125 Years of Golf in New Jersey: Then and Now

By Kevin Casey

This is the first of a five-part series by local author Kevin Casey which takes a look back at how the game has changed since NJ Golf's inaugural year of 1900. As NJ Golf celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, we celebrate the formative moments, people and places around the great Garden State.

125 years ago, ten Garden State golf clubs came together at Essex County Country Club in West Orange to create an organization that would hold championships and identify New Jersey’s best amateur golfer. In 1900, this group called itself the New Jersey State Golf Association, a name that stuck until this year, when a more efficient, more modern name – New Jersey Golf – took its place.

These clubs wanted to help the sport grow in America, just like the United States Golf Association (USGA) had done six years earlier. The second-oldest state golf association in America (behind Connecticut’s), New Jersey Golf was at the game’s vanguard. They built an organization to expand golf across the state. Today, New Jersey has one of the strongest golf communities in the country, and NJ Golf continues to thrive.

The Game Stays the Same — But Also Changes

At its core, golf hasn’t changed much since 1900. We’re still using various clubs several times to propel the ball from a teeing ground hundreds of yards away to a hole in the ground in the fewest swings possible. And, as the late comedian Robin Williams would famously say in his skit, “How the Scottish Invented Golf”, “NO, not just ONE (bleeping) time, but 18 (bleeping) times!”

But in many other ways, the game has evolved dramatically. Let’s take a look at how golf in New Jersey has grown over the past 125 years.

Golf in New Jersey, by the Numbers: 1900 vs. 2025

• Golf Courses: In 1900, there were only about 20-30 private courses in the state. Today, according to the National Golf Foundation (NGF), New Jersey has 267 courses – 141 public and 126 private. The first public course, Weequahic Golf Course in Newark, did not open until 1914.
• Golfers: In 1900, there were about 1,100 golfers in the state. Today, according to the NGF, that number is an eye-popping 870,000, making New Jersey one of the most active golf states in the country.
• Women in Golf: Women made up about 15-30% of golfers in 1900, totaling around 165-220 players. Today, per the NGF, about 247,000 women play golf in New Jersey.
• NJ Golf State Championships: Essex County Country Club hosted the first state championship – the New Jersey State Amateur Championship – in 1900, won by Archibald Graham from North Jersey Country Club. A robust 98 golfers entered the event. Back then, there was only one annual state championship. In 2025, NJ Golf will host 25 annual state championships with over 1,200 entrants. 
• USGA Events: By 1900, New Jersey had hosted two USGA championships, including the first-ever U.S. Women’s Amateur in 1896 at Morris County Golf Club. To date, New Jersey has hosted 54 USGA championships. Only three much larger states – California, New York, and Pennsylvania – have hosted more.

Golf in 1900 was tiny compared to the multi-channel recreation resource that golf is today. An important distinction was the absence of public golf. At its birth in America, golf was played almost exclusively by the wealthy, with caddies being the rare exception. In fact, it was a decade later that the first American-born golfer – and former caddie – won the 1911 U.S. Open: Atlantic City Country Club professional John J. McDermott.

Equipment: Then vs. Now

In 1900, golf technology was still in its early stages. Equipment had only incrementally changed in centuries and, while serviceable, it was vastly different from what we use today.

• Golf Clubs: In 1900, clubs were made of wood, with hickory shafts and heads made from persimmon or beech. Each club was handmade, making consistency elusive. Today’s clubs are mass produced from steel and graphite, built with insightful technological data, and fitted by expert analysts. The result for the golfer is (should be?) more control and power on any given shot.
• Golf Tees: In 1900, golf tees as we know them today did not exist. Back then, following an ancient Scottish custom, aside each teeing ground was a box of sand and a water bucket. The golfer (or caddie) would moisten a handful of sand, build a mound on the teeing ground, and place the ball on top of the mound. An inexact and messy proposition, this process inexplicably did not change for another two decades until a dentist from Maplewood patented and marketed his “Reddy Tee” – today’s standard.
• Golf Balls: The standard ball in 1900 was made of gutta percha, a rubber tree sap. The “gutty” did not travel far – just 180-220 yards with a well-hit shot. But change was already in the wind. In 1900, a new type of ball called the Haskell was gaining market share. It had a wound rubber core, went at least 10% farther than the gutty, and was about to change the game forever.

Golf Courses and Maintenance in 1900

The technology used to build golf clubs has changed considerably in the past 125 years, but some would say the most impressive changes in the game have come in the design and maintenance of golf courses.

• Building Courses: In 1900, most courses were at least 1000 yards shorter than what we play today. They were built by hand or with horse-drawn equipment. Sand and natural topography were used for hazards, and artificial bunker construction was rare. Greens were small and uneven, often just compacted dirt or rudimentary grass, which made play unpredictable. Early irrigation systems almost always relied on natural rainfall or nearby water sources. The so-called Golden Age of American Golf Architecture did not start until about a decade later as advances in earthmoving machinery, irrigation, and other construction techniques opened the door to greater creativity.
• Maintenance: In 1900, golf course maintenance was a labor-intensive process, relying on hand tools and animal power rather than modern machinery. Greens were cut using hand-pushed mowers with heavy steel blades that required frequent sharpening. Grazing sheep served the dual purpose of keeping the grass at a playable height and naturally fertilizing the soil. Weed and pest control were handled by manually pulling weeds or using basic organic compounds. Soil conditions were managed through natural means such as spreading manure or sand, with little scientific understanding of turfgrass management.

Golf course layouts were poorly groomed compared to today’s courses and largely dictated by the natural landscape. Despite these challenges, the sport thrived, and – like today – dedicated greenkeepers (who often doubled as club professionals) took great pride in their work, ensuring that courses remained playable with the limited resources available to them.

Over the past 125 years, most of our earliest Garden State courses do not still exist or have, at least, dramatically changed. Very few original design artifacts – even down to the tee box or bunker – remain untouched.

Golf Fashion: From Heavy Wool to High-Tech Comfort

In 1900, golfers dressed much more formally than they do today. Men wore wool jackets, long-sleeved shirts, ties, vests, knee-length knickers, long socks, and flat caps. Harry Vardon, an Englishman who played exhibition matches throughout America (and New Jersey) in 1900, was the era’s closest analog to Tiger Woods. He had a utilitarian take on this uniform. He felt that wearing a jacket and tie was essential to keeping his swing synchronized and consistent.

Women wore long skirts, high-necked blouses, jackets, lace-up boots, and broad-brimmed hats. The outfits reflected a Victorian fashion sensibility that must have been restrictive and made it hard to swing a club.

While stylish, the typical clothing of 1900 golfers was impractical compared to today’s performance-driven, lightweight, moisture-wicking fabrics that allow for better movement and comfort.

Golf in New Jersey: Stronger Than Ever

Golf in New Jersey has come a long way since 1900. From a small group of private clubs to a thriving statewide community with hundreds of courses and nearly a million players, the sport has grown beyond what those early golfers could have imagined. And while technology and fashion have changed, we still have to get the ball in the hole.

Here’s to the next 125 years of great golf in New Jersey!

Kevin Casey is the author of Remarkable Stories of New Jersey Golf. To learn more about Kevin's book, visit njgolfstories.com.