Inspired by links courses, U.S. Open Champion Jerry Pate originally laid out the track for the Trump National Golf Club at Colts Neck which was later refined by Tom Fazio II.
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Inspired by links courses, U.S. Open Champion Jerry Pate originally laid out the track for the Trump National Golf Club at Colts Neck which was later refined by Tom Fazio II.
Trump National - Colts Neck
Donald Trump is no stranger in New Jersey, owning three properties containing four entries in our New Jersey Best In State rankings, including Trump National Philadelphia and Trump National Bedminster, host of the 2022 PGA Championship. Often getting less than its share of the highlights is Trump National Colts Neck.
The course was designed by Jerry Pate to emulate the aesthetics of links golf, with mounds of fescue separating the holes but — as Pate won the U.S. Open during his career and not The Open — it is not so surprising this course takes a more American approach to championship golf. The course plays more than 7,500 yards from its tips, and features numerous par three putting surfaces perched alongside ponds, while the serpentine No. 9 features a lake all along its right side.
Tom Fazio II came and made tweaks to the course, the most noticeable of which is the least linksy of all. Although not part of the round of 18, players may settle bets to an island green that floats right in front of the clubhouse veranda (Pate, having won the initial Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, would have been familiar with the concept). Be careful not to get a hole-in-one: There will be many eyes watching to see if you’ll foot the bill for their drinks.