The hardest golf courses in Oak Ridge, New Jersey
The hardest 18-hole golf courses within about 25 miles of Oak Ridge, New Jersey, ranked by USGA slope rating from each course's longest men's tees, with course rating as the tiebreaker. 53 courses have complete, verified tee data.
Also covers Sparta.
Upper
Baltusrol Golf Club
Springfield, NJ, USASlope rating 151, 75.9 course rating, Championship tees, 7,348 yds
PrivateA .W. Tillinghast & Mike Nuzzo
- 5.0Conditions
- 3.7Layout
- 3.9Scenery
- 3.9Facilities
Elevated tees, rolling fairways, and firm, fast greens make every hole engaging. Conditions are immaculate, and recent restorations have enhanced its classic charm. Often overlooked next to the Lower, the Upper is equally enjoyable—strategic, scenic, and a true pleasure to play
Written by
@tagliatelletodd
- Must play
- Pristine
- Fast greens
Championship
Ridgewood Country Club
Paramus, NJ, USASlope rating 146, 77.2 course rating, Black tees, 7,501 yds
PrivateA .W. Tillinghast
- 5.0Conditions
- 4.3Layout
- 4.0Scenery
- 4.8Facilities
I was lucky to grow up there and knew it then. It’s cast in the shadows of Winged Foot and Baltusrol but Ridgewood is so balanced, reflective of Tillinghast and offers so many good holes over the three 9’s.
Written by
@Gdub201
- Must play
- Pristine
- Driving range
Arcola Country Club
Paramus, NJ, USASlope rating 146, 75.9 course rating, Black tees, 7,302 yds
PrivateHerbert H. Barker & Harry Auchterlonie
- 5.0Conditions
- 4.2Layout
- 4.2Scenery
- 4.6Facilities
- Caddies
- Must play
- Pristine
Essex County Country Club
West Orange, NJ, USASlope rating 142, 75.0 course rating, Black tees, 7,101 yds
PrivateCharles Banks & Seth Raynor
- 4.3Conditions
- 4.4Layout
- 3.5Scenery
- 3.7Facilities
Essex County is a conglomeration of some of the game’s best designer. With Tillinghast, Raynor, and MacDonald all having a part to play in the design. Despite a wet spring, the course still played firm and fast in the July heat.
Written by
@BirdiesAvenue
- Must play
- Pristine
- Caddies
Panther Valley Golf & Country Club
Allamuchy, NJ, USASlope rating 141, 73.4 course rating, Black tees, 6,827 yds
PrivateRobert Trent Jones, Jr. & Finger Dye Spann
- 4.0Conditions
- 3.7Layout
- 4.0Scenery
- 3.1Facilities
Extremely hilly course with a ton of elevation change. Conditions were fine, but inconsistent as the course is on the side of a mountain. Some great variety with the layout, but no really great holes. Last 4 holes are really flat and uninteresting…
Written by
@BirdiesAvenue
- Driving range
- Must play
- Restaurant
(Highlands) Hamilton Farm Golf Club
Gladstone, NJ, USA
Slope rating 139, 74.7 course rating, Black tees, 7,140 yds
Brooklake Country Club
Florham Park, NJ, USA
Slope rating 139, 74.2 course rating, Blue tees, 6,966 yds
Fairmount Country Club
Chatham, NJ, USA
Slope rating 139, 73.7 course rating, Black tees, 6,831 yds
Crystal Springs Golf Club
Hamburg, NJ, USA
Slope rating 139, 73.5 course rating, Black tees, 6,816 yds
Black Oak Golf Club
Long Valley, NJ, USA
Slope rating 138, 75.3 course rating, Black tees, 7,097 yds
Darlington Golf Course
Mahwah, NJ, USA
Slope rating 138, 73.7 course rating, Black tees, 6,809 yds
Basking Ridge Country Club
Basking Ridge, NJ, USA
Slope rating 137, 74.9 course rating, Blue tees, 6,906 yds
Spring Brook Country Club
Morristown, NJ, USA
Slope rating 137, 73.6 course rating, Black tees, 6,612 yds
Somerset Hills Country Club
Bernardsville, NJ, USA
Slope rating 137, 73.2 course rating, Blue tees, 6,784 yds
Roxiticus Golf Club
Mendham, NJ, USA
Slope rating 137, 72.6 course rating, Championship tees, 6,551 yds
Essex Fells Country Club
Essex Fells, NJ, USA
Slope rating 137, 72.2 course rating, Blue tees, 6,496 yds
The Tuxedo Club
Tuxedo Park, NY, USA
Slope rating 136, 74.0 course rating, Black tees, 6,807 yds
Spook Rock Golf Course
Suffern, NY, USA
Slope rating 136, 72.9 course rating, Blue tees, 6,807 yds
North Jersey Country Club
Wayne, NJ, USA
Slope rating 136, 72.2 course rating, Blue tees, 6,715 yds
(Wild Turkey) Crystal Springs Golf Club
Hamburg, NJ, USA
Slope rating 135, 75.3 course rating, Black tees, 7,202 yds
Glen Ridge Country Club
Glen Ridge, NJ, USA
Slope rating 135, 70.3 course rating, Blue tees, 6,158 yds
(North) Canoe Brook Country Club
Summit, NJ, USA
Slope rating 134, 74.3 course rating, Blue tees, 7,125 yds
Ballyowen Golf Club
Hamburg, NJ, USA
Slope rating 134, 74.1 course rating, Black tees, 7,094 yds
Crestmont Country Club
West Orange, NJ, USA
Slope rating 134, 73.6 course rating, Black tees, 6,866 yds
Bowling Green Golf Club
Oak Ridge, NJ, USA
Slope rating 134, 73.2 course rating, Cornish tees, 6,863 yds
How we rank
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Oak Ridge, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
FAQ
Upper at Baltusrol Golf Club is #1 on Course Vaults in and around Oak Ridge, New Jersey at Slope 151 (75.9 course rating · Championship tees · 7,348 yds). 53 courses qualify for this list.
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Oak Ridge, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
Slope rating is the USGA measure of how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer, from 55 to 155 (113 is average). Course rating is the expected score for a scratch golfer from the same tees.
Yes. It includes qualifying courses within about 25 miles of Oak Ridge, not only courses whose address is in the city.
This page was last generated Oct 26, 2026, 8:14 PM EDT. Scores and eligibility are recomputed about every hour.
