Sunday September 25, 2010
Raritan Valley Country Club was organized in November of 1911 at "The
Hill," the estate of the late Senator Joseph S. Frelinghuysen which
overlooked two large farms of about 150 acres across Easton Turnpike
Road, now Route 28. Senator Frelinghuysen and five other citizens of
Somerville had the vision and provided the leadership to develop what
was originally called the Somerville Country Club.
One of the best golf course architects of the day, Herbert H. Barker
from England and the Garden City Golf Club, Long Island, created a
design known today as an old-fashioned English golf course. The golf
course opened in September 1912 as the Somerville Country Club. The
name was changed in June 1917 to Raritan Valley Country Club.
The Club has gone through two upgrades when David Gordon redesigned the
course in the 1950's, and nationally respected course architect Hal
Purdy redesigned nine holes in 1968.
Raritan Valley Country Club is noted for its flat well groomed fairways
carved into a wooded setting requiring accurate tee shots, and its fast
greens that demand a good putting touch. Hole #7 has a pond in front of
the tee and a stone wall in front of the green making shot accuracy a
requirement to make par. There are water hazards coming into play on
four holes.
