Panther Valley

It has been more than two centuries since mountain lions last called New Jersey home, but the property at Panther Valley Golf & Country nonetheless has an interesting history on which to base its club. The property was once part of the Panther Ledge Farm, a 4,000 acre plot where notorious robber baron Thomas “Fortune” Ryan raised cattle as a side business.

Golf goes all the way back to when the Ryans ran the ranch, and in fact the final four holes of the current course still trace the original routing for the holes installed by the family That said, when the property became part of a golf and country club, members brought in Robert Trent Jones to both add strategic intrigue to the existing four, as well as design the final 14 holes necessary for a regulation round of golf.

The course reflects styles both modern and classic for its 1967 design. Jones was clearly embracing his heroic side, as a creek wanders along the long property and a series of ponds also work to challenge golfers. On a more classic note, the course does not return to the clubhouse after nine, but if players are truly starving, they have an opportunity to jog over to the clubhouse following the No. 14 hole.