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Love it when yet another private course goes public, especially love it when it becomes another course in my home county’s portfolio. HVGC is a great old school type track with wide forgiving fairways, but small tricky greens to make pars very difficult.

Hanover is a respectable, challenging course with wide fairways and can play very long from the blues. Greens are in great shape, but severe slopes everywhere can be deadly. Mostly flat on front, but then gets quite hilly on the back. Very good value for the money as it seems they finally have a management company that wants to put it into top shape.

Hadn’t played here in about 20 years, when it was just an ok golf course, and the time has served it well. Although some of the obviously overplayed white tees were in rough shape, the tips (blues) were fine and fairways and greens were in very nice shape. A lot a really great holes - plenty of elevation changes and water to add to the challenge - and although it’s only a par 69, it’s a definitely legit test from the blues. Great value for the money, however, I’d be nervous to play this course on a weekend or holiday as some of the fairways are very close to each other without a lot of physical (I.e. trees) separating them.

Oaks East In fantastic shape after the soaking rains it received in early Summer putting everything lush and green, which is always tough to get that mid summer around here. Greens not lightning fast, but not too slow and the rolls are true, plus well hit approaches don’t roll off every back which is all you can ask for. Best public course in Central Jersey, in my opinion.

This is a pretty nice nine hole course and great value for the money. Tees, fairways and greens were in good shape. Only concern is 9th tee is a little too close to the 8th green and I can’t imagine errant balls haven’t flown in on people there. Surprised they haven’t put up a screen by now. Two par 5’s are really just long 4’s (433/431 yds.) in just about anyone’s book, so I’d really consider this a par 33.

Was kinda disappointed they had done their aerating so late in the season, and then the holes were not adequately filled with sand, so putting accurately or judging speed was impossible. Overall though, for a public course, this one is by far the best in the area.

Played for first time as it was one of the last courses within an hour of my house to do so and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the course. Except for a few bare patches on fairways, the course was in very good condition, including greens in great shape. Course is tough, but fair from the tips (about 6400’) with reasonably wide landing areas for a course cut through the Jersey pines. Nice mix of long straight holes and doglegs and also a bunch of interesting elevation changes on several of the back nine holes. Completed the day with a tasty cocktail at Birdies Bar and Grill overlooking first tee. Would definitely play this course again.

Add sand to traps instead of leaving them like mud bunkers. Blow seasonal leaves and debris off the greens. Repair dead grass areas and puddly potholes in middle of fairways. Have an actual tee box for medium and short tees on back nine par 5. Don’t continue to charge good public course prices for your poorly conditioned executive course.

Course is a nice mix of long and short holes, straightaways and doglegs, and some up and downhill shots aplenty. Tough but fair par 72 from the back tees. Fairways and greens are in good shape, but some of the tee boxes are burnt out blocks of hardened mud. Hopefully they can start putting effort into improving them - maybe just lay down some sod or use a type of grass that can grow in shade or all day sun as applicable.

Unfortunately, the man answering the pro shop phone and handling reservations and arrivals had poor phone manners.

As a MercerCounty resident with four great courses to play, I always felt one of the next best public courses in the county was Cranbury. Great course for the money - interesting layout with five par 3’s and four 5’s.. Decent conditions -tricky greens, but they just can’t seem to ever grow grass on the 12th tee due to the lack of sun, so they might as well just lay down AstroTurf and be done with it. The $5 Long Island Iced Tea, one of the best I’ve ever had, from the BogBar off the side of the 18th green was a perfect ending to the round.

Either this course suffered the same stress fate as some others this year, or they simply aren’t taking care of the turf...not the tee boxes, not the greens and definitely not the fairways. Shame too, because this is an interesting track with nice length and challenge, so I’ll hope they can get the course conditions and if I see reviews reflect that, I’ll try to come back again next time in the shore area. Did happen to have a red tailed hawk help me find my ball after yet another wayward slice.

Hadn’t played this course in 6 or 7 years and it seems to have definitely taken a step up in terms of course conditions. The course is not real long, but played from the tips at 6200, it is a legitimate enough par 72 with interesting holes of all kinds, some long and straight like par 5’s 1 and 10, plenty of dogleg 4’s, and some really nice medium to long par 3’s with rolling hills throughout and enough water and trap work to make it an overall attractive layout. Just watch out for a couple middle holes on the front that have blind shots and close adjacent fairways to keep you on the lookout for shots flying at and over your head. Overall great Hot deal from Golf Now.

Golfnow Hot Deal makes this a great value. This is a tight course and plays very challenging from the blue tips. Tees, fairways and greens all tend to be in decent shape as per my half dozen or so rounds there the last 15 years or so. Greens are undulating puzzles and can be especially tricky when pins are set on the perimeters.

Best in Spring or Summer before the leaves drop and hide everything in the rough.

...since I last played Lakewood CC and while I remembered it was an OK track, certainly at the good value “Hot Deal” price, the fairways were in very poor condition, even for the early season conditions. They badly need to aerate and super-seed the fairways, then cut and give them a heavy roll as they were very spotty and clumpy. It’s an otherwise interesting layout and fair bit of challenge from the tips, greens are funky with several swale effects going on, plus they make good use of greenside traps and fairway waste bunkers. The outside tiki bar rocks and has great food and drinks.

Again, a decent course, but they need to work on those fairways.