125 Years of New Jersey Golf – A Legacy in Numbers and Stories
In celebration of our 125th anniversary, New Jersey Golf has been looking at what the game was like in the Garden State in 25 year snapshots since 1900. In April, we highlighted the state of the game in New Jersey in 1900, the year NJ Golf was founded. Since then we have focused our attention every month on, respectively, the years 1925, 1950, 1975, and 2000. This month, we wrap up our retrospective with a concise look at where we were and how that has shaped where we are today.
By Kevin Casey
125 Years of New Jersey Golf – A Legacy in Numbers and Stories
When ten founding clubs gathered to form what would become New Jersey Golf, they could not have imagined the scope of the game in the Garden State 125 years later.
Among America’s first state golf associations, New Jersey Golf was at the game’s vanguard. They built an organization not only to identify annually the best golfer in New Jersey; they intended to expand their fledgling game across the state. Today, New Jersey has one of the strongest golf communities in the country, and New Jersey Golf continues to thrive.
From a handful of courses and tournaments to hundreds of facilities and thousands of competitive rounds each season, New Jersey Golf has been the steward, historian, and champion of the game’s growth here for more than a century.
From Dozens to Hundreds of Thousands
In 1900, golf in New Jersey was a pursuit for a select few players. By 1925, about 10,000 golfers – roughly 2,000 of them women – were active statewide. By mid-century, more than 30,000 played, with 2,500 women among them. The golf boom years that followed, fueled by Arnold Palmer, television, and a solid economy – saw participation leap to over half a million, including 80,000 women. According to the National Golf Foundation, the turn of the millennium pushed the total above 700,000, with women accounting for 140,000 of those golfers. In 2025, those numbers are even higher.
Today, New Jersey golf draws from multi-channel recreation resources and takes many forms, from top-level professional and amateur events to TopGolf and driving ranges, from indoor ranges and putting centers to destination golf that draws golfers from throughout the world. Especially following the COVID scare, New Jersey golfers can’t get enough golf.
A Landscape of Courses
The golf course map has expanded from the state’s original private layouts to a diverse network of private, public, semi-private, resort, and municipal facilities. In 1900, the year New Jersey Golf was founded, there were less than 25 golf courses in the entire state. In 1925, New Jersey had about 60 private clubs and a single municipal course – Weequahic Golf Course in Newark.
By 1950, through the Depression and World War II, that number had risen to 75 private clubs, with modest growth in the public sector. In 1975, the total reached about 250 courses – split evenly between private and public/semi-private. By 2000, the count stood at 320: 140 private, 160 public/semi-private, and 20 municipal courses.
NJ golfers are creating a great demand.
Today, golf in New Jersey is booming. When COVID emerged in 2020, golf activity initially ceased, as uncertainty gripped all levels of the game. Within months, however, decisions by New Jersey's public leadership in cooperation with NJ Golf emerged which set the game up to not just survive, but flourish. In 2025, golf in New Jersey is growing, especially in the public sector.
Championship Growth and Excellence
Competitive golf has been central to NJ Golf’s mission since the start. The organization started in 1900 to identify the Garden State’s best player, and the New Jersey State Amateur Golf Championship was born. By 1950, that total of championships had grown to seven. In 1975, a dozen championships were on the schedule, and by 2000, fifteen – spanning women’s, juniors, and mid-amateur trophies.
By 2025, reflecting the revived interest in the game, the number of New Jersey Golf championships had exploded to 25, adding state interclub, women’s mid-amateur, and senior competitive opportunities across the state.
New Jersey Golf’s 25 state championships reflect a growing interest in competition and in the game in general. Most of this year’s championships were fully subscribed, while a few demanded new qualifying requirements to meet increased interest by New Jersey’s players.
Beyond the Scorecard
Golf has evolved dramatically since 1900. Course design and maintenance, the players, the golf clubs, and balls they use – little has been untouched by technology, innovation, and time. New Jersey Golf’s role has been to keep up with the changes, anticipate them when possible, and ensure that its constituents – New Jersey golfers – are pleased with the game’s evolution.
Golf Course Maintenance Equipment, 1900 versus 2025
1900’s horse-drawn graders have evolved into the growing use of autonomous mowing robots today.
The methods of maintaining our courses may be the best example of the impact of technology on our game. 1900’s horse-drawn graders have evolved into the growing use of autonomous mowing robots today.
New Jersey Golf’s impact is measured not just in numbers, fairways, and trophies, but in lives changed. For example, since its Caddie Scholarship Foundation began in 1947, more than $17 million has been distributed to young men and women pursuing higher education.
Additionally, the New Jersey Golf Youth Foundation supports deserving youth golf and sports-related programs throughout the state.
Since starting the New Jersey State Golf Hall of Fame in 2018, 42 of our state’s most outstanding golfers, golf administrators, journalists, and course superintendents have been identified and honored.
And through the full 125 years, New Jersey Golf has been blessed with dedicated volunteers who conduct so much of the association’s business. In 2025, New Jersey Golf’s volunteer roster tops a robust 200 faithful contributors.
Looking Ahead
The story of golf in New Jersey is one of balance between preserving cherished traditions and embracing innovation. As we celebrate 125 years, New Jersey Golf stands ready to lead the game into its next century: broadening access, fostering inclusivity, and inspiring future generations to take up the game.
After all, the numbers tell one story – but the joy of the game, the friendships forged, and the love for golf in the Garden State tell another. And that story is far from over.
Now, with 125 years behind us, here’s to the next 125 years of great golf in New Jersey!
For preceding editions of this retrospective, click below.
For more information about New Jersey Golf’s 125th Anniversary, visit NJGolf.org or contact the author directly at kevincasey36@gmail.com.
