#82 - Plainfield Country Club - Back on the Map
Anyone who has been following along with The Quest will have noticed that it has been almost a year since a post has gone up. But fear not, because this can be chalked up to poor writing discipline rather than a derailment of progress toward our goal of playing the top 100 golf courses in America. In fact, since last August, The Quest has ticked off six additional courses and seen the addition of a spectacular piece of artwork created by Joe’s sister-in-law Gaby.
In August, we got the call to come play Plainfield Country Club. Though technically located in Edison, NJ, Plainfield’s namesake is the neighboring town rather than a monotonous descriptor of the course’s features. Founded in 1890, Plainfield’s existence dates back to one of the oldest clubs in America, before such clubs fully emerged and an explosion of clubs were founded in 1894 and beyond. The course itself dates back to 1921, when Donald Ross noted “the gently flowing hills, where golf holes can flow across the landscape.” The club has hosted its fair share of prestigious tournaments, including the 1978 US Amateur, the 1987 US Women’s Open, and multiple PGA Tour events (The Barclays) in the 2010s following restoration work at the start of the century by Gil Hanse. This restoration work can be conveniently compared and contrasted with the original Ross design on Plainfield’s website.
Our host, Mike, ensured that we were well equipped with transfusions before proceeding to the first tee, and his banter on the course only served to enhance the quality of the round and the experience. We were also joined by our friend Greg, allowing us to play one of our favorite games, Hammer. The restrained clubhouse sits at the top of the property, with each nine proceeding downhill before slowly climbing back up. Of the first nine, the most unique hole is the 4th, a short par 4 with a blind tee shot. Picking the correct line and distance off the tee is critical as the fairway tumbles over a ridge and slopes away from the golfer as it turns to the left before climbing back up to the green. The green itself has a dramatic spine running front to back, leading to challenging putts with severe slopes.
My best shot of the day came on the long par 4, 7th hole. A wayward tee shot right gave a 200 yard approach with a bad angle over a bunker and into the bowl shaped green. A striped 4-iron just carried the sand and settled on the back fringe, where a conversion on the 2-putt kept the momentum going.
By far the best stretch of holes on the course were 10-12. The 10th features downhill, semi-blind tee shot into a valley with a forced carry over a severe bunker and rough to an elevated green with a false front, and few options to land the ball safely. The 11th is a short par 3, but the intense back-to-front slope leaves any short shot tumbling down the hill into the bunker. Even after tee off to safety, a putt back down the hill is a nightmare as misjudged speed can still fall down the slope, bringing the frustrated golfer to their knees. Finally, the par 5 12th features a second shot with the best forced decision on the course. The carry over the creek gets increasingly longer right to left, but the easier route taken leaves a worse angle into a multi-platformed green.
The next stretch of holes, known as “the tunnel” are add-ons to the property from the original Ross design, and the relatively forgettable holes, but emerge to the final 3 holes which end the round on a positive note. The thrilling finish was enhanced by the fact that Joe and I entered the finish scoring even and well. Ultimately, Joe would pull away, sneaking out a well earned victory. The spectacular short par-4 18th hole doglegs left, potentially taking the driver out of the golfers hand unless taking on the captivating bunkering down the left side.
Final scores on the day:
Adam - 76
Joe - 74
Greg - 82
Mike - 86*
