Championship CourseChampionship CourseThe Ridgewood Country ClubThe Ridgewood Country Club

The Ridgewood Country Cub, founded in 1890, is oneof the oldest country clubs in America. The club enjoys arich and storied history that includes the tenure of GeorgeJacobus, the club’s Golf Professional from 1914 until 1964.George was the first American-born President of the PGAof America and, through his friendship with Bobby Jones,was able to bring Byron Nelson to the club as his AssistantGolf Professional in 1935. George was also a close friend ofnoted golf course architect A.W. Tillinghast, who designedthe 27-hole golf course that opened in 1929.

Beginning with the 1935 Ryder Cup matches wonby the US, the club hosted numerous local, regional andnational tournaments at both the amateur and professionallevels. As evidence of its fair and challenging layout,Ridgewood is perhaps the only club in America to hosttournaments held by the USGA, PGA of America, PGATOUR and the LPGA.

In addition to the Ryder Cup, the club served as hostto: the 1953 US Senior Amateur (won by J. Clarke Espie),the 1974 US Amateur (won by Jerry Pate), the 1984LPGA Coca Cola Classic (won by Kathy Whitworth), the1990 US Senior Open (won by Lee Trevino), the 2001Senior PGA Championship (won by Tom Watson), the2008 PGA TOUR Playoff event, The Barclays (won byVijay Singh in a playoff with Sergio Garcia), and sixteentournaments sponsored by the Metropolitan and NewJersey State Golf Associations.

It is often said the quality of a course can be deter-mined by the quality of the winners of its championships.If that is the case, the Tillinghast layout is indeed a master-piece. While earlier events were played over differentcombinations of the 27 holes, the 2008 Barclays wascontested on a new Tillinghast Championship Course,created some 66 years after his death.

The routing of this outstanding golf course consistsof a collection of the best 18 holes from the Center, Westand East courses. From the black tees it plays to a par 71,stretching to 7,319 yards.

In describing this course, Vijay Singh said it best dur-ing the closing ceremonies of the 2008 Barclays where hecalled The Ridgewood Country Club “one of the best golfcourses the TOUR has ever played”. Sergio Garcia remarked,“Ridgewood could easily hold a major with only minortweaking”. Earlier that year, after playing theChampionship Course for the first time, Phil Mickelsonsaid the following about the Course in a newspaper inter-view, “The players are going to love the course. It’s one of thepremier courses in the land. It’s spectacular”.

Other opinions echo similar sentiments. Ian BakerFinch, speaking at the Barclays awards ceremony asserted,“It’s been a spectacular (event) on one of the world’s greatest

golf courses”. And perhaps the finest compliment to thenew layout was offered by commentator and former PGAand European Tour star David Feherty who said to hisCBS broadcast partners, “Every single hole is individual…no two are alike…it’s uphill, it’s downhill… they’re level…the trees are magnificent…it really is just such a pleasure. Yes,this will go straight into my top ten, the top ten I’ve ever seen.It’s hard for me to think of another golf course I’d rather be on”.

Ridgewood’s Championship Course will host theMetropolitan Golf Association Open in 2009 (won byByron Nelson in 1936) and The Barclays in 2010 andagain twice beyond. Members and guests alike will continueto enjoy the new course’s challenges as they play in regularlyscheduled member and member-guest events.

We hope you enjoy our new A. W. Tillinghastgolf course and The Ridgewood Experience!

This opening hole is a relatively straight par 4 playing 380 yards.There is a cross bunker that stretches across the fairway from theleft side about 60 yards from the green. The green is challenging,large, and well bunkered; it slopes steadily and deceptively uphilland from left-to-right.

380 YARDS 291 YARDS

321 YARDS

348 YARDS

ADAM

PAR 4

A shot-maker’s par 3, the downhill second hole is played at 190yards to a green that is protected by bunkers left and right. Thegreen slopes back-to-front and features some interesting contours.The two bunkers on the left side are deep and need to be avoided.

190 YARDS 136 YARDS

136 YARDS

161 YARDS

WATER

PAR 3

A classic Tillinghast par 5, number 3 is almost unreachable in two.OB lines the left side of the fairway, but don’t be fooled. The leftside is the key to this hole as it meanders over Tillinghast’s moundsuntil making a subtle right turn about 470 yards from the tee. Stayleft to set up a straight-in approach shot, avoiding the bunkers leftand right. The narrow but deep, undulating, multi-tier green isguarded by bunkers which only the most accurate shots avoid.

588 YARDS 479 YARDS

508 YARDS

546 YARDS

GORILLA

PAR 5

A dangerous dogleg left par 4, OB and deep rough to the left sideand big oak trees on the right corner limit the bailout options. Awell-positioned drive to the right center of the fairway is importantbecause the green is very difficult to hold on long approach shots.Even if you stay out of the woods, you are not out of danger untilthe putting is over on this challenging green with its false front andhard to read speed and breaks.

