Golf in Lakewood

Designed by 10-time PGA Tour winner Mark McCumber, Knob Hill Golf Club’s 18-hole course bobs and weaves through 145 acres of scenic, dense woodland terrain. The first McCumber course to grace the American Northeast, the 6,408-yard layout seamlessly incorporates imposing tree lines and 15 manmade, natural, and caddy-tear ponds into an elegant, golf-clap-worthy fairway chain. The course’s most difficult hole—the 464-yard, par 4 fourth hole—showcases characteristic challenges with a tee shot that must carry a pond and bisect a tree-ensconced fairway on its path to a green fronted by a sandtrap. After rounds, duffers can replenish with a sudsy drink and a nosh from a menu of casual, gourmet fare at The Sycamore Grill, named for the 185-year-old sycamore that casts its shadows on the clubhouse and sheds celebratory leaves for players who score under par.

Course at a Glance:

• Designed by Mark McCumber

• 18-hole, par 70 course

• Length of 6,408 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 71.3 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 131 from the farthest tees

• Three tee options

• View scorecard here

Springfield Golf Center's 18-hole course encompasses 6 par threes, 10 par fours, and 2 par fives. Its many shorter-length holes make the course ideal for beginners or advanced golfers looking for casual rounds. For practice, players can head over to the driving range or sign up for lessons with P.G.A. professional Michael Beal. Springfield Golf Center is also home to a Mayan-themed mini golf course.

PGA-certified instructor Michael Lanzetta imparts golf wisdom from the expansive practice facilities at Mansfield Golf and Learning Center, which he has owned and operated since 1997. The passionate pedagogue sleeps on a bed of neatly mown bentgrass to maintain the pin-hunting skills that led him to victory in more than 100 competitive tournaments, including the New Jersey Head Professional Championship. A simple teaching philosophy of improving clients’ ball-striking fundamentals is the driving force of every lesson, during which pupils crush orbs from a 36-stall, 14-acre driving range, which features covered, enclosed stalls to offset meteorological uncertainties. Lessons may also include the use of video analysis, which plays back shots in slow motion and introduces players to a digital doppelgänger soon to be their inferior. Mansfield Golf also showcases a pro shop that carries golf equipment from top brands and offers club fitting, repair, and regripping services.

Miry Run Country Club unravels across a 6,657-yard track of tight fairways and fast greens to form its 18-hole, par 72 golf course. Groves of trees line the relatively narrow fairways throughout the course, placing a premium on accurate tee shots and precision golf cart driving so that players aren't forced to test out prototypes of golf bag floatation devices in the water hazards. With three tee options, the course offers a fair par-hunting test for clubbers of all abilities.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course

• Length of 6,657 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 72.0 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 127 from the farthest tees

• Three tee options

• Scorecard

The course at Stonybrook Golf Club weaves along verdant paths buttressed by dense walls of foliage, creating a relatively short 3,514-yard track from the back tees. Course architect Robert Krieger incorporated frequent misdirection that leads to blind shots, including double doglegs on the 6th and 15th holes, the course’s only two par 5s. Water hazards come into play on seven holes and speedy greens can cause further complications for golfers with the yips or roller-skate golf shoes. When walking, a round can be finished in under three hours, letting players quickly return to daily life or the scene of the accident.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 62 course
• Total length of 3,514 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 57.3 from the back tees
• Course slope of 91 from the back tees
• Three sets of tees per hole
• Scorecard

The 160 acres of undulating meadows and copses of oak, maple, sweet gum, and pine at The Links Golf Club were transformed into a championship course by Frederick W. Hawtree, who designed more than 300 courses around the globe, including the Royal Birkdale course, in partnership with his father and son. Hawtree drew inspiration from the natural lay of the land while contriving narrow fairways and bunkered greens that reward precision. Water comes into play on the 8th, 11th, and 18th holes, swallowing poorly aimed balls so oysters can turn them into pearls. Before hitting the course, golfers can rev their engines at any of the driving range’s 15 hitting stations. After a day of sinking cleated feet into bent grass, players can toast success at the copper-topped bar in the member lounge or bite into sandwiches and seafood at the club's restaurant.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,725 yards
• Course rating of 71.5
• Slope rating of 133
• Four tee options
• View the scorecard