Fourth Nine at Montclair Golf Club

The Fourth Nine at Montclair Golf Club represents a fascinating chapter in the evolution of this historic New Jersey club. Montclair Golf Club itself dates to 1893, making it one of the oldest clubs in the United States, and its course architecture reflects contributions from several prominent designers of the Golden Age. Donald Ross, who shaped much of American golf course design in the early twentieth century, worked on the property, as did Charles Banks, a talented architect who collaborated with Seth Raynor and later practiced independently during the 1920s.

The Fourth Nine designation indicates an additional nine holes beyond the standard eighteen, a feature once common at established clubs where membership demand and available land permitted expansion. These supplementary holes allowed for greater flexibility in routing, maintenance rotation, and member play. The involvement of both Ross and Banks suggests the nine holes evolved over time, likely with Ross establishing earlier work and Banks contributing refinements or additions during his active period in the 1920s.

Montclair's setting in West Orange places it in the rolling terrain of northern New Jersey's Watchung Mountains, an area that provided natural topography well-suited to strategic golf design. The club has long been a fixture in regional golf, known for its traditional membership and competitive amateur events. The Fourth Nine would have been designed to complement the club's primary eighteen holes while maintaining the architectural character established by its distinguished designers.