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Bergen County New Jersey – Not a true steward of the game…

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15 years ago

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I was recently visiting relatives in northern New Jersey, Bergen County to be exact. Bergen County is not far from New York City, and millions of people. I thought I would do a course review for Golfwrx while I was there. I guess not. In today’s slumping economy, many golf courses, both public and private are suffering and in financial despair. Furthermore, many families have so much going on, long days at the golf course for Dad (or Mom) just are not as manageable as they once were.

Soccer, baseball, swimming, and myriad other activities all take a big slice of golf’s pie. Many city and county owned golf courses across the United States are up for sale and no longer profitable. Or at least their own government bureaucracy prevents them from being so.Courses are attempting all sorts of marketing tricks to remain in contention for that core golfer who actually plays the majority of golf rounds. I am that core golfer, I don’t belong to a club yet, and have already played over 60 rounds this year.  In fact, many of these publicly funded courses have ditched their PGA pro staffers for workers who don’t really understand the business of golf. I am not begrudging these people trying to get some free golf in exchange for working, I am merely pointing out that the absence of a PGA Pro hurts the bottom line in my opinion. Many private clubs are doling out some unused tee times to the public in hopes of making more profits, or getting out of the red and back into the black. It’s real  tough out there.

Valley Brook looks nice, but sure isn’t when you bring your "non-certified" kid along to play.

In fact, many private clubs are even going out of business. Many public courses are going under as well. Not so in Bergen County New Jersey it seems. In fact, a few weeks ago I was recently told that I could not play a public, county owned course (Valley Brook Golf Course) one evening . The course was not crowded, the golf leagues were already out and there was no one waiting for open play. Wow. I was astonished. That’s right, cold hard cash for greens fees in hand and then told to go play elsewhere. Wow, I was really stunned! It’s not like I showed up at Augusta looking to play 9 holes or anything. How is this possible you say? Especially at a run of the mill golf course like Valley Brook.

Bergen County sits at the Northeastern corner of NJ, not far from New York City.

Well, the story goes like this. I called on a Wednesday afternoon and inquired about getting nine holes in with my son in the evening. The gentleman that answered said, “Sure, come out at 5:30, the leagues will be finished going off and you can place your name on the list for open play. I arrive at 5:45 with my 7 year old son, who is chomping at the bit to play nine holes with me. The course is not crowded and there is no wait to get on the course. When we walk in the man says, “Is your son a member of the Pioneer Golf Program?” I reply, “Well, no. We live in Cincinnati, Ohio (over 700 miles away) and we are here visiting relatives.” He then says, “Sorry sir, kids under 12 cannot play at all (even if accompanied by a paying parent) if they do not participate in our junior golf program. I said that it would be impossible for him to participate since he lives over 700 miles away! “Go play at a different course, they might let him play.” My son, knows the rules, plays fast (we use a cart) has his own clubs (with Darth Vader head cover), has taken several lessons at a prestigious country club here in Cincinnati, and could probably beat many adults he is paired with. He even understands that slow play on his part means he has to skip that hole. I was shocked they were willing to turn us (more so him, than me) away from playing. On a side note, Valley Brook Golf Course (Rivervale, NJ) has NO PGA pro working there. I completely understand how their junior program works, and was bewildered why an exception could not be made for out of town folks (whose in town folks have been paying taxes in his county since the 1800’s). Bergen County has no problem overcharging me (3 times more than a county resident) for my round since I am not a county resident. Needless to say, I was upset, but nowhere near as much as my 7 year old son. I believe that if Bergen County actually had employees that understand how the golf business works, and grows (or not), they might have made an exception and allowed my son to play. As far as having employess who understand the game, the county, at the administrative level, doesn’t even have employees that understand period.

I attempted to call them the next day and discuss this discrimination and I never got a word in edgewise with the rude woman, in fact, I had to scream at her because she would not even allow me to tell about my experience. She even told me, “Well you don’t pay taxes here so what does it matter?” Well missy, my family sure does, in fact since the 1800’s! After stewing a bit more, I contacted the county’s communication director. Her name is Ms. Sheri Hensley and although she listened, when we spoke a second time she pretty much said, “too bad Mr. Hetzel, if your kid is not in the junior program he can’t play. We just don’t care, nor do we differentiate between you from out of state and a resident whose kid does not belong to our junior program. I think it’s great that Bergen County actually has a junior golf program. They should be commended for that. However, I also think that it is discriminatory not to allow kids to play with their parents in the evenings on weekdays whether or not they play in their junior tour.

