Metedeconk National to host 38th Mid-Amateur Championship
Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson has hosted numerous New Jersey State Golf Association events since it opened in 1987, and for the first time in its illustrious history, the club will host the NJSGA Mid-Amateur Championship June 8-10.
“The NJSGA is very excited to bring the 38th Mid-Amateur Championship to Metedeconk National for the first time. The club has hosted many prestigious championships over the years and always presents a stern test for even the most accomplished players,” said Brad Bardon, NJSGA Director of Championships.
Players in the competition will vie for the Gigi Carnevale Championship Trophy; the field will consist of male players age 25 and older in a stroke play to match play event. Day one (June 8) will be 18 holes of stroke play, which will determine the fifteen players who will join defending champion Michael Brown in the match play field of sixteen on June 9 and 10. Brown won the 2020 Mid-Amateur Championship last October at North Jersey Country Club.
One of the Garden State’s most prestigious venues, the 27-hole Metedeconk National is widely known for its championship pedigree and impeccable conditions. The club recently finished a course-wide bunker renovation project, in addition to smaller projects. Similar to the 2017 NJSGA Open Championship, the Mid-Amateur will be contested on the 3rd to 1st nine rotation which is the club’s “championship” course.
“Metedeconk National is excited to host the Mid-Amateur (Championship). We recently completed a major bunker renovation, and did some minor tweaking to a few green complexes. The club is excited to showcase the work, and see how the field reacts to the shot variety and angles around the greens. It will be fun to watch some of the best amateurs in New Jersey handle the new challenges,” stated Brent Studer, the club’s Director of Golf.
The two-year bunker renovation project, expected to conclude by Memorial Day, entails the installation of the Better Billy Bunker system in all bunkers across its 27 holes. The system features a two-inch gravel layer applied over the bunker floor and capped with a liner. Water that moves through the system slopes into a tile pipe system, reducing the movement of sand.
“As customary, Metedeconk National will provide the contestants with a challenging layout, firm and fast undulating greens, and varying wind conditions that will test each golfer’s ability,” said PGA head professional Derek Kopp. “If you ask me, almost every hole out there is difficult. That includes the opening hole, No. 19, a short par four that will test every golfer right out of the box.”
The third hole, No. 21, is a difficult par 5, providing risk/reward for the big hitters. Hole No. 23 is a difficult downhill par 3 surrounded by water on three sides and bunkers guarding the right side.
A long par 4 with an approach shot to a well-protected green, No. 27, will challenge every golfer as they prepare to make the turn.
On the Back Nine, No. 2 is a long par 3 which plays slightly uphill to a difficult green complex. The following test, No. 3, is arguably one of the best par 5’s in the Northeast, challenging golfers with a difficult tee shot, lay-up, and approach to a narrow green guarded by bunkers and bent-grass collection areas.
According to Kopp, “No. 7 is a great par 4 that will challenge every golfer off the tee, as well as the approach shot into a difficult green complex guarded by water on the right side.”
Finally, contestants will face No. 9, the impressive uphill finishing hole, a long par 4 with an approach shot to an elevated green. The putting surface is guarded by a massive greenside bunker and steep false front.
Founded by the visionary Sambol family, Metedeconk National's first and second nines were designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., and opened in 1987. The championship-caliber, 18-hole golf course was the vision of Richard Sambol as the centerpiece of his quest to build a national membership of the leading captains of industry.
The course was routed through nearly 800 densely wooded acres in the New Jersey Pinelands’ upper region. Water serves as a playing hazard on seven holes. Wildlife is plentiful. In 1998, the Third Nine, designed by Roger Rulewich, was added.
Metedeconk National, which carries four sets of tees ranging from 5,200 to 7,200 yards, boasts a state-of-the-art 40-acre practice area. The area includes two acres of teeing ground, target greens, a 10,000 square-foot putting green, and a short game target area.
Metedeconk National’s clubhouse, designed by Robert Lamb Hart, opened in 1996. It features locker rooms for men and women, golf shop, three dining areas, and an enclosed porch. The club also offers two eight-bedroom cottages available to members and their guests.
“The hospitality and facilities at the club are second to none,” Bardon stated. “We can’t thank the Board and staff at Metedeconk enough for their support in hosting such a great event.”
