njgolfer80

Getting better every year since the county took it over. Pretty challenging course and the tree overgrowth makes you have to try to shape some shots. Like all the other county courses there is an epidemic of golfers not fixing ball marks with craters all over every green. Not sure if due to the quality of golfer or new covid golfers but the starters and workers there have to start telling people to fix them before teeing off. It would make a huge difference.

Great layout at Darlington and in really nice shape for this time of year, really great job by them. One thing I would say is Darlington as well as the other counties HAVE to start having the starters mentioning fixing ball marks and divots. The greens here were covered in craters as was Overpeck, Valley Brook. These courses see so much play with a lot of new golfers since COVID who don't repair anything or even understand how to.

The course overall is in the best shape I've ever seen it and have played a million times over the years. The greens get beat up due to lots of play but were OK. The bunkers are offensively bad for the money they are charging now. For $160+ its really unacceptable to have bunkers basically with gravel in them. They redid 1 &18 and the rest are awful. Seems like they are filling in a lot of them with grass but seems pretty silly for a course of this caliber and cost to not have bunkers, with sand?

Played here in the dead of winter so conditions weren't ideal but the course was in pretty good shape overall. Greens run very true and are in good shape. Many of the bunkers were a disaster but I'm sure it was off season and they are more taken care of mid year. Tough layout with many uphill/downhill holes that turn to the left or right. Would definitely play here again if in town.

Short but challenging course. Great views. In very good shape overall- the bunkers were not great on some holes but a lot was due to the recent torrential rains. I really enjoyed this course and would definitely play here again. Reasonably priced for what it is.

Played here for the first time, solid and challenging course. In pretty good shape, not amazing. Decent amount of crab grass here and there. Good layout - I would play here again but I didn't find it to be anything spectacular. Bunkers and water everywhere. Excellent finishing hole.

Love this course and have played countless times over the years. The course is in great shape and has a great layout. The greens are up there with the fastest and most challenging I have played recently, which normally is a lot of fun. But, the past couple of times I have played here the pins have been in comically ridiculous places, a few paces from the edge of the green and on a huge slope.

I understand what they are trying to do but it really just takes away from the fun of the round. There is no reason to feel like you need to "lay up" on a putt on multiple holes to avoid rolling 40 feet away. A couple of the guys I play with shared the same sentiment and would probably make us think twice about playing here.

Maybe I'm in the minority but it has overshadowed the round. On the other hand its great to pad your handicap with all of the putts!

The county is doing a very good job with this course. Usually by the end of the year the courses naturally show some wear but Darlington is in really nice shape. Greens are in good shape, overall very good.

Some very easy holes and some very challenging holes, so a good mix.

Feel like Valley Brook has been in worse condition each year that the county has had it unfortunately. I don't think they really know what they are doing. Hadn't rained in days and has been very hot, yet 1/2 the holes were soggy and under water? How about you water it less?????

Many fairways and greens just in unacceptable shape even for a muni course. 12 seemed like there is sewage leaking in the "fairway", 13 looks like a parody account green (and was shut down all last year for a temp), and 14 also in awful shape as usual.

The county top to bottom should be ashamed how they handle the courses and management top to bottom, especially for one of the weather counties in the country!!

Have played this course many, many times. Usually my rule of thumb is to not play after 8:30 because it is an automatic 5+ hour round. A big part of it is the driveable par 4 followed by a par 3, which is understandable.

But last week when I played at 7:30 there it was a 5 hour round, which is really unacceptable. They let out 3 groups for an 'outing' all the time at 7 am on a Saturday and they are very slow players. Makes zero sense.

The rangers tried to speed them up but this course has a big pace issue overall.

Layout of the course is great with some easy and some hard holes, but the round time is a killer.

I think this is a very nice and challenging course overall.

I can't understand how it is the #1 public course in NJ though- many of the sand traps are rock hard and have hundreds of rocks!! Lots of the fescue is dead and just plain dirt.

Some of the greens are really beat up but maybe that is just due to the fact that it is August.

Overall it is very nice and worth playing at least once but just a bit disappointed for the hype and cost.

Course is in really good shape and a pretty fun layout, pretty easy to score. If you are a pretty long hitter most/all of the par 5's are reachable which is always fun.

Only complaint is there are a ton of ball marks on many of the greens. You expect this at the county courses though but would love some more warning signs out there.

I had long been a vocal critic of this course's horrible conditions before the county took it over when it was Emerson. Year 2 of being a county course and they have done a great job so far. Most fairways and roughs have grown in, the greens have always been really terrific and true, and there's actually grass in the teeboxes now!

Kudos to the county and keep up the good work.

Still impossible to get a teetime at any county course in the AM on weekends because of their archaic tee time system but it is what it is.

Played the two 9's that were not the Links. Good shape, good variation of holes, greens in good condition, overall a very good course.

They should really sell Emerson to the Bergen County Parks Dept to make it into a public course, which would upgrade the course immensely. For the most part the "rough" is either weeds, crab grass, or just plain old dirt. Tee boxes are in HORRIBLE shape, especially the par 3's. Bunkers are either beach sand, rock, or underwater. Terrible management, and all for $90.I must say the greens were in good shape and rolled nicely, but this course is not worth a dime over $50, a shame because it is right in the middle of the county.

Have played here many times. Very fun layout- reasonable elevation changes, some challenging, and some forgiving holes. Course usually in great shape. Bunkers are OK. Made some great improvements over this past winter though to various bunkers, trees, and rough.

Played last weekend. Great shape/layout. I would suggest playing from the blues (middle) unless you're a beginner. If you play from the whites you will be hitting mid irons to wedges all day, which can get old. Awful 5.5 hour pace which I could live with sometimes but not one ranger was seen the entire day which is unacceptable. Would still play again. Have this pace problem often at the crystal springs groups of courses actually.