On the way to the US Women's Open at Trump National in Bedminster a friend and I made a pit stop at The Architects Golf Club near Phillipsburg, New Jersey.
The names bears the intent of the course developers, to honor some of the legendary golf course designers. However it is not a course of replica holes as some assume. Each hole was built in the style of a particular famous golf course architect. That said, the 13th hole green complex is set up to somewhat mimic the 13th hole of Augusta National, home of The Masters. A stream similar to Rae's Creek diagonally fronts the green which is angled behind it and it even has two stone bridges for effect.
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| 13th green from cart path left side approaching the green. |
As the course was fashioned and laid out course architect Stephen Kay manufactured a wonderful mix of holes that flows from the first tee to the 18th green. An unsuspecting player, of which I don't imagine there are many that go there, might not even realize the concept.
The course starts of with none other than an Old Tom Morris hole. It is a par five that follows the lay of the land around pot bunkers leading to a traditional sod faced bunker fronting the green.
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| Pot bunker fronting the 1st green. |
The course stretches out to 6863 yards from the back Black tees. I played the 6172 yard Blue tees and it was all the golf course this 70-year-old could handle as the course plays long going up and down the rolling terrain. The color of the tees placements are not the norm. Between the Black and Blue tees are the 6532 Gold tees while the forward Red tees drop down to a still very challenging 5233 yards.
There is a stretch and three long par 4 holes on the back nine that will test the best of players. After the 13th, from the Blue tees come the Perry Maxwell 400 par four, the Donald Ross 405 yard 15th and the Dick Wilson 423 yard 16th. Don't let the yardage fool you because on all of these the tee shot is uphill and semi blind.
For the most part the greens are generous in size with the 18th green on the short Robert Trent Jones 355 yard par 4 being the largest and with the most undulations of any green. It is possible to have a putt of 100 feet in addition to the contours.
The par three holes were all very manageable but not similar in length except for the 145 yard (116 from the Blue tee). What separates them from each other is the terrain and the design of the green and bunkers. The par five holes were all likewise manageable with none being killer long that you would have a long shot into the green.
If I had to make a criticism of the course it would be that it is not well marked for yardages so an electronic devise would be a good thing to have when you go there. There are sprinkler heads with yardages but no traditional 200, 150 or 100 yard stakes, trees or bushes. Perhaps that was by design to get you to play by feel as would have been the case in the old days? It is also a course where local knowledge is extremely helpful first time around. The scorecard does not have a diagram of the course layout or the individual holes.
A big upside is that the course offers up stunning vistas and it isn't crowded around by houses. You actually feel like you are on a golf course that has been there for a while and not something built to accommodate a housing development. Take a camera or use your phone to take some photos to remember your visit.
The course is kind of in the middle of nowhere just across the Delaware from Easton, PA. However it is not hard to find and it is well worth the road trip and the greens fee. They are on GolfNow but you can also contact them through their web site at www.thearcchitectsclub.com or by phone at
(908) 213-3080.
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| Hole number 10. |
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| The par 3 17th hole. |
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| 9th green. |
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