Ridgewood Country Club

A.W. Tillinghast's masterpiece carves through rolling Bergen County terrain with the architect's signature blend of strategic bunkering and deceptive elevation changes that punish the careless while rewarding thoughtful course management. The par-4 5th epitomizes Tillinghast's genius, demanding a precise drive over wetlands to a tilted fairway that feeds approaches into a green complex guarded by his trademark chocolate-drop bunkers. This municipal gem proves that Golden Age architecture transcends membership exclusivity—every serious student of course design needs to experience how the master manipulated New Jersey's natural contours.