Essex Fells Country Club

Overview: Essex Fells Country Club is a private New Jersey course whose current 18-hole identity grew through several architectural stages. The layout occupies rolling ground in Essex Fells and plays as a compact par-71 course, with the interest concentrated in its green sites, movement of land, and strategic recovery choices rather than sheer length.

History: The club began in 1896 with a rough nine-hole course. Alex Findlay designed a later nine, the club moved to its present hilltop site in 1913, and a full 18 opened in 1916. The original designer of that 18-hole layout is not documented in the club history. In the 1920s, Seth Raynor carried out a major renovation and rerouting.

Did You Know? The club’s own history credits Essex Fells with an early connection to the mulligan custom, tracing the first-tee practice to the 1930s. Whether treated as origin story or golf folklore, it is a memorable piece of the club’s identity.