out in droves since we opened back in June. We are very busy but we can have you back to the airport in under three hours including travel time.

[Bill Crane]

Doug -

Have far are you willing to travel? Would you rent a car?

Hominy Hill in Colts Neck, NJ is less than 40 miles from EWR. It is a circa 1960's RT Jones course that has hosted both the Men's & Women's Publinx.

http://hominyhill.com/

DT

P.S. I have not played there in 20 years.

David's choice is a good one - solid RTJ course that was originally a private club.  Conditioning usually decent, but I have not been there is many years either.

Best choice that is about 45 minutes is the Somerset County public - Neshanic Valley in Neshanic Station just west of Somerville, and most accessed via good roads from the Airport ( #78 to #287 to NJ 202).   A Hurdzan and Fry design it hosted the 2012 USGA womens Publinx.   Traffic going back at rush hour may be tricky, but I think you are mostly going the opposite direction.

USGA museum in Liberty Corner is about 8 minutes off the route you would take and could be a nice golf theme day.
 
Royce Brook is another alternative a little further away.   Rutgers U course in Piscataway is decent alternative and you could take train to New Brunswick from the Airport and Uber the 9 minutes to course (3.2 Miles), then you would not have to rent a car.  This is very doable by the way, trains are at least twice an hour on NJ Transit.  You could get to Royce Brook from New Brunswick by Uber in about 20 minutes,  another alternative.  Semi local Train from airport to New Brunswick is 32 minutes. Airtran Monorail stops at all terminals and takes you to the Airport train station in about 10+ minutes. Really easy, I do it all the time.

Forsgate is right on NJ Turnpike and easy to get to. I suspect they would be receptive to a call from a Pro, and you could make it in under 40 minutes with no traffic.  Play the Banks NOT the Palmer.
What day are you going?

Remember - New Jersey - Look before you laugh!
 
Wm Flynnfan

[Doug Wright]

Thanks for the info above. Because I was already in the NYC area for a wedding in the Hudson Valley that weekend, I missed some of the later posts/suggestions. I had a number of options available that beautiful Sunday after dropping my wife at Newark Airport mid morning. In addition to golf, I considered going into Manhattan or to the Jets-Eagles game. I'm glad I passed on both, as instead I went out to Knoll West (about 40 minutes away) and walked on in about 15 minutes with a couple very nice members. ($95, cash only!)
I knew Knoll West was a Charles Banks course but little else. The opening three holes are simply terrific, especially the greens. #1 has this large spine running through the green that says "this is different", and then the long par 4 second has a wild double plateau green. The third is a Redan par 3 that really doesn't look it. I learned subsequently in reading other GCA threads about Knoll West that George Bahto restored the third as it was done by Banks with less than the typical Redan canting. Still a fine hole. Though there are some pedestrian holes (7-8 and 10-11 and the two par fives), and the course could use some tree removal (e.g. # 14), the greens shine throughout and it is a fine, challenging golf course. Other highlights: The sand-encircled Short 6th, the 9th green benched into the hillside below the clubhouse, and the par four 18th that features a long uphill approach to a beautifully sited green.
Here is a link to a thread with a nice photo tour and an interesting summary from George Bahto. I regret that I didn't know of George's extensive and important involvement with Knoll West before playing the course.
 
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,53405.msg1231026.html#msg1231026
 Ironically, I flew right over Knoll West on the way back into Newark--it was easy to make out the distinctive bunkering from overhead.   

[Tim Martin]

Doug: Play Weequahic Park golf course in Newark - built in 1904.  I played it 40 years ago - mostly with bookies, drug dealers, etc.  I don't know if you will ever play golf again but hey, there are certain once in a lifetime experiences, some are such because you won't survive for your next experience.

Jerry-I remember playing Weequahic Park roughly twenty years ago and the memory is still fairly vivid. Walking out of the parking lot and up to the shop we were stopped by a guy who was collecting $1 from every player(that would give it to him) for the "course improvement fund". Because both myself and my wife's cousin were fans of the concept we gladly paid $2 to said individual. To this day we argue over whether the thought of a more pristine Weequahic or personal safety was the catalyst for our contributions. There were guys hanging around that were booking bets and setting up games that were not even involved in the matches themselves. Suffice to say that Damon Runyon would have had his pick of worthy subjects. Quite a place.

[astavrides]

Glad you enjoyed it.

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