Designer: Stephen Kay/Ron Whitten (2001)
Location: Phillipsburg, New Jersey
History: The Architects Golf Club was built in 2001 by Stephen Kay and Golf Digest’s Architectural Editor Ron Whitten with the unique goal of building eighteen holes honoring the styles of different classic architects. Today, it is considered one of the better public courses in New Jersey, earning the following awards:
#45 Best Course in New Jersey – Top100golfcourses.com (2024)
#9 Best Public Course in New Jersey – Golfweek (2024)
Conditions: 7/10, While the greens were expectedly bumpy following aeration, most of the rest of the course was in good shape with the exception of some overused teeboxes and barren spots in some fairways.
Value: 8/10, The Architects offers strong value, with rates ranging from $60-80 depending on the season.
Scorecard:
Tee Par Yardage Rating Slope
Black 71 6863 72.6 132
Gold 71 6532 70.4 127
Blue 71 6172 68.7 125
Blue/Red 71 5625 66.7 119
Red 71 5233 70.1 123
Hole Descriptions: Heading into my round at The Architects, I was a bit skeptical of the idea of an imitation course where eighteen holes would be designed in the styles of different architects, some with wildly varying characteristics. I wondered how the flow of the routing would go and wondered if the course would just be a collection of holes versus a cohesive design. Besides, even a great course such as Sleepy Hollow somewhat suffers from the Tillinghast/Macdonald contrast so how good could a public course be with eighteen different styles?
After playing The Architects, I was very pleasantly surprised by what I saw and think highly of the course. Set amongst rugged, hilly terrain in Western New Jersey, The Architects is much more cohesive than I imagined and is very playable and fair. As someone who’s been fortunate to see many of these architects’ work, it was extremely fun trying to see what Kay and Whitten emulated on the given holes and this is a great way for the general public to see the styles of some of golf’s great architects at a reasonable price. Overall, The Architects is one of the most interesting public courses in the Northeast and definitely one I’d enjoy playing again.
The Architects opens with a fun downhill 500 yard par 5. This hole pays homage to Old Tom Morris and contains links-like features such as pot bunkers and rock walls. This teeshot plays steadily downhill towards a left-to-right sloping fairway lined by OB left the entire way and a pair of bunkers down the left around 240 yards. The fairway narrows on the lay-up with a crossbunker down the left about 110 yards short of the green and sporadic trees on the right. This putting surface slopes slightly back-to-front with a bunker right and nasty small potbunker just short.
The par 5 1st – “Old Tom Morris”
Potbunkers like the one just short at 1 yield of variety of interesting shots…
Of all of architects sampled, I imagined Raynor and Macdonald would be the easiest to emulate given their use of templates. Strangely, the “C.B. Macdonald” inspired 2nd hole is an 185 yard par 3 that doesn’t seem to be one of these templates. While the geometric, deep bunkering that wraps around the left side and short right of this elevated green does appear like something on a MacRaynor course, I think Kay and Whitten missed a chance to create an interesting Biarritz or Redan here. The green overall slopes steadily back-to-front on this challenging one-shotter.
The par 3 2nd
The 3rd hole is an ode to Hugh Wilson, a talented golfer who only designed a few courses including Merion. This 510 yard par 5 is much easier than anything you’ll find at Merion, but does play gently uphill with compelling land movement like the 2nd hole at Merion East. This hole begins with a simple teeshot to a very wide fairway lined by two bunkers down the left between 220 and 250 yards but ample room right. The second shot gets a bit tougher, with a large bunker down the left about 110 yards short of the green and tall trees down the right that could block you out. Golfers laying back of these dangers will face an uphill approach to a back-to-front sloped green off to the right with bunkers left and well-short.
The par 5 3rd – “Hugh Wilson” provides interesting angles and risk/reward opportunities
The 4th hole turns around in the other direction and runs parallel to the 3rd as a 422 yards straightaway par 4. A tribute to a lesser-known and underrated architect Devereux Emmet, this hole features a wide-open teeshot with little danger. There is a large crossbunker that nearly runs through the fairway at 320 yards, but this is only in play for the longest hitters. This approach plays slightly uphill to a green that slopes back-to-front with several ripples and is defended by bunkers short and long.
The long par 4 4th – “Devereux Emmet”
At 345 yards, the 5th hole is the shortest par 4 at The Architects and one of my favorite holes here. This hole makes great use of the land as a narrow dogleg left and gives golfers numerous options, with a minefield of chocolate mounds and bunkers down the left between 160 and 230 yards and one down the right at 235 yards. This green is open up front, inviting teeshots, but features lots of internal movement with a bunker left and fall-off long.
The beautiful par 4 5th “Walter Travis” has a fittingly vexing green
The 6th is another standout hole as a short 135 yard par 3. Club selection is critical here as this hole plays downhill to a narrow, back-to-front sloped green surrounded by deep bunkers short, left, and right and a steep slope long.
The excellent, all-or-nothing short 6th – “Colt & Allison”
A.W. Tillinghast golf courses were considered some of the toughest in the classic era and arguably challenge modern golfers better than any other from this era. His hole at The Architects, the 7th, is suitably very challenging as a 400 yard dogleg right par 4. This is one of the toughest teeshots you’ll ever face with the first 125 yards through an extremely tight chute of a trees, OB left the entire way, and a narrow fairway that opens up and turns right around a hidden bunker at 215 yards. Your work is not done once you find the fairway as this approach plays steadily uphill and nearly blind towards an elevated, back-to-front sloped green defended by bunkers right and short. It takes two excellent shots to make par here.
