New Jersey
Northern & Central New Jersey Golf Courses & Tee Times
North and Central Jersey public golf is county golf. Bergen, Morris, Essex, Union, Somerset, Middlesex and Monmouth each run their own courses, and each sells a card that gets you lower rates and an earlier shot at tee times. Some of the courses have real history. Essex County's Weequahic in Newark opened in 1914 and the county calls it the oldest public course in the state. Francis Byrne in West Orange is a 1928 Seth Raynor design finished by Charles Banks. Galloping Hill in Kenilworth, a 1928 Willard Wilkinson layout, hosted the 2016 State Open and is home to the state golf association's offices.
Good weekend tee times in Northern & Central New Jersey go fast, and the ones that come back later (cancellations, groups that shrink) aren't announced. Yoink watches the tee sheets at 75 public courses here, from Hamburg, Oak Ridge, West Orange, Vernon and Colts Neck, and tells you the moment a time you want opens up.
The longest layout here is Mercer Oaks East Golf Course at 7,182 yards; there are 5 nine-hole courses; there are 2 executive or par-3 courses for a quicker round.
Who runs public golf in Northern & Central New Jersey
Bergen County runs six courses, including Rockleigh, Orchard Hills, Soldier Hill and Valley Brook, and registration for 2026 was $60 for an adult resident and $100 for a non-resident. Morris County's Park Commission runs five courses at four sites, among them Flanders Valley, Berkshire Valley, Pinch Brook and Sunset Valley. Its Registration Card gets anyone, resident or not, the resident green fee; the 2026 price was $50 for county residents and $275 out of county. Monmouth County runs six: Bel-Aire, Charleston Springs, Hominy Hill, Howell Park, Pine Brook and Shark River, with more than 200,000 rounds a year. A one-year Golf Pass was $52 in 2026, and non-residents can buy a $270 pass. Somerset County's Golf ID Card covers five courses including Neshanic Valley. Union County sells a Player's Card for Galloping Hill, priced by residency. Middlesex has Tamarack, The Meadows and Raritan Landing with an Advantage Card. Essex runs Francis Byrne, Hendricks Field and Weequahic.
Public courses worth knowing in Northern & Central New Jersey
- Hominy Hill Golf Course: Robert Trent Jones built it in 1965 as a private course for shipping executive Henry Mercer; Monmouth County bought it after 1975. 7,049 yards from the blues, 138 bunkers, and host of two USGA Amateur Public Links.
- Francis A. Byrne Golf Course: Seth Raynor designed it in 1928 and Charles Banks built it after Raynor died. Stephen Kay restored the templates: Road hole 1st, Biarritz 2nd, Short 5th, Eden 14th. Nearly 7,000 yards.
- Galloping Hill Golf Course: Willard Wilkinson's 1928 layout on 271 acres, par 71 at 6,845 yards, renovated by Rees Jones in 2014. First county-owned course to host the New Jersey State Open, in 2016.
- Weequahic Golf Course: Opened in 1914, laid out by Baltusrol's head pro George Lowe. Essex County calls it the state's oldest public course. Reopened in summer 2025 after a Stephen Kay rebuild.
- Hendricks Field Golf Course: Charles Banks's only course built for public play, opened in 1929 in Belleville. Alps 1st, Redan 8th, Biarritz 12th and the Principal's Nose on 15.
- Neshanic Valley Golf Course: Somerset County's 27 holes: Meadow, Lake and Ridge nines, all par 36, playing 5,050 to 7,108 yards, plus a 9-hole Academy Course.
- Charleston Springs Golf Course: 36 Mark Mungeam holes in Millstone: a links-style North and a parkland South at 6,953 yards.
Booking tee times in Northern & Central New Jersey: the local rules
Every county gives card holders the longer window. Bergen: registered golfers get seven days, with the new day opening at 7 PM; everyone else gets three. Morris: card holders get ten days, others seven. Monmouth: pass holders book seven days out from 8:00 p.m.; without a pass it is two days, online, with a prepaid non-refundable fee. Monmouth no-shows cost the whole group's green fees, so cancel online 12 hours ahead. Somerset: ID card holders get seven days online, others three by phone. At Galloping Hill the 7-day Player's Card opens a week and 12 hours ahead, at noon the day before; the 14-day card sold out for 2026. Middlesex takes payment when you book online. Bergen courses opened around March 9 in 2026, and Monmouth keeps all six open through December, weather permitting.
