Fairmount Country Club

A comprehensive bunker and irrigation project over the past few years has elevated Fairmount Country Club into the conversation among the hidden gem country clubs in North Jersey. The Hal Purdy design has a strong history, hosting an LPGA event in the 1980s, won by Nancy Lopez in 1985. The tree-lined layout meanders through two sects of land, including Chatham’s Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. A tree-removal program has opened up vistas and improved conditioning, and 62 bunkers were renovated with the Better Billy Bunker method. The highlights of the round include the terrific short par-4 fifth hole, the par-5 11th where players must navigate a water hazard with options including a right fairway strip and an ultra-difficult finishing three-hole stretch that rivals any in the area.