The intimidating par 4 7th – “A.W. Tillinghast”
The approach at 7
The 8th is Seth Raynor’s hole and is another missed opportunity in my opinion as an 174 yard par 3. This one-shotter plays at least one club uphill to a large, back-to-front sloped, two-tier green defended by bunkers down the left the entire way.
Seth Raynor is one of my favorite architects but the non-template 8th is one of the worst holes here
The prolific Donald Ross is the only architect to be honored twice at The Architects with his first hole coming at the number 1 handicap 9th. A tough 410 yard par 4, this hole plays steadily uphill on the teeshot to a generous fairway with two barrier bunkers early on and a bunker down the right at 235 yards. This approach plays level to a green jutting out over a hazard on the left with a pair of bunkers down the right. This putting surface is challenging as well, sloping towards the water with a vertical swale running through the center.
The par 4 9th – “Donald Ross” (1)
A look at the 9th green and clubhouse
At 358 yards, the 10th hole is the shortest par 4 on the back 9 and pays homage to an architect who knows a thing or two about short par fours, George Thomas (LACC, Riviera). This is a fun hole that plays downhill the entire way with a brief forced carry over a pond to a generous fairway lined by trees left and fescue down the right. At about 230 yards, a large right crossbunker narrows the fairway but most golfers should be able to clear this. This green is long and subtle and defended by a large left bunker.
The par 4 10th – “George Thomas Jr.”
The approach at 10
The 11th hole is the longest par 5 at The Architects as a 523 yard dogleg right. This is an excellent hole that plays uphill on the teeshot to a fairway that takes a sharp turn to the right around 250 yards. The longer golfer may decide to cut the corner here, but doing so requires a cover over a stretch of eleven small bunker. Once in the fairway, this approach runs downhill towards a receptive, back-to-front sloped green with little danger besides a large bunker about 30 yards short.
The Cape-like par 5 11th – “William Flynn”
The approach at 11 allows for running second shots
I suppose the 12th hole is somewhat of an Eden template as a downhill 182 yard par 3 honoring Raynor’s protege Charles Banks. This is another very pretty one-shotter with a pair of barrier bunkers well short of a bowl-like green defended by deep bunkers left and short right.
The par 3 12th – “Charles Banks”
The 13th hole is somewhat of a signature hole at The Architects as a reachable 494 yard par 5. This is Alister Mackenzie’s hole and is supposed to be a replica of the famous 13th at Augusta National. While the approaches are somewhat similar, this hole plays dead straight and features a somewhat dull teeshot while the Augusta 13th plays as a riveting dogleg left. Here, the teeshot is very simple with plenty of fairway and the only danger coming in the form of a pond down the left beginning around 270 yards. This pond continues to the end of the fairway and a diagonal, very shallow green sits on the other side of a creek. This green slopes right-to-left with three tiers and is a very elusive target to hit with three bunkers long as well. I like the strategy involved on this hole but wish the teeshot was more stimulating.
The risk/reward par 5 13th – “Alister Mackenzie”
The approach at 13 over “Rae’s” creek
From behind the 13th green
The back 9 is almost 400 yards longer than the front and the majority of that comes on the stretch of lengthy par fours from 14-16. This gauntlet begins with the longest par 4 on the course with the 454 yard 14th. This hole features a generous left-to-right sloped, rolling fairway lined by fescue down the left the entire way and a bunker on the right around 245 yards. The approach runs slightly downhill to an undulating green defended by a bunker short right.
The par 4 14th – “Perry Maxwell”
The 15th hole is Donald Ross’ second mention as a 432 yard dogleg left par 4. This hole features an uphill, semi-blind teeshot to a very generous fairway that begins to slope left around 250 yards. The approach here runs downhill towards a back-to-front sloped green containing a quirky ridge that sits in a natural amphitheater defended by bunkers well-short on either side and trees left.
The par 4 15th – “Donald Ross” (2)
The approach at 15
You’ll find a plaque like this on every teebox and it’s great to see some of Ross’ underrated courses get a shout out!
At 443 yards, the 16th hole is the last of the big par fours and plays uphill and usually into the wind. The key to this hole is avoiding a series of four large bunkers down the left between 200 and 260 yards. This approach usually requires a longer iron or wood into a back-to-front sloped, elevated green surrounded by bunkers on its corners. If you can make it through 14 through 16 around even par, you’re in for a great round.
The long par 4 16th – “Dick Wilson”
The approach at 16
The 17th hole pays tribute to Canada’s greatest architect, Stanley Thompson, as an 180 yard par 3. I’ve been fortunate to see some his designs, which usually contain giant, artistic bunkering like what you see short and long of this green. This hole usually plays a bit uphill towards a shallow, undulating green that’s completely exposed to the wind.
The par 3 17th – “Stanley Thompson”
The Architects closes with a 385 yard slight dogleg left par 4 honoring Robert Trent Jones. Featuring a long, runway teebox, this par 4 features an initially generous fairway that narrows with two flower-like pairs of bunkers on either side beginning at 220 yards. This large, triangular green sits off to the left and is defended by additional deep bunkers left, long, and right.
The par 4 18th – “Robert Trent Jones”
The approach at 18
General Comments: Practice facilities at The Architects include a practice green near the clubhouse and large grass range along the southern edge of the property. The clubhouse includes a restaurant and pace of play was about average when we played.
The Architects’ range
Verdict: A very unique public course that pays homage to the styles of eighteen classic golf architects, The Architects is more cohesive than you’d expect and provides some excellent holes and interesting golf history lessons at very competitive rates. This is one of my favorite public courses in New Jersey and is well-worth a play.