Yoink
Book on release day, then let Yoink watch the rest
Booking windows decide who gets first pick. After that, times come back one at a time as plans change. Yoink watches all 75 courses in Northern & Central New Jersey and tells you when a time that fits comes back, so you're not refreshing the page all week.
75 courses in Northern & Central New Jersey
Colts Neck
Hominy Hill Golf Course
Robert Trent Jones built it in 1965 for a shipping executive's private use, with 138 bunkers. The county bought it, and it has hosted two USGA Publinx.
Pebble Creek Golf Club
A Hal Purdy design that finishes on a par 3 you can watch from the clubhouse's covered patio. Par 71, with walking rates every day of the week.
East Brunswick
Tamarack Golf Course
Middlesex County's two Hal Purdy courses, open since 1973. Mark Mungeam rebuilt every hole on the West in 2025, reversing the nines.
Tamarack Golf Course-EAST
The shorter of Tamarack's two Hal Purdy courses: par 71 and 6,226 yards, open since 1973 on Middlesex County's 36-hole public site.
Hackettstown
Hamburg
Ballyowen Golf Club
Crystal Springs' celebrated treeless links, routinely ranked NJ's top public course; par 72 at 7,094 yards with fescue-framed fairways and a Scottish feel.
Cascades Golf Club
Don't let the short card fool you: 3,627 yards from the tips, including a 624-yard par 5 at the 6th. Roger Rulewich's third design at Crystal Springs.
Crystal Springs Golf Course
Crystal Springs' namesake course, carved through limestone quarry and rolling highlands; par 72 at 6,816 yards with dramatic elevation changes.
Wild Turkey Golf Club
Roger Rulewich's basin-and-ridge course: a par-3 7th over a quarry lake, a treeless hollow for 12 through 17, and two par 5s longer than 630 yards.
Hillsborough
Neshanic Station
Neshanic Valley Academy Course
Hurdzan and Fry's three nines on 420 acres of Somerset farmland, 2004, wetlands threading through. An academy nine alongside.
Neshanic Valley Golf Course
Hurdzan and Fry, the Erin Hills architects, laid it over old farmland: wide fairways, fescue and wetlands. Hosted the 2012 USGA Women's Public Links.
Oak Ridge
Phillipsburg
Piscataway
Raritan Landing Golf Course
Stephen Kay's par 58: only 3,300 yards, but small greens and narrow fairways put a premium on accuracy. County-owned and open since October 1999.
Rutgers University Golf Course
Hal Purdy's 1963 layout for a club founded in 1894. Big greens, and a course where putting the drive in the right spot matters more than length.
Plainsboro
Meadows At Middlesex
Joe Finger laid it out in 1972 and Tom Fazio finished the job in 1980, a rare pedigree for a county course: a par 70 of 6,290 yards, bentgrass throughout.
The Meadows at Middlesex
A Joe Finger design finished in 1980, now run by Middlesex County — bent grass fairways and a clubhouse grille that keeps the 19th hole lively. Par 70, 6,290 yards.
Princeton
River Vale
River Vale Country Club
The only New Jersey course by Donald Ross protégé Orrin Smith, built with Ross himself. A par 72 of just 6,504 yards, now owned by the township.
Valley Brook Golf Course
You start with a 160-yard carry over a pond, then wind along the Pascack Brook to small greens. Only 6,211 yards, but it's about placement, not power.
Somerset
Quail Brook Golf Course
A 1982 Ault, Ault & Clark design for Somerset County — the back nine turns sharply hilly, so this one plays tougher than the yardage suggests. Par 71, 6,617 yards.
Spooky Brook Golf Course
A 1970 Ed Ault design for Somerset County — flat, walker-friendly front nine, then water and scenery take over on a tougher back nine. Par 71, 6,612 yards.
