Forsgate Country Club, a private country club in Monroe township, N.J., announced that the New Jersey Golf Course Owners Association (NJGCOA) named it Course of the Year for 2007. The NJGCOA will present Forsgate Country Club with the award Oct. 29.
“We are thrilled to be recognized as Course of the Year,” said Forsgate general manager Det Williams. “Our goal is to provide our members with the finest, family-friendly private club experience in New Jersey. It is truly rewarding to be recognized for our championship golf, first-class facilities, and exceptional amenities as well as our club’s dedication to the community. ”
According to the NJGCOA, the following criteria were used to evaluate and select the New Jersey Golf Course of the Year: exceptional quality of the course; outstanding contribution to the community; significant contribution to the game; and the exceptional quality of the ownership and management.
“Forsgate has been a fixture on the landscape of Garden State golf for over 75 years. Its first-class golf and amenities make it a great family-oriented facility, and the club’s long standing work in the community is highly commendable,” said Ed Eget, a board member of the NJGCOA and nominator of Forsgate.
Forsgate was the creation of successful Scottish immigrant John A. Forster who commissioned noted golf course architect Charles Banks to design an 18-hole course that showcased famous European golf holes.
Nicknamed “Steam shovel” for his favorite piece of golf course design equipment, Banks employed the tool at Forsgate to create a stunning masterpiece that boasts steep, dramatic bunkers surrounding deeply sloped greens that cover up to 22,000 square feet in area.
The Banks Course was unveiled in 1931 and with the original design remaining largely undisturbed for over 75 years, it has become one of the most heralded tracts in the state. The Banks Course has been rated the “No. 2 Private Golf Course in the State” by New Jersey Monthly magazine (second only to Pine Valley), The Jersey Golfer places it in the top ten in the state, and the prestigious Met Golfer magazine recently listed The Banks Course among the Top 50 courses in the New York tri-state area.
Forsgate also boasts the classic Palmer Course (formerly The West Course), which was originally designed as a nine-hole course in 1961 by Hal Purdy. The noted architect returned to Forsgate ten years later to expand his original design and create a championship 18-hole traditional American course that challenges golfers with water hazards on ten of its scenic holes.
Forsgate’s championship courses are expertly maintained by Golf Course Superintendent Tom Saunders, a 27-year veteran of the club’s maintenance staff. Saunders and his 35-person team are credited with preserving the club’s superior course conditions that are recognized throughout the Garden State.
Over the years, Forsgate has also been a respected community leader--supporting charities with golf events including the Perlman Cup, an all women’s event that benefits Special Olympics and the Race For A Cure Golf Marathon, a grueling day-long event organized by Forsgate’s members that has raised thousands of dollars for breast cancer research and prevention.
Most notably, Forsgate organizes the annual Sovereign Bank Charity Golf Classic (formerly the Forsgate Foundation Charity Golf Classic), at which hundreds of participants play golf and meet some of the game’s most famous players. In the last five years, special guests have included Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Peter Jacobsen, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Craig Stadler, John Daly and Natalie Gulbis, among others. Since 2003, the Charity Classic has raised nearly $140,000 for worthy causes in central New Jersey.
Forsgate hosts over 35 professionally run single day and multi-day member events, and the club has enjoyed the highest participation levels in the country in such nationally recognized golf events as the Buick Scramble, The Mercedes Championship and the PGA McGladrey Tournaments.
Forsgate’s golf staff, supervised by Director of Golf Jim Woods, works tirelessly to grow the game by hosting numerous Demo Days for members and the community; supporting PGA of America golf programs; and contributing to the First Tee Golf program and inner city youth programs. In addition, Forsgate is the home course of both the Monroe Township High School and the East Brunswick High School golf teams.
In addition to its stellar golf, Forsgate boasts first-class facilities and amenities for its members and guests.
The classic clubhouse, considered a landmark in Monroe Township, is the center of activity at Forsgate and features casual and fine dining facilities and elegantly appointed men’s and women’s locker rooms—all reserved for the private use of the club’s membership. In addition, members and non-member guests may reserve one of Forsgate’s seven meeting rooms, the multimillion-dollar Highlands Ballroom or the sun-infused Skye Atrium for special events and corporate functions.
Just this summer, Forsgate unveiled its family-friendly sports complex that features a sparkling junior Olympic-sized pool, a children’s pool with interactive water falls, a fully equipped fitness center and a cabana café.
For nearly 10 years, Forsgate has been owned and operated by RDC Golf Group, a premier golf course ownership and management company headquartered in New Jersey. RDC’s principals Christopher Schiavone and Matthew Galvin are credited with spearheading many of the enhancements to the club’s facilities, focusing on membership value throughout their stewardship of the historic property.
“There is no place like Forsgate. The Course of the Year award inspires us to continue our commitment to the club’s excellence for the next generation and beyond,” said Schiavone.
Forsgate Country Club offers permanent golf, sports and social memberships for individuals, families and corporations. For information on how to become a member of Forsgate Country Club please call Director of Membership Carol Rutherford at 732-656-8914 or log onto the club’s website at www.forsgatecc.com.
