Number 23: Somerset Hills Country Club

Ceiling: 88

Rating: 85.5

Trend over Time: 7

Somerset Hills in Bernardsville, NJ is a highly unique New York City metropolitan area golf experience. While most of the courses sit somewhere in the shadow of the city where even if you are a bit removed you can still feel the place’s aura, Somerset is situated in Bernardsville, NJ a solid 45 miles from Manhattan and that distance is truly felt. Created in 1899 as a true “Country Club” for New York City residents, Somerset is one of the many-and possibly my favorite-AW Tillinghast gems in the NYC area. Everything about the experience is in lock step with the original intention and nature of the club itself. Simple, humble, no pretension, and inviting. A simple clubhouse and golf shop are the only infrastructure you see coming in which rather heavily contrasts most other experiences one may have playing some of New York’s finest courses. Once out on course, the continuity of the day continues. The front nine rolls through an open plot of land where a horse racing track used to sit while the back takes you through the woods of Bernardsville that remind you exactly where you are.

Culture:

As teased in the intro, my understanding of the place is that its members are looking for something specific. Peace, quiet, and tranquility. A move to Bernardsville shows a clear desire to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and even what comes with living on its outskirts. A clear rural feel and being far enough away that not many of its residents are commuting to Manhattan often, Bernardsville is on a macro scale what Somerset Hills is. Rather than pursue the Winged Foot, Ridgewood, or even Sleepy Hollow & Creek Club (all wonderful spots, for the record) type brand recognition and busyness, SHCC members have made a clear statement that they want golf to be high quality, low key, and no fuss. And that is exactly what the place is like to play. A beautiful but approachable walk, scorable but not easy, and no need to book a tee time weeks in advance or spend your entire day on golf. Somerset feels to me like a neighborhood club where all ages and levels of expertise are not just welcomed but encouraged, but the golf course just so happens to be top brass.

Competition:

I love this part of Somerset’s history. Upon inspection, I was excited to discover Somerset has hosted more than 20 NJ State Golf Association events, mostly in the Mid-Am, Senior Am, and Women’s categories. And that is exactly who should be tested on this course. The course tips around 6,800 and should not be asked to test the tip top amateur nor pro; however, for a mid am, senior am, or female player these days, it’s a joy. In the 18-hole match play qualifying for last year’s New Jersey State Mid-Am, only 3/79 players broke par. That’s awesome. I think too many courses are asked to test the wrong class of player. When a course is able to be a difficult version of itself, *but still itself* rather than some tricked out Frankenstein of what it’s meant to be, and the proper set of competitors are put out there, you get top tier competitive golf. I can’t speak to it myself, but I would predict those who have had the chance to compete at Somerset have felt very lucky to have had that opportunity.

Architecture:

Simple at times, crazy at others. In context with the land, but plenty of imagination applied as well. The word that comes to mind when it comes to SHCC’s architecture is range. Templates, basic holes, complex holes, normal greens, WILD greens, it’s all out there. It’s commonly known that AW Tillinghast wasn’t afraid of a drink or eight. Part of how we see this today is some of the crazier greens he built are said to be a product of some of his more arduous days/nights with the bottle. Well, if Somerset gleans any insight, I think AW was more into Whisky out in the sticks vs. late night NYC bars, because he clearly tied a few on during his time at SHCC. I can only hope you one day get to see what I mean.

Cheers, HS