Best Golf Courses Near West Orange, NJ

Affluent West Orange, NJ, may be best known for being Thomas Edison’s home and laboratory, but this commuter suburb of New York City is also surrounded by historic and illustrious golf courses. Just a few miles away, Baltusrol Golf Club, whose seven U.S. Opens barely scratch the surface of its tournament history, is one of the world’s great courses. So many area layouts—public and private—trace their origins back to Golf’s Golden Age of Design. Two munis in West Orange were originally private country club layouts designed by premier course architects. At Essex County’s 1926-vintage Francis A. Byrne Golf Course, Charles Banks presented his take on the iconic holes such as Biarritz and the Road Hole. Seth Raynor gets credit for Rock Springs Golf Course, owned by the Town of West Orange and touted as one of only two Raynor-designed public courses in the country. For a tee time discount on a Golden Age layout, consider Hendricks Field Golf Course in Belleview, a 1920s-vintage course that has been updated and renovated recently, and the West Course at Knoll Country Club in Parsippany, another Charles Banks design that was formerly exclusively private but that now earns Golf Advisor raves as one of New Jersey’s top courses. After golf, head to Thomas Edison National Park to learn about Edison and his life-altering inventions. Nearby Montclair Art Museum has notable American and Native America art collections. South Mountain Reservation Complex features nature trails and the Turtle Back Zoo, where you can see animals from all over the world. If you’re looking for a nice time to come to West Orange, Essex County is known for its Cherry Blossom festival in April. Branch Brook Park in East Orange, in fact, showcases the largest collection of cherry blossom trees in the U.S.