Medford Village

The words from founder James "Dutch" Himmelein to William F. Gordon when designing the course at what is now Medford Village Country Club: "Create a golf course that will be as challenging as Pine Valley." Well alright then! That’s a tall order, so the course will be forgiven if it doesn’t live up to the notoriety of the nearby south-Jersey icon.

Still, those playing from the tips at Medford will have a lot to think about. Among those things, however, one should rise to the fore: accuracy. The club advertises its tight fairways, measuring 30 yards on average, as core to its defensive strategy; a misplay off the tee is the quickest way to losing a hole in competition. The course begins with the more expansive holes during the first half, before diving into a claustrophobic back nine that loops around the property’s edge while demanding utmost accuracy from players.

Gordon took at least a few visual keys from Pine Valley (even if his sand budget was ultimately lower): No. 5, a par five, features a huge bunker crossing the fairway, which will prevent all but the best tee shots to allow crossing in two…”Hell’s eighth-of-an-acre” might be a fitting nickname.

Believe it or not, the course has actually been shortened since it was opened (to "just" 7,150 yards).