Then (2000) and Now: Golf in New Jersey
Photo: Hole No. 9, Bayonne Golf Club
By Kevin Casey
On our 125th anniversary, New Jersey Golf has been looking at what the game was like in the Garden State in twenty-five-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, and 1975. This month, we are looking at the changing world of New Jersey golf in 2000.
Golf in New Jersey, Circa 2000: A New Chapter in a Storied Legacy
By the year 2000, golf in America – and New Jersey – was more than a century old. The Garden State had been a vital contributor to the game’s early American identity, well positioned between the golf hubs of New York and Philadelphia. It’s no coincidence that the New Jersey State Golf Association (now New Jersey Golf) became the nation’s second state golf association when it was founded in 1900.
Yet, as its second century began, New Jersey’s place in the national spotlight had dimmed. Golf’s momentum had shifted to the Sunbelt, following the country's population trends. Fewer elite players were emerging from the state. The earlier era of New Jersey-bred nationally prominent champions like Jerry Travers, Maureen Orcutt, Vic Ghezzi, and Carolyn Cudone had given way to decades when top talent came from Florida, Texas, California, and the Carolinas.
Still, New Jersey retained one enduring strength: its exceptional golf courses. The state’s most prestigious private clubs continued to polish their legacies, while – around 2000 – a wave of new, world-class layouts signaled a design renaissance.
Let’s take a snapshot of New Jersey golf in 2000 – by the numbers, achievements, and technological shifts that defined the era.
Golf in New Jersey in 2000, by the Numbers
320 Golf Courses: Fueled by a robust dot-com economy and the surging popularity of the game, New Jersey boasted approximately 320 golf courses at the start of the 21st century, including:
- ~140 private clubs
- ~160 public or semi-private facilities
- ~20 municipal or county-owned layouts.
Historic private clubs like Baltusrol, Pine Valley, Plainfield, Ridgewood, and Somerset Hills maintained their revered status. At the same time, a group of elite newcomers – The Ridge at Back Brook, Hamilton Farm, and Hidden Creek, among others – began reshaping the conversation around the state’s best courses.
700,000 Golfers: The Tiger Woods Effect was in full swing in 2000. Woods was dazzling fans in what would become the most dominant season of his career, drawing millions to the game. Nationally, 2.4 million people picked up golf for the first time. In New Jersey, new golfers swelled the state’s total to an estimated 700,000 golfers – the highest recorded figure in state history at the time.
140,000 Women Golfers: Roughly 140,000 New Jersey women played golf at least once in 2000. For perspective, that number has grown significantly – by 2025, about 247,000 women participate in golf across the state in various forms. Women’s golf is the game’s most quickly growing demographic.
15 State Championships: By 2000, New Jersey Golf organized 15 annual state championships, up modestly from 12 in 1975, but still lagging far behind the 25 championships conducted by New Jersey Golf this year.
Highlights from selected 2000 New Jersey state championships:
- 99th New Jersey Amateur: Ken Macdonald edged Corey Brigham by two shots at Essex County Country Club.
- 80th New Jersey State Open: John DiMarco bested Chris Mazzuchetti at Rock Spring Club.
- 75th Women’s Amateur: Caroline Forcine triumphed over Katie Allison at Flanders Valley Golf Course.
- 42nd Men’s Senior Amateur: Chaney Ferrell earned his second of three Senior Am titles at Rossmoor Golf Course.
- 80th Junior Amateur: Jason Bataille defeated Chester Patterson at Morris County Golf Club.
- 31st Women’s Senior Amateur: Mary Eichhorn won at Lake Mohawk Golf Club.
43 USGA Championships: New Jersey remained a favorite USGA selection for its events. By the close of 2000, New Jersey had hosted 43 USGA championships since 1896, including:
- 8 U.S. Opens
- 7 U.S. Women’s Opens
- 9 U.S. Women’s Amateurs
- 10 U.S. Amateurs.
That year, Springfield’s Baltusrol Golf Club hosted the U.S. Amateur Championship, where Jeff Quinney defeated James Driscoll on the 39th hole in a memorable final. The championship was notable for being contested across both of Baltusrol’s Upper and Lower Courses – a rare and fitting tribute to one of the nation’s most iconic clubs.
Golf Equipment in 2000: A Technological Leap
The year 2000 marked a pivotal moment in golf equipment. Innovation was everywhere – especially in drivers and golf balls – reshaping how the game was played.
Golf Clubs: Titanium driver heads and graphite shafts were the talk of the industry. The Callaway Big Bertha and TaylorMade 300 Series dominated, offering larger sweet spots, higher forgiveness, and explosive distance. These 460cc drivers set the standard.
For irons, Ping, Titleist, and Mizuno led the way. Cavity-back models offered more forgiveness, appealing to amateur players, while elite players still preferred the classic forged blades for precision and feel.
Golf Balls: No equipment development eclipsed the importance of the Titleist Pro V1, launched in October 2000. This multilayer ball combined the spin and feel of wound balls with the durability and distance of solid-core designs. Within months, it became the most popular ball on professional tours – and among dedicated amateurs.
With new clubs and balls, golfers at every level began to enjoy more consistent performance. However, the positive and negative effects of the Pro V1 ball on golfers and their courses are still hotly debated today. By 2000, equipment had officially entered the modern age.
New Jersey’s Second Golden Age of Golf Course Architecture
From 1998 to 2008, New Jersey experienced a remarkable wave of golf course development. A dozen top-tier courses debuted, ushering in what many now call New Jersey’s Second Golden Age of Golf Course Architecture.
These courses challenged the long-held dominance of layouts from the 1910s and 1920s. In fact, in Golf Digest magazine’s 2025 ranking of the best courses in New Jersey, six venues built between 1998 and 2008 earned spots in the top 20, displacing many older classics. Notable courses from this renaissance include:
- (Golf Digest ranking #8) Bayonne Golf Club
- (#10) Liberty National Golf Club
- (#14) The Ridge at Back Brook
- (#15) Trump National GC – Bedminster (Old Course)
- (#18) Hidden Creek Golf Club
- (#19) Hamilton Farm Golf Club.
Each of these courses brought a unique aesthetic and flair to New Jersey golf, raising the bar for course design and playing experience.
A Period of Quiet Transformation
Though New Jersey may have ceded some of its national player-producing clout by 2000, the state remained one of American golf’s most important regions. With historic clubs holding strong, exciting new courses emerging, player numbers peaking, and equipment entering a new era, golf in New Jersey in 2000 was far from stagnant. In fact, it may have been a foundation for another generation of great Garden State golfers – one that is paying dividends today.
(For more information about New Jersey Golf’s 125th Anniversary, visit NJGolf.org, or contact the author directly at kevincasey36@gmail.com.)
