Golf Digest’s Top NJ Golf Courses Revealed

Alright, Jersey golf enthusiasts, it's that time of year when Golf Digest releases its annual "Best in State" ranking. In the past, I've shared Golficity's perspective on the top courses, which you can find in this article here. Now, let's see how their list compares to Golf Digest's rankings, which involved the evaluation and input of nearly 2,000 golfers to determine the finest courses in the country.

Before we dive into the rankings, it's essential to understand the criteria they used. They considered aesthetics, which includes the course's appearance and design variety, as well as the overall conditions of the course. Additionally, they assessed the challenges posed by the course for shot-making and its overall playability.

Now, without further ado, let's look at what Golf Digest has come up with for the best courses in New Jersey:

Ranked at number 10, we have the esteemed Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City. Bayonne Golf Club in Bayonne secures the 9th spot on the list, followed by Hollywood Golf Club in Deal, NJ, at number 8 (and new to the top 10 this year).

Galloway National Golf Club in Absecon takes the 7th position, and the illustrious Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus claims the 6th spot on the Golf Digest Best in State List.

Breaking into the top 5, we have Plainfield Country Club in Edison at number 5, while the renowned Baltusrol Golf Club (Upper) in Springfield comes in at number 4. The third place goes to Somerset Hills Country Club in Bernardsville, and Baltusrol Golf Club (Lower) in Springfield secures the impressive second position.

Sitting firmly at the top and considered by many as the best course in the world, we have the prestigious Pine Valley Golf Club in Pine Valley, NJ, crowned as the number 1 course on the list.

If you're thinking that all of the courses in the top 10 are private and really exclusive clubs, you'd be correct. The first and only public course to make it to their top 25 is Atlantic City Country Club in Northfield, NJ, which comes in at number 20. To see the entire list and their comments, you can check it out here.