How to Play the Best Golf in New Jersey
New Jersey holds some of the most exclusive golf on earth, and that is the catch. Pine Valley and Baltusrol are world famous and almost entirely closed to visitors, but the public golf around them is far better than outsiders expect. Here is the honest picture of what you can and cannot play, the public gems to build a trip around, and what they cost in 2026.
Photograph: Atlantic City Country Club, New Jersey, via Google
The short answer
The single most useful thing to understand about New Jersey golf is that its very best courses are private and effectively unbookable. Pine Valley near Clementon is regularly ranked the number one course in the world and admits play by member invitation only. Baltusrol in Springfield, a multiple US Open and PGA Championship venue, and the Tom Fazio design at Galloway National are private members clubs too. If a famous Jersey name is on your list, the realistic route is to be hosted by a member, not to book a tee time.
The good news is that the public golf is genuinely strong, and you can build an excellent trip without ever knocking on a private gate. The Donald Ross Bay Course at Seaview near Atlantic City, host of the ShopRite LPGA Classic, takes resort and daily fee play. Ballyowen at Crystal Springs Resort is frequently rated the best public course in the state, Hominy Hill in Colts Neck is a Robert Trent Jones municipal classic, and Twisted Dune brings a bold dunescape to the Jersey Shore. Build around those and New Jersey rewards you, private gates and all.
New Jersey's best courses: how to get on, 2026
| Course | How to play | Indicative 2026 fee |
|---|---|---|
| Pine Valley | Private, by member invitation only; ranked world number one; no public access | Not publicly bookable |
| Baltusrol, Lower | Private, members and guests only; multiple US Open and PGA Championship host | Not publicly bookable |
| Seaview, Bay Course | Resort and daily fee near Atlantic City; the Donald Ross course, ShopRite LPGA host | Resort and daily fee, confirm by season |
| Ballyowen, Crystal Springs | Public resort in Hamburg; Celtic links style, often rated the top public course in NJ | Around 145 to 246 dollars, cart included |
| Hominy Hill | Monmouth County municipal in Colts Neck; book ahead; the Robert Trent Jones classic | Municipal rate, confirm current price |
| Twisted Dune | Public near Atlantic City in Egg Harbor Township; a bold modern dunescape | Daily fee, confirm current rate |
| Galloway National | Private, members and guests only; the Tom Fazio links near Atlantic City | Not publicly bookable |
Designers, access and indicative fees verified June 2026 from course and operator listings; they vary by season, day and how you book and change without notice, so always confirm current rates and rules directly before booking. Check New Jersey tee time availability.
How access works, region by region
The legendary New Jersey golf sits in the south and the center of the state, and almost all of it is behind the gates. Pine Valley near Clementon is the holy grail, an inland sandy masterpiece begun by George Crump and opened in the late 1910s, and it is among the most private clubs in the world, played by invitation of a member only. Baltusrol up in Springfield has staged seven US Opens and two PGA Championships on its Tillinghast courses, and it too is a members club. Galloway National near Atlantic City is a private Fazio gem. The pattern is consistent: the trophy names are not for sale, so the honest plan is to be hosted, or to admire them from the rankings.
The golf you can actually book clusters on the Jersey Shore and in the northwest hills. Around Atlantic City, the Donald Ross Bay Course at Seaview is a resort course you can play on a stay or a daily fee, with the LPGA pedigree to prove its quality, and nearby Twisted Dune offers a wild, links inspired dunescape from architect Archie Struthers. Inland, the Monmouth County park system runs Hominy Hill in Colts Neck, a 1964 Robert Trent Jones design that is consistently rated the state's finest municipal and is bookable by anyone. To the northwest, Crystal Springs Resort spreads six courses through the Appalachian foothills, led by the Celtic links style Ballyowen, a stay and play favorite. Build the trip around those and you never need a private gate.
Where to focus a New Jersey trip
Most travelling golfers build around one of two anchors. The Jersey Shore near Atlantic City is the classic public base, pairing the historic Donald Ross golf at Seaview with the modern drama of Twisted Dune and the casinos and boardwalk for the evenings. The Crystal Springs Resort in the northwest is the other, a self contained stay and play with Ballyowen and five sister courses in the hills near the New York border. A first trip that pairs a couple of Shore rounds with a day or two at Crystal Springs gives you the best public golf the state offers, and a concierge route smooths the tee times, the resort packages and the question of whether any private door can be opened.
Plan your New Jersey golf trip
We route the public best of the Garden State, the Donald Ross Bay Course at Seaview, Ballyowen and Hominy Hill, hold the tee times, and tell you honestly what can and cannot be opened at the private clubs. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
New Jersey golf access questions
Can you play Pine Valley?
No, not as an ordinary visitor. Pine Valley Golf Club near Clementon, regularly ranked the number one course in the world, is an intensely private club where play is by invitation of a member only, with no public tee time, resort access or outside booking. The realistic way to see it is to be hosted by a member. For the great New Jersey golf you can actually book, build a trip around the Donald Ross Bay Course at Seaview, Ballyowen at Crystal Springs, the municipal classic Hominy Hill and the dunescape of Twisted Dune.
Can you play Baltusrol Golf Club?
Generally only as a guest of a member. Baltusrol in Springfield, host of multiple US Opens and PGA Championships on its A.W. Tillinghast Lower Course, is a private club open to members and their invited guests, not to the public. There is no standard public tee time. The dependable New Jersey golf you can book is the strong field of public and resort courses led by Seaview, Ballyowen, Hominy Hill and Twisted Dune. Always confirm current access rules directly before booking.
What is the best public golf course in New Jersey?
Two stand out. Ballyowen at Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, a Celtic links style design frequently rated the top public course in the state, and Hominy Hill in Colts Neck, a Robert Trent Jones design from 1964 run by the Monmouth County park system and widely considered New Jersey's best municipal. The Donald Ross Bay Course at Seaview near Atlantic City, host of the ShopRite LPGA Classic, and the bold dunescape of Twisted Dune round out the public bench. Always confirm current rates and tee times directly before booking.
When is the best time to play golf in New Jersey?
Late spring through autumn is the window, roughly May to October, when the weather is warm and settled and the courses are in peak condition. Early autumn is especially fine, with cooler air and firm turf. The Jersey Shore courses around Atlantic City stay playable a little later into the year, while the inland and northern courses slow in the cold months. Always confirm current conditions and rates before booking.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Access rules and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.