Tavistock

It has been an honor working with Tavistock Country Club and the committee to develop this long-range master plan for the course over the last year and half. I have been tremendously excited about this plan since my first bitter cold walk around Alex Findlay’s charming layout. I’ve been intrigued by the quirky mounds, the trenchy bunkers and the amazing greens and believe that Tavistock’s property has all the right ingredients to take the golf course that we all know and love, and make it even more fun to play every day.

Tavistock has some of the most passionate memberships I have ever worked with, and I have enjoyed both walking and playing the course with the committee. From the interview process, throughout the last year + of planning have done a wonderful job making sure that every facet of the membership was thought of and reflected in this plan. Every level of golfer has been carefully considered as have the infrastructure needs, conditions and other key long term goals of the club. The committee has been incredibly welcoming and encouraging of all of the ideas put forward throughout the process and we have carefully edited and crafted this master plan to be the long term road map for which all future renovations to the course should be done. At this time, there are no imminent projects scheduled, it is simply been designed to be the base and a true master plan for the club to implement over time as funds are available.

During the course of developing this master plan, I have spent over 20 days on property and hundreds of hours analyzing how Tavistock’s course plays for all skill levels; how it functions for everyday maintenance, and how it responds after big rain storms. I have studied how the original architect, Alexander Findlay, intended the course to play, and its design evolution as the property boundaries changed and more. The golf course has been rigorously analyzed and critiqued by the dedicated group of members, the course’s outstanding professional and superintendent to make sure that this once in a generation master plan improves the golf experience for the entire membership in a manner that endures.

This historically based renovation of Tavistock’s golden age golf course will make it more fun, interesting and playable for the large and diverse membership and bring it up to modern standards from the maintenance and conditioning perspective as well. The plan restores some of the original holes and features where they remain and are applicable for modern golf, based on the 1921 – 1930’s period, prior to the changes to the southern boundary holes. The plan contemplates no routing changes or new holes.

It has been designed to take the course the membership knows, loves, and has been playing for over 100 years, and uses the club’s history as a guide, to maximize every bit of fun and interest possible.

While not every aspect of the course can be authentically restored due to changes over time, the plan tries hard improve the strategies of non-Findlay holes using golden age and the best of Tavistock’s history where possible. It also takes advantage of this important chance to update the course for the modern game, its strategies and conditions. A fair portion of this plan mixes Findlay’s style with, to the modern game, and our own original ideas as well will be the best version of Tavistock for the next generation of member play. It will present a tougher challenge for elite players. And more importantly it will offer the typical member the most enjoyable golden age golf experience the property has to offer.

When complete Tavistock will stand out as a dazzling gem among southern New Jersey and Philly area clubs for its unique features and fabulous old school presentation. The bones of one of the best golf experiences in the area are still alive and well, and the opportunity to maximize the potential of Tavistock is tremendously exciting. When executed properly Tavistock should be one of the best courses in the state and is certain to make all the snooty club’s in Northern NJ turn their heads!