Vernon
Wayne
Preakness Valley Golf Course - East
Thirty-six holes since 1931 in a park that holds Washington's 1780 headquarters. Passaic County's first public course.
Preakness Valley Golf Course - West
Thirty-six holes since 1931 in a park that holds Washington's 1780 headquarters. Passaic County's first public course.
West Orange
West Windsor Towns
Other
Ash Brook Golf Course
Alfred Tull's 1953 parkland layout, touched up by Rees Jones in 2015: over 7,000 yards from the back, tree-lined, with big greens.
Colts Neck Golf Club
Cornish, Silva and Mungeam's links-style layout: fescue rough, Scottish-style bunkers around big bentgrass greens, and a back nine in the woods.
Concordia Golf Club
Brian Ault and Tom Clark's par 71 inside the Concordia adult community, open to anyone. Only 6,243 yards, but the club says accuracy is a must.
Cranbury Golf Club
Gary Rhenn's 1964 layout has six par 3s, led by the 225-yard 4th over water and the 12th over the Bog; the greens are small, bunkered and full of movement.
Galloping Hill Golf Course
Willard Wilkinson's 1928 layout, called The Hill for its slopes, restored by Rees Jones in 2014 and the first county course to host the NJ State Open.
Hopewell Valley Golf Club
Tom Winton routed it in 1927 on an old horse farm, and the clubhouse is the farm's barn. The Stony Brook crosses five holes; a train rolls past the 18th.
Knob Hill Golf Club
Mark McCumber's first design in the Northeast, cut from 145 wooded acres off Route 33, with lakes in play and wide, wavy bunkers around the greens.
Mercer Oaks East Golf Course
Mercer Oaks' links-style course runs 7,182 yards from the tips, with a 580-yard par 5 at the 2nd, a 465-yard par 4 at the 6th and a 620-yarder to finish.
Mercer Oaks West Golf Course
Ault, Clark's 1991 parkland course on Lake Mercer: 7,040 yards from the tips, a 600-yard 7th, and a 9th where the approach is a forced carry over water.
Peddie Golf Club
Laid out in 1923 on a family nursery, and NJ's first Christmas tree farm is still on the grounds. Narrow, tree-lined, five par 3s and five par 5s.
Princeton Country Club
Just over 6,000 yards, but tight tree-lined fairways and small greens that tilt back to front do the defending. Accuracy and a sharp short game win here.
Spring Meadow Golf Club
A par 70 routed around lakes and woods, now playing a new course layout, with Meadow 28 for after the round. Tee times open 10 days out.
What we've seen on tee sheets in Northern & Central New Jersey
From the tee sheets Yoink has been reading. Booking window is how far ahead each new day's tee times appear online. Green fees are the range most 18-hole tee times were listed at. Each course page says when and how often we looked. Courses without enough data aren't shown, and residents or members may have different windows and rates.
| Course | Booking window | Green fees (18) |
|---|---|---|
| Colts Neck Golf Club | – | $60 to $105 |
| Concordia Golf Club | – | $58.45 to $73.45 |
| Galloping Hill Golf Course | – | $68 to $81 |
| Old Bridge Golf Club | – | $49 to $89 |
| Raritan Landing Golf Course | – | $35 to $45 |
| Rutgers University Golf Course | – | $50 to $60 |
| Spring Meadow Golf Club | – | $57 to $74 |
| Tamarack Golf Course | – | $50 to $73 |
Why tee times in Northern & Central New Jersey are hard to get
Golf in Northern & Central New Jersey follows the seasons: spring openers and fall weekends are the busiest stretches, and summer mornings fill before afternoons.
Each course releases its tee times on its own schedule, commonly a week or two out, with residents of town and county courses often booking first. Leagues, outings and members claim chunks of the sheet in advance, and whatever prime weekend times are left tend to go on release day.
When tee time cancellations happen
Booked-up doesn't mean gone. Plans change: groups cancel ahead of the course's cancellation deadline (often 24 to 48 hours out), players drop when the forecast turns, and a group that shrinks leaves an open spot. Those times quietly come back on the booking page, usually for minutes, not hours.