444 YARDS 351 YARDS

382 YARDS

408 YARDS

BOG

PAR 4

Known as the ‘Five and Dime’, number 5 is Ridgewood’s shortestpar 4 and has been described as one of the greatest driveable par 4sin the world. The hole plays only 291 yards, yet it can be one of themost difficult holes at Ridgewood. The approach is a tricky wedgeshot that must be played accurately (with a soft touch) to a small andnarrow ‘plateau green’ surrounded by six deadly bunkers. Avoidingthe bunkers to the left side is essential. Reading the breaks of the‘impossible’ green is equally challenging.

291 YARDS 259 YARDS

259 YARDS

275 YARDS

SCOONIE

PAR 4

A long par 4, this challenging dogleg requires a long and well placedtee shot – one that avoids the towering oak trees on the left corner,yet long enough to reach the bottom of the hill, eliminating the needfor a long approach shot from a downhill lie to a raised green thatis a tricky read. It appears to be flat, but there are big swings andpin locations that make two-putting this enormous surface a jobwell done.

471 YARDS 384 YARDS

428 YARDS

441 YARDS

GLADE

PAR 4

Known as the ‘Cemetery’ hole, number 7 is an uphill 447 yard par4. It will take 285 yards to carry the top plateau. The left side ofthis fairway provides the best access to a small green tucked into atight corner and surrounded by bunkers. Again, the green appearsto be flat, but it breaks deceptively–and, it is fast.

447 YARDS 438 YARDS*488 YARDS*

510 YARDS*

BRIARS

PAR 4

*PLAYS AS A PAR 5 FROM OTHER TEES.

A long downhill par 3 with a green that runs away from the shotdistinguishes Ridgewood’s eighth hole. It provides a great view fromthe tee, playing 217 yards from the back tees to a green surroundedby extensive bunkering. Holding this green is difficult, especiallywith long irons. Shots that don’t hold or reach the putting surfacepresent challenging chip shots and require a deft touch, especiallyfrom the thick rough that surrounds the green.

217 YARDS 149 YARDS

177 YARDS

191 YARDS

BROOK

PAR 3

Playing 440 yards uphill with a fairway sloping left-to-right, thispar 4 requires a strong uphill tee shot to a generous landing, withtwo bunkers on each side of the fairway. Avoid the tendency to strayoff-line, seduced by the hole’s left-to-right slope. The second shot isplayed to a plateau green, surrounded by deep bunkers. This greenis very deceiving; subtle breaks make for very difficult putting.

440 YARDS 295 YARDS

357 YARDS

371 YARDS

KNUCKLE

PAR 4

This par 3 is ‘as tough as they get’. Number ten is played with a longiron to a back-to-front sloping green, surrounded by bunkers. Theshot plays downhill at 230 yards from the back tees. A well struckshot avoids the cross bunker on the right and the small pot bunkeron the left. A bit of luck is needed to influence the ball not to run‘hot’ to the back of the green for a front pin placement…leaving youwith a scary-fast, double breaking, downhill putt.

230 YARDS 138 YARDS

187 YARDS

204 YARDS

COBRA

PAR 3

Uphill, this dogleg left sloping left-to-right to a ‘plateau’ green, thispar 4 plays 467 yards from the back tees. Both the tee shot and theapproach to the green play steadily uphill and fall left-to-right. Besure to take an extra club for the second shot to account for theuphill slope. The fairway is protected by five bunkers that line bothsides. The plateau green is protected by deep bunkers on the left andto the right. Players playing long irons for their approach shots needto account for a severe left-to-right swing on a very fast and trickyputting surface–one of the toughest at Ridgewood. This par 4 oftenplays like a par 5 for the average player.

467 YARDS 413 YARDS*420 YARDS

430 YARDS

STOCKTON’S LAIR

PAR 4

*PLAYS AS A PAR 5 FROM THE LADIES TEE.

A long par 4 that puts a premium on strength and accuracy andplays 475 yards from the black tee to a fairway climbing steadilyuphill for over 250 yards. This mighty par 4 requires a strong teeshot and a second shot to an elevated, fast green – as tough to holdas it is to putt. A very deep bunker protects the front of the greenand bunkers on both sides and in back collect many errant shots.The New York City skyline is often visible from this green.

475 YARDS 475 YARDS*475 YARDS*

556 YARDS*

FINGAL

PAR 4

*PLAYS AS A PAR 5 FROM OTHER TEES.

At 626 yards from the back, this par 5 opens with a tee shot down-hill with bunkers in play on the right and heavy trees on the left.Hit a solid drive and you will be in position to strike a strongsecond shot over a series of heavily rough covered moguls that runon an angle for 50 to75 yards mid-hole, ending about 160 yardsfrom the green. This leaves a mid to short iron shot downhill toan understated, deceptively fast, and well protected green. Makeany mistakes along the way and you’ll understand how naturallyclever Tillinghast was. This design holds a place among the SportsIllustrated ‘Top 18 Tillinghast Holes.’

