Worldgolfer's Golf Course Reviews

Designer: George Low (1913, 9 Holes), Hal Purdy (1969, 18 Holes, Redesign), Stephen Kay (2025, Redesign)

Location: Newark, New Jersey

History: The oldest public course in New Jersey, Weequahic was originally a 9-hole course built by Baltusrol pro George Low in 1913. In 1969, Hal Purdy redesigned the course and made it 18 holes. Essex County owns Weequahic along with Hendricks Field and Francis Byrne and all three courses were recently renovated by architect Stephen Kay.

Conditions:  7/10, Weequahic is always in decent shape but features generally slow greens and spotty rough. The fairways, teeboxes, and bunkers are usually solid.

Value: 7/10, Weequahic offers fairly good value at about $35-40 to walk most days. This is one of the better deals in the NYC area and is a tough weekend teetime to get.

Scorecard:

Tee                     Par         Yardage         Rating          Slope

Blue                  70            5558              66.4             114

White                70            5262              64.8             107

Red                   70            4307              64.4              107

Hole Descriptions: I played Weequahic several times before Stephen Kay’s 2025 redesign and always felt it was a fine municipal course, but definitely a step behind Essex County’s other munis Francis Byrne and Hendricks Field. The course had an old-school feel, but seemed overall quite tired with an awkward routing at times likely due to the 1969 Hal Purdy redesign. I had heard Stephen Kay’s redesign was good, but the new course at Weequahic really impressed me and I think it is arguably his most impressive and substantiative work in Essex County.

Kay reinvigorated the routing, created several new holes in the process, introduced width by removing trees, planted some gorgeous fescue, and rebuilt most of these greens. There’s not a single hole on the current course that wasn’t improved in some way and the resultant 5558 yard course is a short, but very sporty layout and one of the better and more interesting public courses in the greater NYC area. Once again, I applaud Essex County Commissioner Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. for using taxpayer money to bolster one of the most underrated municipal golf counties in the country.

Weequahic’s opening hole is a solid 301 yard dogleg right par 4 that seems fairly well-preserved from the original 9-hole course over a century ago. This teeshot plays semi-blind over a plateau to a tight fairway that turns right around 155 yards. Accuracy is imperative here as the left side slopes left downhill and the right is guarded by trees and OB the entire way. This narrow green runs back-to-front with several plateaus and is lined by a three greenside bunkers right. This is a fun hole and undoubtedly one of my favorites here.

Another original, the 2nd hole is an 176 yard par 3 running straight downhill along the edge of the property. This green slopes back-to-front and is lined by five small bunkers left and short.

The first major change you’ll notice at Weequahic comes on the 3rd hole. Converted into a long par 5 by Hal Purdy, Kay broke this hole up into a short par 4 and par 3, creating two new holes in the process. At just 278 yards, the 3rd is now a tantalizing drivable par 4 playing straightaway and uphill to an elevated green. With a cemetery and OB right, the golfer is given the option to either lay-up short of 200 yards here or try to carry the hill and five bunkers short of the green. This putting surface is very difficult, sloping left-to-right with the land and containing a large front swale.

The new 4th hole plays to the previous 3rd green as a short 136 yard par 3. This cute little one-shotter sits in the corner of the property and plays over mounds of fescue to a small left-to-right sloped green containing numerous humps.

When a course is renovated nowadays, it is usually lengthened and made tougher to keep up with technology. Weequahic was actually shortened and features two new par fives that were probably best left as long par fours but make the course more playable. Today’s 5th hole combines the old par 4 4th and short par 3 5th to create a reachable 465 yard par 5. The teeshot here is similar to the old 4th, playing straightaway to a tree-lined fairway with a small bunker down the right around 140 yards. Kay pushed the green back and off to the right and placed a giant mound of bunkers where the old 4th green used to be. The new green sits somewhat near the old 5th green and is small, sloping front-to-back with lots of internal contours.

As a result of the 5th becoming a par 5, Weequahic now features consecutive par fives with the 535 yard 6th remaining very similar to previous 6th. Featuring an ugly and claustrophobic teeshot through a chute of fence, this hole remains tight the entire way with Dayton Street and OB left. At about 120 yards short of this green, the fairway begins to dip into a valley and slopes left-to-right towards crossbunkers about 60 yards short. This elevated green was improved by Kay, now playing back-to-front with two tiers.

At 307 yards, the 7th hole is one of two reachable par fours at Weequahic and is very similar to the old 7th. Playing straightaway and semi-blind over a plateau, this hole features several trees down the right and a steep slope down the left. This infinity green is another new one from Kay and is drastically improved, playing back-to-front with two distinct tiers and a severe fall-off long.

The 8th is essentially the same hole as before as a nice 151 yard par 3 playing downhill through a chute of trees towards a back-to-front sloped green containing plateaus. Kay added small bunkers to the corners of this green, enhancing the visuals.

