Plainfield Country Club

Few clubs in American golf carry the historical weight of Plainfield Country Club. Donald Ross designed the original layout, and his fingerprints — crowned greens, subtle false fronts, and a routing that demands thought as much as power — remain central to the experience today. The club has hosted some of the game's most significant events, including the 1978 and 1987 U.S. Amateur, and it consistently ranks among the finest courses in New Jersey, frequently appearing on national lists of the country's top 100.

The land Ross was given is exceptional: rolling, wooded terrain in central New Jersey that gives the course a surprisingly secluded character despite sitting in one of the most densely populated corridors in the country. The par-4s, in particular, reward precise positioning off the tee, and the greens complexes remain among the more demanding Ross left behind in the Northeast.

Plainfield operates as a full private members' club, and access is by introduction only. For those who get there, it represents one of the genuine pilgrimage stops in northeastern golf.