West/East at Ridgewood Country Club

Ridgewood Country Club, located in Paramus in northern New Jersey, is an A.W. Tillinghast design that opened in 1929. The club is notable for having 27 holes arranged in three distinct nines—Center, East, and West—which allows for multiple 18-hole combinations. The West/East routing combines two of these nines and represents one of the primary championship configurations used at the club. Tillinghast routed the course over rolling, wooded terrain characteristic of the region, incorporating elevation changes and natural corridors through mature hardwoods.

The design features Tillinghast's trademark strategic bunkering, with fairway hazards positioned to challenge tee shots and greenside complexes that demand precision on approaches. The greens themselves display the subtle contouring and varied sizes typical of his work from this period. The property's natural topography provides a mix of uphill, downhill, and sidehill lies, and several holes play along or across modest elevation shifts that add dimension to club selection and shot-making.

Ridgewood has hosted significant competitive golf, most notably the 1935 Ryder Cup, one of the early editions of the international match. The club has also been a venue for professional tour events and USGA championships over the decades. The combination of Tillinghast's design pedigree, the flexibility of the 27-hole layout, and the club's tournament history give Ridgewood a respected place among classic northeastern courses. The club maintains a traditional private membership and operates within the established country club culture of the New York metropolitan area.