How to get a tee time in Northern & Central New Jersey
Yoink
All 75 courses in Northern & Central New Jersey, watched for you around the clock
Yoink checks all 75 courses in Northern & Central New Jersey every few minutes, so every open time is in one place and you're the first to know when one that fits your day, window and group appears, cancellations included.
Doing it by hand? Here's what works.
- Know the booking window. Find out how many days ahead each course releases times, and whether residents get an earlier window. Be ready the morning it opens.
- Look again 24 to 48 hours out. That's when most cancellation deadlines pass and spots come back.
- Be flexible on group size. Singles and twosomes fit into gaps a foursome can't.
- Try twilight and weekday afternoons. They're the last to fill and often cheaper.
- Keep a quicker course in your back pocket. Nine-hole and executive courses are easier to get on and play faster. Around here that includes Clearbrook Golf Club, Hyatt Hills Golf Complex and Minerals Golf Club.
Read the full guide to getting a tee time when everything's booked
Tee times in Northern & Central New Jersey: questions
How do I get notified when a tee time opens up in Northern & Central New Jersey?
Set a watch in Yoink for the courses you want, the days you can play, a time window and the number of players. Yoink checks those tee sheets every few minutes and sends a notification as soon as a matching time appears, cancellations included. You book it directly with the course.
When do tee time cancellations usually show up?
Mostly in the 24 to 48 hours before the tee time, as golfers cancel ahead of the course's cancellation deadline, and whenever the weather forecast changes. They appear without notice and tend to be rebooked quickly.
How far in advance can you book a tee time in Northern & Central New Jersey?
It depends on the course. Many public courses open bookings 7 to 14 days ahead, and town or county courses often give residents an earlier window. Each course's own booking page has its policy.
When is golf busiest in Northern & Central New Jersey?
Demand is highest on spring and fall weekends. Weekend mornings are always the hardest tee times to get.
Which courses in Northern & Central New Jersey are quickest to play?
Nine-hole and executive courses such as Clearbrook Golf Club, Hyatt Hills Golf Complex and Minerals Golf Club take less time and are usually easier to book.
Does Yoink book the tee time for me?
No. Yoink tells you when a time opens; you book it with the course on its own booking page, at the course's price, with no extra fee.
More golf in New Jersey
- South Jersey & the Shore · 30 courses
- Philadelphia · 26 courses
- Westchester & Hudson Valley · 2 courses
- Hudson Valley · 1 courses
- Poconos & Lehigh Valley · 1 courses
- Upstate NY — Capital & Central · 1 courses
- Western NY — Buffalo & Rochester · 1 courses
Just across the state line
Markets with courses within 25 miles of a course here.
- New York City, NY · 14 courses
- Westchester & Hudson Valley, NY · 18 courses
- Hudson Valley, NY · 40 courses
- Philadelphia, PA · 49 courses
- Poconos & Lehigh Valley, PA · 59 courses
- Long Island, NY · 46 courses
Sources
Facts on this page come from these pages, checked 2026-09-28. Rates and booking rules change, so confirm with the course.
- golfbergencounty.com · official
- golfbergencounty.com · official
- golfbergencounty.com · official
- morriscountygolfcourses.com · official
- morriscountygolfcourses.com · official
- monmouthcountyparks.com · government
- monmouthcountyparks.com · government
- monmouthcountyparks.com · government
- monmouthcountyparks.com · government
- monmouthcountyparksystem.blogspot.com · official
- monmouthcountyparks.com · government
- monmouthcountyparks.com · government
- gallopinghillgolfcourse.com · official
- gallopinghillgolfcourse.com · official
- njgolf.org · association
- en.wikipedia.org · media
- gallopinghillgolfcourse.com · official
- somersetcountygolf.us · official
- somersetcountygolf.us · official
- neshanicvalleygolf.com · official
- middlesexcountygolf.com · official
- essexcountyparks.org · government
- essexcountyparks.org · government
- essexcountyparks.org · government
- essexcountyparks.org · government
Tee times in Northern & Central New Jersey, without the refreshing
Watch as many courses as you like. When a time opens that fits your day, window and group, Yoink tells you first.