People are busy. People have less time (and money) to play golf. Some kids may not have a ride to the junior tour events. This restrictive policy definitely keeps A LOT of kids OFF the course and allows you to charge adults a higher fee in their place. Obviously this is a great strategy for your county administrator, Mr. Dennis McNerney. They make more money this way. I am of the opinion that county owned courses should not be out for pure profit (and I am not sure that you are since no one was willing to even speak with me), but to provide ample and cost effective recreation opportunities for the taxpayers. Mr. McNerney, why not charge “non-players of your junior program” a higher greens fee with a paying adult? I would like to think with a real PGA pro on staff, they would have let us play golf that evening, especially since my kid can play, he was supervised and the course wasn’t even busy! At the conclusion of our last conversation, Ms. Hensley was supposed to forward me the e-mail me addresses for  the golf program administrator and the county executive so I could give them the opportunity to be a part of this story and present their side. That would be only fair. In fact, they list absolutely no e-mail address on the county webpage, which I find concerning since they are in business for Bergen’s John Q. Public. It’s been two weeks now and I have yet to hear from Ms. Hensley; I guess they are not interested in speaking to our golfwrx.com community about this issue. Like I said before, business must be booming for Bergen County golf.

I’ll contrast how restrictive Bergen County is with how much LESS restrictive it is here in Hamilton County, Ohio. The Hamilton county courses offer several junior golf programs and tournaments during the summer months. They also allow kids to play for FREE (golf cart is extra) with a paying adult after 5pm! They even set up kid specific kids’ tees if your child so desires to use them. Hamilton County Ohio actually wants kids and their parents out playing golf! These are the same kids that will return as adults and pay full greens fees. Bergen County New Jersey, you have it so wrong and that’s too bad. Too bad for me. Too bad for my son. Too bad for busy golfing families. Too bad for that future Tiger Woods who can’t find a ride to the course to play in the junior tour. Too bad for a ton of other Bergen County kids who don’t have the time or resources to participate in your somewhat restrictive kids’ golf program. And, most importantly, bad for the game of golf. So, if you are visiting Bergen County New Jersey, drive a little farther and spend your hard earned money golfing elsewhere. I am still trying to explain to my seven year old why they would not allow him to play; he’ll remember this negative golfing experience for a long time. The next day while traveling through New York State, we stopped to play Rip Van Winkle Country Club in the Catskills. When we were in the pro shop Ryan asked the owner if he was allowed to play. He laughed and said, “Sure young man, you play free!” Imagine that.

Ryan about to blast a drive at Rip Van Winkle Country Club in New York State.

He was surprised and I think he expects to be turned away at golf courses all the time now. And that’s sad.  I told him, Ryan, “It most likely would have been a six hour round at Valley Brook anyway and you would have missed Christmas!”

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  1. Ben

    Aug 31, 2014 at 11:29 pm

    Considering the effort you have put forth to bash the Bergen County Golf course at Valley Brook, you could have easily driven down the road to Emerson or Paramus, and they would have let you and your son play. Not all public courses in Bergen County have these restrictions, and because you could have exercised other options, it’s hard to see how your son was discriminated against by the course’s policy. The gentleman was correct: Go play somewhere else. And, be thankful you live in Ohio and don’t have to pay what your family does in taxes.

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  2. anthony

    Aug 28, 2009 at 9:27 am

    Mr. Henzel, I’ve just read your article and I think you’re right, these people just don’t care. I’ve been playing golf for only a year now, and i love the game of golf, but i cannot stand 50% of golfers and almost all the people that work at golf courses. I live in NJ so I’ve yet to play outside of the state (yet). I don’t know if this is a jersey attitude problem, or if this is the norm for the country. Obviously these people in Bergen county don’t care as long as it does not effect there merry little lives, I really believe that, it would have to burden there lives before they would look into the problem. I do not want to sound like an angry golfer (love the game an won’t let them affect my attitude), but experiences like yours makes me dislike “golfers” even more. Now I know why most people consider golfers to be uppity, hope I never turn into a golfer.
    Thanks

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Forum Giveaway: TaylorMade P7CB “Proto” irons

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2 hours ago

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Jul 22, 2024

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GolfWRX and TaylorMade Golf have teamed up for one of the most exciting giveaways in recent memory. We are giving away one (1) set (3-PW) of the P7CB “Proto” irons, built to order for one lucky forum member! These yet-to-be-released irons have recently made it into the bag for both Tommy Fleetwood and Collin Morikawa.

