Upper Montclair is well-known as the site of PGA and LPGA Tour events starting with the Thunderbird Classic in 1962 and ending--at least for the moment--with the Sybase Classic in 2009. Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Mason Rudolph, Gene Littler, and Sam Snead are just a few of the greats who played the course in the 60s, while Nancy Lopez, Pat Bradley, and Lorena Ochoa (who won the Sybase twice at the club) are among the top women golfers to compete there.
Last year, Upper Montclair underwent an extensive renovation that included updating of the bunker complexes, expansion of several greens, and work on some drainage issues. There's still a little work going on to cart paths and a few amenities, but I found the facility in spectacular condition. By the end of the summer, I would expect the expanded greens on several holes to be perfect. The original designs were by A.W. Tillinghast and Robert Trent Jones.
UMCC has three nines, any two of which combine for a 71.8 rating and 131 slope. Each is about 3,250 yards. From the back tips, any combination reaches about 6,900 yards. I found the mix of long, demanding holes with short shot-maker delights to be ideal for keeping my interest throughout the round. I played the West and South Courses and look forward to a trip back to explore the East before the year is out.
The West course opens with two 320-yard birdie opportunities, although you'll have to work for them with well-managed tee shots and approach shots kept under the pin on the undulating greens. At 507 yards, the first par five on the East (hole #5) can give you a birdie, too, but only if you can control a hard fade off the tee and have the intestinal fortitude to challenge the water in front of the green on your second shot. The ninth hole is a tough, tough par at 420 yards that end with an elevated green. You'll be tempted to try to cut the corner of the dogleg by carrying the bunker on the right with your tee shot, but you'll just end up in thick rough behind a tree if you do. The better play is to the left side of the narrow fairway.
The South course begins with a full-size par four at 410 yards. The highlight comes on the third hole, a perfect combination of picturesque water, colorful landscaping, and a well-placed bunker. It calls for a high draw off the tee which will catch a gentle down-sloping fairway to leave you with a short iron over water to the green. The kidney-shaped green drops steeply from back to front (toward the water, of course) and has a ridge bisecting it as well. Another ten yards or so was added to the back lobe of the green during the renovation, which gives some even more challenging pin positions.
I have to add one final note: the cheeseburger after the round ranked among the greatest anywhere. I particularly liked the intricate club logo perfectly burned into the bun!
In addition to writing about golf, Dave Donelson distills the experiences of hundreds of entrepreneurs into practical advice for small business owners and managers in the Dynamic Manager's Guides, a series of how-to books about marketing and advertising, sales techniques, hiring, firing, and motivating personnel, financial management, and business strategy.
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