626 YARDS 464 YARDS

464 YARDS

536 YARDS

MUCKLE

PAR 5

This is the toughest approach shot at Ridgewood. The big hitterscan manage the distance and the difficulty associated with posi-tioning the drive and hitting the tough second shot uphill to asteeply elevated green–but even they have trepidations. The four-teenth is simply one of the most challenging holes on the golf course.It provides a generous landing area for tee shots, but long drivesneed to avoid the cross bunker on the right side of the fairway andthe deep rough on the left. The elevated triple-tier green has a severeslope from back-to-front and left-to-right, and it is common forputts to roll downhill off the front of the green into the fairway.

412 YARDS 334 YARDS

334 YARDS

397 YARDS

NUB

PAR 4

The 15th hole is a paradigm of great architecture that features asmall green, slightly uphill from the tee and surrounded by severalbunkers. It’s a tough green to hit (though only 155 yards from theback tee), but shots that land and stay on the putting surface willusually leave a good run for a birdie putt. Players who miss thisgreen will have a difficult time making par.

155 YARDS 120 YARDS

120 YARDS

135 YARDS

BEECHES

PAR 3

Rewarding an accurate drive and a confident ‘blind’ second shot,this par 4 features a relatively tight landing area for tee shots. It isan inviting tee shot on the surface, but penalizes inaccuracy withheavy rough and protective pines to the right side. The tee box iselevated and a good, accurate shot will leave a player with about a130 yard blind approach shot to a green that sits below the fairway.Avoid the many greenside bunkers, short and left of the green, deepright, and along the right front corner and side of the green.

422 YARDS 304 YARDS

364YARDS

379 YARDS

SNEAK

PAR 4

Dogleg left and long, it’s one of the great par 5’s in the game. Longdrives from an intimidating tee box must cut the dogleg to avoidvery deep rough and trees to the right, where the fairway makes asharp left. A strong second shot is also needed to avoid the crossbunker on the left side of the fairway and/or to pass the giant tuliptree that sits imposingly on the corner of the right side of the fair-way. The third shot requires accuracy to reach a small green, carrypast the false front (but not carry off the back of the green), or getcaught too early in the severe right-to-left swing that can channel aball steeply downhill into dangerous bunkers. This is a tough greenon which many a match has been decided.

594 YARDS 488 YARDS

519 YARDS

571 YARDS

TIPPERARY

PAR 5

Back to the ‘hall’ of the mighty oaks. This great finishing hole endswith an imposing dogleg right par 4 that plays 470 yards from theback tees to a fairway lined with mighty oaks on the left and right.Be accurate with your drive. Cut the dogleg too sharply on the rightand it will be three shots to the green. Hit the ball too long to theleft and you will find yourself trapped among these massive trees.Position A (left side of the fairway) provides the best angle to a greenthat is guarded on the left with deep traps and features a puttingsurface that swings right-to-left and runs quickly to the back.

470 YARDS 336 YARDS

377 YARDS

423 YARDS

GABRIEL’S HORN

PAR 4

COURSE

ROUTING

CUMULATIVE HOLE SUMMARY

Rank Hole Yards Par Avg Scr18 01 380 4 3.76611 02 190 3 2.99814 03 588 5 4.87010 04 444 4 4.02416 05 291 4 3.8419 06 471 4 4.0877 07 447 4 4.1182 08 217 3 3.1846 09 440 4 4.130

Front 9 Totals 3468 35 35.018Front 9 Avg 385.33 3.89

4 10 230 3 3.1473 11 467 4 4.1571 12 475 4 4.343

15 13 626 5 4.8678 14 412 4 4.109

12 15 155 3 2.90813 16 422 4 3.90117 17 594 5 4.8145 18 470 4 4.143

Back 9 Totals 3851 36 36.389Back 9 Avg 427.89 4.04

TOTAL 7319 71.407AVG 406.61 3.97

Pos Player Total

1 Vijay Singh 276/-8

T2 Sergio Garcia 276/-8

T2 Kevin Sutherland 276/-8

T4 Mathew Goggin 277/-7

T4 Ben Curtis 277/-7

T4 Kevin Streelman 277/-7

T7 Paul Casey 278/-6

T7 Martin Laird 278/-6

T7 Justin Leonard 278/-6

T7 Nicholas Thompson 278/-6

T7 Mike Weir 278/-6

FINAL STANDING

2008 BarclaysTournament Scores

Tillinghast’s drawing of the course, as built.

Above: The Tillinghast signature plaque, placed on thefirst hole of each nine.

Left: Tillie’s 1929 notereads “Dear Captain: Youasked me to suggest somenames for the holes. Herethey are. Only suggestions,of course. Yours very truly,A.W. Tillinghast.”

Right: A painting of A.W.Tillinghast, by artist PaulDillon, which hangs inRidgewood’s clubhouse.

Course photography by Larry Lambrecht