Blind NJ golfer Tyler Cashman making his mark on adaptive scene
Tyler Cashman, a visually impaired 20-year-old from Oldwick, is making his mark on the international adaptive golf scene.
Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com
Each year, Golfweek publishes lists of the top 200 classic and modern golf courses in the United States.Classic courses were opened before 1960, and modern courses were opened after 1960.Several New Jersey golf courses made this year’s lists.
Are you looking to play a round on New Jersey’s best golf courses this summer? Check out one of the many courses around the state that were included in Golfweek’s top 200 lists for 2025.
Each year, Golfweek publishes several lists of course rankings using the input of more than 800 golfers from around the world.
The courses are rated based on 10 criteria: routing, integrity of design (classic courses only), quality of shaping (modern courses only), overall land plan, greens and surrounds, variety and memorability of par 3s, 4s, and 5s, tree and landscape management, conditioning and ecology, and the “walk in the park” test, which determines whether the course is worthy of spending four hours on.
The raters then offer an overall rating between one and 10. These ratings are averaged by Golfweek to create the final rankings.
Only ratings from rounds played in the past 10 years are included in the compilations to ensure the lists are up to date. Additionally, to qualify for the top 200 modern or classic lists, courses must have a minimum of 25 votes.
Classic New Jersey courses in Golfweek’s top 200
Golfweek’s rankings are split between modern and classic with 1960 as the break point, because, according to Golfweek, “they are two very different eras.”
“As written in our rater’s handbook, the Classic style of architecture was basically natural with intimate routings that enabled holes to cling to native landforms,” says Golfweek. “Designers were not afraid to utilize dramatic slopes or to sculpt bunkers into artistic shapes utilizing the given features of land.”
Classic courses, as opposed to modern, utilized minimal earth scraping and heavy machinery, per Golfweek.
Heading into this summer, 15 New Jersey golf courses made it onto Golfweek’s Best 2025 list of the top 200 classic courses opened before 1960 in the United States. Here’s a look at the rankings.
Pine Valley Golf Club2025 ranking: No. 2Average rating: 9.60Where the course is located: Pine ValleyWho designed the course: George CrumpWhen the course opened: 1914Type of course: privateSomerset Hills Country Club2025 ranking: No. 21Average rating: 8.23Course location: BernardsvilleCourse designer: A.W. TillinghastOpening year: 1918Type of course: privatePlainfield Country Club2025 ranking: Tied for No. 32Average rating: 7.87Course location: EdisonCourse designer: Donald RossOpening year: 1916Type of course: privateBaltusrol Golf Club (Lower)2025 ranking: Tied for No. 36Average rating: 7.83Course location: SpringfieldCourse designer: A.W. TillinghastOpening year: 1922Type of course: privateHollywood Golf Club2025 ranking: Tied for No. 52Average rating: 7.59Course location: DealCourse designer: Walter J. TravisOpening year: 1913Type of course: privateBaltusrol Golf Club (Upper)2025 ranking: No. 61Average rating: 7.52Course location: SpringfieldCourse designer: A.W. TillinghastOpening year: 1922Type of course: privateRidgewood Country Club (Championship)2025 ranking: Tied for No. 62Average rating: 7.48Course location: ParamusCourse designer: A.W. TillinghastOpening year: 1929Type of course: privateMountain Ridge Country Club2025 ranking: No. 101Average rating: 7.10Course location: West CaldwellCourse designer: Donald RossOpening year: 1931Type of course: privateEssex County Country Club2025 ranking: Tied for No. 106Average rating: 7.07Course location: West OrangeCourse designer: Seth Raynor, Charles BanksOpening year: 1928Type of course: privateNorth Jersey Country Club2025 ranking: Tied for No. 168Average rating: 6.65Course location: WayneCourse designer: Walter J. TravisOpening year: 1923Type of course: privateHackensack Golf Club2025 ranking: No. 174Average rating: 6.63Course location: OradellCourse designer: Charles Banks, Rees JonesOpening year: 1924Type of course: privateAtlantic City Country Club2025 ranking: Tied for No. 175Average rating: 6.62Course location: NorthfieldCourse designer: John Reid, William S. Flynn, Willie Park Jr., Howard C. Toomey, Tom DoakOpening year: 1898Type of course: privateKnickerbocker Country Club2025 ranking: Tied for No. 180Average rating: 6.60Course location: TenaflyCourse designer: Donald Ross, Ron ForseOpening year: 1915Type of course: privateManasquan River Golf Club2025 ranking: Tied for No. 193Average rating: 6.55Course location: BrielleCourse designer: Robert White, Andrew GreenOpening year: 1923Type of course: privateForsgate Country Club (Banks)2025 ranking: Tied for No. 197Average rating: 6.54Course location: Monroe TownshipCourse designer: Charles Banks, Stephen KayOpening year: 1931Type of course: private
To view the full list of Golfweek’s top 200 classic courses in the United States, visit https://golfweek.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/2025/06/23/golfweeks-best-2025-classic-top-200-golf-courses-united-states-ranked/83863202007/.
Modern New Jersey courses in Golfweek’s top 200
Alongside the mass popularization of golf in the United States, the 1960s also brought a change in design and construction techniques for courses, according to Golfweek. Mechanized earth-moving became the norm with courses requiring extensive planning, documentation and meticulous excavation.
Additionally, according to Golfweek, while high-performing grasses brought better conditions, the quicker putting speeds meant that greens could not be built with the same dramatic slope as they were prior to 1960.
“The skills required to build a great course became those of professionally trained landscape architects, not just creative golf visionaries,” says Golfweek. “The industry had changed dramatically.”
This year, five New Jersey golf courses made it onto Golfweek’s Best 2025 list of the top 200 modern courses opened since 1960 in the United States. Here’s a look at the rankings.
Galloway National Golf Club2025 ranking: Tied for No. 68Average rating: 7.32Course location: Galloway TownshipCourse designer: Tom FazioOpening year: 1995Type of course: privateBayonne Golf Club2025 ranking: No. 79Average rating: 7.26Course location: BayonneCourse designer: Eric BergstolOpening year: 2006Type of course: privateHidden Creek Golf Club2025 ranking: Tied for No. 146Average rating: 6.90Course location: Egg Harbor TownshipCourse designer: Bille Coore, Ben CrenshawOpening year: 2002Type of course: privateTrump National Golf Club (Old)2025 ranking: Tied for No. 166Average rating: 6.84Course location: BedminsterCourse designer: Tom FazioOpening year: 2004Type of course: privateThe Ridge at Back Brook2025 ranking: Tied for No. 176Average rating: 6.82Course location: RingoesCourse designer: Tom FazioOpening year: 2002Type of course: private
To view the full list of Golfweek’s top 200 modern courses in the United States, visit https://golfweek.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/2025/06/16/golfweeks-best-2025-modern-top-200-golf-courses-united-states-ranked/83776504007/.