The 9th hole is only 347 yards on the scorecard but is a somewhat difficult hole playing very tight and uphill as a sharp dogleg right. Your teeshot will need to carry at least 160 yards to reach the top of the hill and dogleg, but any further and you might run through the fairway and be blocked out or find new bunkers from Kay. Once in the fairway, this approach plays slightly downhill towards a large, subtle green defended by a bunker short left. I didn’t like the old hole and still don’t like this hole, as it forces you lay-up with an iron off the tee unless you’re able to play a big cut.

The 10th hole appears somewhat similar to the old 10th but is a much improved par 3 at 161 yards. Playing ever so slightly downhill, this one-shotter features a bunker short of a wide, Redan-like green that slopes right-to-left with two tiers.

At 525 yards, the par 5 11th is one of the best holes on the course and one that plays fairly similarly to the previous design. Dedicated to longtime pro Wiley Williams, this is a true marathon par 5 beginning with an attractive downhill teeshot to a tight fairway lined OB left and trees down the right. With about 230 yards remaining, this fairway begins to rise and turn slightly left with OB continuing down the left. This green was once quite small but was enlarged by Kay and now features slopes on either side.

The 12th hole appears similar to the old 12th but is much different, playing about 70 yards shorter as a 309 yard reachable par 4. This is a fun hole that plays slightly downhill to a fairway that dips into a valley and slopes hard left-to-right. This approach remains a challenge, playing back uphill towards a narrow, elevated green with significant left-to-right slope and two distinct tiers. There’s a steep fall-off and forest for those who miss right, while small, well-placed bunkers defend the putting surface left and short.

One of the areas that changed the most with the redesign were holes 13 through 16, which before fit together somewhat awkwardly but now flow much better. Today’s 13th is a completely new hole as an 151 yard par 3. A somewhat simplistic but nice hole, this undulating putting surface lies diagonally with a bunker short.

Today’s 14th plays along the corridor of the old 13th but is shorter and straightaway while the old hole played as a dogleg left from today’s 13th teebox. This is probably the most boring and forgettable hole on the course, with a straightaway treelined fairway lined by a left bunker around 180 yards. This small green is subtle and similar to the old 13th, with a bunker short right.

The old 14th and 15th holes were two shorter par fours that were very easy and quite bland. Kay created a brand new 15th hole, stretching from the old 14th teebox to the old 15th green as a 371 yard dogleg left par 4. This is now one of the best holes on the course and one that gives the golfer options. This hole initially plays straight to a very generous fairway that ends abruptly around 250 yards with a diagonal ridge of fescue. This fescue continues for about 50 yards, creating a split fairway as the hole turns left. Golfers can lay-up well-short here, but will face a longer approach compared to those who try to reach part of the the split fairway. This putting surface slopes both right-to-left and back-to-front with two tiers.

In order to keep it a par 70, Kay converted the 16th hole from a long par 4 into a short par 5 similarly to the 5th hole. It is probably too easy as a par 5 but remains one of the highlights of the round. At 486 yards, this hole begins with a semi-blind teeshot to a generous fairway lined by mounds of fescue. At about 285 yards, this fairway slopes steeply downhill and to the left, offering significant extra distance for longer hitters (I had a pitching wedge in!). The green used to be at the bottom of this hill surrounded by trees, but was pushed back and now plays back uphill, with a severely back-to-front sloped surface surrounded by seven bunkers.

The 17th hole plays similarly to before as a short 132 yard par 3 playing back over the valley. Tree removal has greatly enhanced the visuals here, as you must traverse a fescue-laced valley to reach a wide, wickedly back-to-front sloped green.

Playing as a longer, more difficult version of the neighboring 9th, Weequahic’s closing hole is a fairly well-preserved 386 yard par 4 and probably the most challenging hole on the course. From the Blue Tees, this teeshot is very difficult, playing through a chute of trees towards an uphill fairway that requires a 240 yard carry to reach a flat lie. Heavy fescue lines the right the entire way, while a pesky bunker sits in the middle of the fairway at 230 yards. Once past the bunker, this fairway turns sharply to the right and continues uphill towards a large green containing four distinct humps. Par is a great score here.

General Comments: Located in Weequahic Park in South Newark, Weequahic Golf Course sits in the center of a very urban setting. The clubhouse is small and rudimentary and practice facilities include nets with mats and a putting green. Pace of play has never been bad when I’ve played but I imagine this course gets busy. Caddies (!) are now available and the course is a surprisingly difficult walk given the hilly terrain.

Verdict: The oldest public course in New Jersey, Weequahic is a short but sporty layout greatly improved by Stephen Kay’s 2025 redesign. This is now one of the most fun and interesting public courses in the NYC area and is part of a wonderful Essex County municipal golf system.