Collin Morikawa’s TaylorMade “proto” 4-iron

Do we really need to say more? Head over to the forum and enter now for your chance to win a set of irons that truly are 1 of 1.

Read more about the P7CB “Proto” irons

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CGOTY? It’s X at The Open at Royal Troon

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23 hours ago

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Jul 21, 2024

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If golfers weren’t as humble as they are, they’d come up with trendy acronyms like G.O.A.T. and E.G.O.T #CGOTY would then stand for Champion Golf of the Year, the appellation that the Royal and Ancient confers upon its Open champion. As written, we are a humble lot, so there’s no need for such acronyms.

The Champion Golfer of the Year for 2024 is Xander Schauffele. He won his second major title of the year, having claimed the PGA Championship in May. The Open Championship is his third career win in a major, as Schauffele won the 2021 gold medal at the Olympics in Japan.

Over on TwitterX, I’ve made the claim that Royal Troon identifies one-off major champions better than any other course in the Open Championship rotation. Of its ten previous winners, seven never claimed a second major title. I suggested that Thirston Lawrence, Billy Horschel, and Russell Henley were as likely to win the jug as the other pursuers. Lowry, Schauffele, Rose, and others already held major trophies aloft. For most of the day, it looked as if another first-timer would join the ranks.

Before we get to that news, let’s chip away at some of the sub-headings.

The Silver Medalist

Eponymy’s Calum Scott (of Scotland) will recall the third week of July, 2024, with a special fondness. The Texas Tech (same school as Ludvig Aberg) earned a silver medal as the low amateur (LAGOTY?) at Royal Troon. Scott finished on eight over par, tied for overall 43rd place.

Spain’s Luis Masaveu came fourth among the wageless, posting +18 on the week. Tied for 2nd among the paupers were Amateur champion Jacob Skov Olesen of Denmark, and Tommy Morrison of the USA. Morrison had the day’s low round among the quartet, posting a 73.

There were plenty of highly-ranked amateurs at Royal Troon when the week began. One by one, they fell away. A tip of the cap to the winner of the silver medal.

The Weather

Essentially, it was a non-factor on day four. There was wind, but there’s always wind. There was zero rain, and after the first two hours in the early morning, the warmth arrived.

The Postage Stamp

Here’s the rub: if you’re playing well and with confidence, it’s a non-issue. It’s a wonderful little hole and, at 100 yards, it gave enough pause to consider going for the stick. Where the hole was on Sunday, there was no sense. Flight the shot between Coffin bunker and the hole, and take your chance with the flat stick. On day four, only Billy Horschel among the top six made bogey. Rose and Lowry had birdie, and the others made par. For Horschel, the four was just enough to throw him off his game, and even his closing burst would not prove to be enough.

The Chasers

Hats off to Justin Rose and Billy Horschel. They posted five birdies over their combined closing three. Rose found birdie at 16 and 18, to keep the pressure on his partner. Horschel closed with even more fire, reclaiming three shots for a career-best, runner-up in a major.

At day’s start, either one might have taken the 67 (Rose) or 68 (Horschel) and said that shall be enough to win. Horschel etched the same number of birdies (six) onto his card as did the winner, but he had those three crucial bogeys, at three, eight, and ten, to delay his progress just enough. As for Rose, he hoped to add a silver jug to his silver medal from 1998, as well as become the first qualifier to claim the crown in some time. Rose posted five birdies against one bogey, and could not have played much better golf. Trouble was, he ran into all that is formidable in his playing companion.

And there were others with admirable Sunday performances. Ryan Fox had 67, to move inside the top 25. Thriston Lawrence took the lead at the turn, held steady with 68, and earned a solo 4th finish for his labor. With the exception of Scottie Scheffler (72) all inside the top ten posted scores under par. On this day, it took 65 to stand out from the crowd.

The Champion

That 65 mentioned above, well, it belonged to the CGOTY.

Who knows when the switch flips? Ever more, who knows how to do it? When Xander Schauffele claimed Olympic Gold in 2021, it was anticipated that another major title would follow soon after. 2022 and 2023 went by with no such result. At Valhalla in May, Schauffele found something and went from best to never win a major to won a major. Now he has two. Here’s how he got there.

