EATONTOWN – Steeped in history as rich as any at the Shore, Suneagles Golf Club turned 100 years old this season. With its classic A.W. Tillinghast designed course, renovated Tudor-style clubhouse, meticulous groundskeeping and cutting-edge turf maintenance, the club embraces its past along with new technology as it embarks on its second century.
“As we celebrate 100 years, we are incredibly proud of the history and tradition that have shaped this club,” Suneagles’ general manager James Emery said. “At the same time, our focus is very much on the next 100 years. Our goal is not simply to keep pace with where the industry is going, but to separate Suneagles from our peers while preserving the history and character that make this club so special.
Opened in 1926, Suneagles Golf Club in Eatontown, N.J. was for years part of the U.S. Army’s Fort Monmouth complex.
The milestone places Suneagles among only handful of Monmouth County courses to cross the century mark along with Deal Golf and Country Club (which dates back to 1898), Hollywood Golf Club (1898), Spring Lake Golf Club (1898), Beacon Hill CC (early1900s), Rumson Country Club (1910) and Shark River Golf Course, formerly Asbury Park Golf Club (1918). Old Orchard Country Club (1929) fell just short – it closed in 2025.
Suneagles’ journey to 100 incorporates several significant makeovers.
The course at different times was:
∎ A Roaring Twenties members only-owned private golf club
∎ An Army officer’s facility as part of the former Fort Monmouth with officer housing, barracks and facilities spread throughout the course during and after World War II
∎ A semi-private/public course after Fort Monmouth’s 2011 closing
∎ Since 2023 a return to its roots as a private club following its purchase by the Martelli Development Group
Opened in 1926, Suneagles Golf Club in Eatontown, N.J. was for years part of the U.S. Army’s Fort Monmouth complex.
Opened in 1926, Suneagles Golf Club in Eatontown, N.J. was for years part of the U.S. Army’s Fort Monmouth complex.
“I maintain that the Suneagles Course ranks among the best of my creations.”
— A.W. Tillinghast, American golf course architect
The one constant has been the course itself. Tillinghast-designed courses include Winged Foot, Baltusrol (upper and lower), Bethpage State Park Black Course, among others. Tillinghast’s original Suneagles layout, attributed to be his favorite, survived the years intact for the most part despite some revisions during the Army years and neglect following Fort Monmouth’s closure. Course Superintendent Ryan O’Connor is using archival photographs of the original Tillinghast layouts to guide ongoing minor course modifications.
“The course went through quite a few years of not enough care and love,” said Emery. “To bring it back to its glory will take some time and we are focusing on giving the course back to Tillinghast’s original design bit by bit.”
Suneagles Golf Club turns 100
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Opened in 1926, Suneagles Golf Club in Eatontown, N.J. was for years part of the U.S. Army’s Fort Monmouth complex. (Mike Dean)
To do so, Suneagles recently entered a partnership with SGL Golf utilizing advanced turf technology to create a more efficient and sustainable approach to turf maintenance. The process includes deploying a fleet of robots nightly to enhance growth and better identify and address course needs such as watering and chemical treatments in problem areas rather than blanket treatments and watering to the entire course regularly.
“It’s exciting to be the first golf course in the U.S. to work with SGL,” O’Connor said. “The whole idea is to promote growth throughout the season using the robots’ UVC treatments and to help diminish water and chemical usage while preserving the environment and saving money.”
Long-time member and Oceanport resident Mike McMahon, a retired Army Signal Corps officer who has played the course consistently since 1979, said he appreciates the impact the new ownership team has had on the course and facilities.
Long-time Suneagles Golf Club member and Oceanport resident Mike McMahon, a retired Army Signal Corps officer who has played the course consistently since 1979, said he appreciates the impact the new ownership team has had on the course and facilities.
“You have to credit the Martelli team for the work they have done here,” McMahon said. “It doesn’t happen overnight, it’s a long-term process and they have made immense improvements to the course.”
“Legends of the game have walked these fairways, from Byron Nelson earning his first professional victory here to Sam Snead once holding our course record, and that history will always be an important part of who we are,” Emery said.
Opened in 1926, Suneagles Golf Club in Eatontown, N.J. was for years part of the U.S. Army’s Fort Monmouth complex.
Beyond the course, the original Tudor-style clubhouse remains. Renovated over the last couple of years and renamed Tillinghouse (from the previous Gibbs Hall), the 500-person banquet facility with multiple gathering and dining spaces retains much of its old charm and character. The original 1926 fireplace sits as a centerpiece in the cocktail hall. Upstairs houses Ember and Eagle, a steakhouse restaurant open to the public.
“Through continued investment in our golf course, facilities and infrastructure, along with our partnership with SGL and the introduction of cutting-edge AI, robotic and drone technology, we are positioning Suneagles at the forefront of the modern country club experience,” Emery said.
▶PLAY SUNEAGLES. 2000 Lowther Drive, Eatontown, NJ 07724. Website: suneaglesgolf.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: As Shore golf course turns 100, rich history meets new technology