The Architects Golf Club

Located close to the small town of Phillipsburg in Warren County, close to the border with Pennsylvania, the 18-hole layout at The Architects Golf Club is a new millennium production designed by architect Stephen Kay and Golf Digest Architectural Editor, Ron Whitten.

Owners Dennis and Larry Turco wanted to build a course that “paid tribute to the great design styles of the game’s most prolific architects” so it highlights more than a century of design styles from a variety of prominent architects, all of whom are sadly no longer with us.

Old Tom Morris is remembered at the par five opener, with pot bunkers situated on either side of the fairway. A golfing cap is then tipped towards Harry Colt at the downhill par three 6th before the risk-reward exploits of Dr Alister MacKenzie are recalled at the strategic par five 13th.

Holes are set out on the front nine in homage to Golden Age architects like CB Macdonald, Devereux Emmet and Seth Raynor whilst on the back nine, the talents of more modern designers like Perry Maxwell and Dick Wilson are also celebrated with individual holes dedicated to these architectural greats of the golfing world.

In the book Golf’s Best New Destinations by Brian McCallen, architect Stephen Kay had this to say about the design intent of the course: “We looked at three elements. How the architect set up a hole strategically, the shape and style of the bunkering, and the contours of the putting surface.”

The author then describes a few of the more memorable holes, summing up the course by saying, ”Architects Golf Club knits together nicely and moves seamlessly from one design style to the next. No abrupt changes, no false notes. Even if you don’t give a hoot about history, the ride on this time machine is smooth and enjoyable.”