Eerily similar was the tally: six under par. The only difference between May and July, was the bogey at the par-five tenth in Kentucky. Schauffele rebounded with three birdies coming home, including one at the last, to hold off Bryson DeChambeau by a single stroke. At Royal Troon, Schauffele was flawless. He posted six birdies against zero bogeys on day four. He drove the ball long and true, and putted for birdie on 16 of 18 holes. The California native was able to avoid the many sand pits that freckle the Royal Troon championship layout, ensuring that a pair of chip shots would be the only concerning moments.

With his second major of the year, Schauffele enters the conversation for golfer of the year. Scheffler has six wins on the year, including a major. If Xander can medal in Paris, and win once or twice on the PGA Tour, he just might add that recognition to today’s laurel.

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5 Things We Learned: Day 3 at The Open Championship

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2 days ago

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Jul 20, 2024

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It’s like being a parent. You know what will happen, but you still need to let the circumstances play out. Once the idea of rain coming into the picture for Saturday afternoon was established, posit after posit came out. Get out early and post a number was the most popular and logical one. No matter how well the leaders start, the coming home will be merciless was a less-common one, but no less accurate.

Shane Lowry made birdie at the 4th hole to reach eight-under par. At that point, he had a three-shot advantage over his playing companion. He would get no farther. A tugged tee ball at eight led to a double bogey, and five more bogeys came his way. The most gutting came at number 18, a hole that he had played in six shots through two rounds. You might think that 77 on day three of a major championship would be a death knell, but Lowry is just three shots behind the leader. He’ll have a legitimate shot on Sunday, as will 13 other golfers.

Fourteen golfers are within five shots of Billy Horschel, the third-round leader. He’s at four-under par, despite weathering the worst of the weather. At least one of those fourteen will post a 65 on Sunday. It may not be enough. The 2024 major tournament season will end on Sunday, and should feature high drama. With that in mind, let’s sumarize Saturday in, oh, five things that we learned. How does that sound?

1. No one went away

As I alluded in the intro, no one in contention at the start of the day has gone adrift. Seven-under par had the lead after 36 holes, and four-deep (also alluded) is the new standard. I’ve been conservative in suggesting that five shots out is the most to be overcome. Circumstances dictate that someone six or seven back, with the correct mergin of fate and execution, could hoist the Claret Jug come Sunday evening, even if he has to play from the opposite side of the ball.

2. Billy Ho says Yo!

Why not Billy Ho? Why not, indeed! Horschel is a fit, focused, and talented golfer. He grabbed four shots from par on the outward nine, turning in 32. He shed grit and gravel coming home, finding a way to manage the inward side in 37 shots. Horschel has never held the solo lead in a professional major championship on the eve of decision day, so he’ll sleep differently tonight. Ultimately, how he and Micah Fugitt (his caddy) come to termsn with the reckoning, will decide his fate in the tournament.

3. Can Sugar Shane Lowry rebound?

2019 was a different set of circumstances for the 36-hole leader. He held a large lead through 54 holes, and he managed to claim a six-shot win over Tommy Fleetwood. Tonight, there might be some doubts. More likely, there will be frustration, followed by gratitude. Frustration at the shots that got away, most importantly the tee shot at Postage Stamp. That’s where the sweater began to unravel, as a visit to Coffin bunker led to his inglorious double bogey. Gratitude should follow, that he is but three in arrears, with a spot in the fifth-last game, paired with the affable Adam Scott. Look for Lowry to figure in the outcome.

4. This guy is due for a run

Justin Thomas has lit the front nine better than any other golfer this week. Wait, scratch that. He made five birdies heading away on both Thursday and Saturday. Friday was a different story, where he played the opening half as you or I would. What makes the difference? Who could possibly know. Will Justin Thomas make a run on Sunday afternoon? No, but Jason Day will. The Malbon Man will turn in six-under par 30. His problem is that he is eight shots back of Horschel, and has zero chance on Sunday. What his score will paint, however, is a picture of what might be, and that will serve to inspire those behind him.

5. How do you pick just one?

You don’t. Sam Burns and Thriston Lawrence posted 65 on day three, to move to three-under par. Russell Henley wasn’t far behind on the day, posting 66 to also reach 210 after 54 holes. Justin Rose and Daniel Brown had 73s but, like Lowry, they are still in the running. Xander Schauffele, the first-time major champion at the 2024 PGA Championship, is at three-deep as well. Oh, and the Masters champion, he of the fancy footwork, is but two off the lead. This is as deep and talented a group of challengers as we’ve seen in more than a minute. I won’t pick a winner today (I made my choice yesterday) but I do promise you that you will see more than one person’s share of fun shots like this one.

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