Canoe Brook Country Club's North Course in Summit, New Jersey is a private, par-72 parkland layout stretching 7,115 yards, with a history dating back to 1901 and a championship résumé that includes two U.S. Women's Amateurs, roughly 20 U.S. Open Qualifying appearances, and three MGA major titles.
Read on for a full breakdown of the course's design history, standout holes, tournament pedigree, membership details, and everything else worth knowing before you go.
A Brief History of Canoe Brook Country Club
Canoe Brook was incorporated in 1901 by prominent residents of Summit, Chatham, and Madison who wanted a proper country club to replace two smaller, more rudimentary local clubs.
Carroll P. Bassett — a civil engineer and utilities pioneer — became the club's first secretary and remained its driving force until his death in 1950. The Bassett Wing of the clubhouse, dedicated in 1964 and renovated in 2014, still carries his name.
The original nine holes opened in 1902, with a second nine following in 1905 to complete an 18-hole layout measuring around 5,700 yards.
That distance didn't hold up for long. In 1915, French champion Louis Tellier went around in 63, and the membership quickly concluded the course needed to be harder and longer — a realization that set the 1916 Walter Travis redesign in motion. The South Course came later, opening in 1924 to a Charles Alison design.
The Architects Behind the North Course
Few private club courses carry the architectural fingerprints of five different designers, but the North Course does. Jack Vickery laid out the original routing in 1902 and expanded it to 18 holes by 1905.
Walter Travis took over in 1916, stretching the course to around 6,611 yards, introducing multiple tees, and relocating both the first and tenth tees closer to the clubhouse.
The next major intervention came from circumstance rather than ambition. Canoe Brook traded roughly 46 acres west of Canoe Brook Road to Prudential Insurance — the club considered those holes its weakest — in exchange for an equal parcel to the east.
That Prudential land eventually became the Mall at Short Hills. Alfred H. Tull redesigned the resulting holes 14–17, which opened July 1, 1952. Then in 1973, the New Jersey DOT claimed 6.75 acres for Route 24's expansion, forcing Robert Trent Jones Sr. to re-route the course again. The current 10–11–12 sequence opened July 10, 1975.
Rees Jones completed the most significant modern work in 1994–95, working from a 1991 master plan, and has continued refining tees, greens, and bunker complexes ever since. The club now credits him as its resident designer.
Course Layout, Key Numbers, and the Signature Hole
The North plays as a classic tree-lined parkland track — thick rough, towering trees, and greens that demand both precision and patience.
From the tips, you're looking at a par-72 layout measuring 7,115 yards with a course rating of 74.3 and a slope of 134. The front and back nines split evenly at 36-36, and the course record sits at 66. Tee options cover a wide range:
- Blue (Championship): 7,115 yards
- Blue/White: 6,901 yards
- White: 6,623 yards
- Gold: 6,134 yards
- Red: 5,684 yards
The par-3 5th is the course's signature hole and its only forced carry over water. During the 1994–95 renovation, Rees Jones lowered the original green roughly 10 feet, built a berm behind it, roughly doubled the size of the water hazard, and added new bunkers — a transformation the club describes as Jones giving Canoe Brook its true signature hole.
The 18th, a 601-yard downhill par-5, closes things out with what panelists call “tremendous bones.” Elsewhere on the back nine, holes 10–12 trace back to the RTJ Sr. re-routing, while 14–17 still carry Alfred Tull's mid-century character.
Championship Pedigree and Tournament History
Canoe Brook's tournament résumé is substantial for a club its size. The North has hosted the U.S. Women's Amateur twice — Joanne Pacillo defeated Sally Quinlan 2 & 1 in 1983, and Pat Hurst beat Stephanie Davis in 37 holes in 1990, one of the longest finals in championship history.
The Met Open came to the North in both 1923 and 2006, the latter producing one of the more dramatic finishes in the event's history when John Guyton holed a 40-yard approach to within a foot at 18 to force — and ultimately win — a playoff.
The 2022 MGA Ike Championship, won by Dawson Jones at 7-under 209, pushed Canoe Brook into rare company: just the 17th club ever to have hosted all three MGA majors.
On the state level, the NJSGA Amateur has visited seven times between 1921 and 2013. The 2013 edition was particularly notable — Mike Stamberger and Luke Edelman both opened with 66 to tie the state amateur record.
U.S. Open Final Qualifying is perhaps the club's most consistent stage. Canoe Brook has hosted roughly 20 times since 1980, using both courses on a single day. The most high-profile was 2006, when Michelle Wie's appearance drew around 4,000 spectators and Brett Quigley shot a course-record 63 on the South.
Membership, Amenities, and Club Life
Canoe Brook carries around 800 members and operates on an invitation-only basis through member sponsorship. A waiting list — absent for years — returned following the 2013–16 clubhouse expansion.
Membership inquiries go through Director of Membership & Marketing Jamie Cerino at 908-277-0100 ext. 114. The club doesn't publish initiation fees or dues publicly, and third-party estimates floating around online are unverified.
The clubhouse itself is a significant facility — roughly 55,000 square feet, designed by Studio JBD/JGA and built by Donnelly Construction, completed in July 2016. Dining options span several venues:
- 1901 Tavern — the main casual dining room (age 16+)
- Grille Dining Room — family-friendly, overlooking the course
- Formal Dining Room — includes two private wine rooms
- Bassett Ballroom — seats up to around 300 for weddings and events
- Pool Bar & Grill — seasonal outdoor dining
The wine program runs to 350+ labels. Eight overnight guest rooms sit on the second floor.
The golf practice setup covers four areas: a driving range with sand and chipping zones, a putting green at the Patio, a short-game area near the 11th hole, and an indoor simulator inside the Performance Center.
That 4,500-square-foot facility also houses TPI-certified golf, racquet, and baseball training alongside full strength, cardio, and group class spaces.
Beyond golf, the club offers Har-Tru and hard tennis courts, nine pickleball courts, and five lighted platform-paddle courts. The pool complex features a 25-meter L-shaped pool whose swim team has gone undefeated since 1982.
The 133-acre property includes two historic red barns used as wedding backdrops and KE Camps programming for member children during the summer.
Policies, Rankings, and How to Visit
The North Course ranked among Golf Digest's “America's 100 Greatest” from 1967 to 1970 and returned to the magazine's New Jersey Top 10 during 1987–93 and again in 2001–03. It currently sits at #46 in New Jersey on Top100GolfCourses.com, with the South Course at #64.
Modern panelist opinion tends to split — conditioning and length draw consistent praise, while the bunkering and stylistic uniformity draw fair criticism, with some calling for a more comprehensive architectural restoration.
Canoe Brook's policies are formal and clearly enforced. On the course, you'll need a collared shirt, tailored shorts or pants, and golf shoes — denim, cargo shorts, and athletic wear are all off the table.
The clubhouse runs smart casual by the same logic. The cell phone rule is straightforward: use is limited to locker rooms, your vehicle, or the two designated phone rooms in the lobby, with brief texts or using your phone as a rangefinder on the course as the only exceptions.
Guests must be accompanied by a member at all times, and events are limited to members or member-sponsored occasions. The club runs an active caddie program and regularly hosts NJSGA Caddie Camps.
To visit or book a tee time:
- Golf Shop: 908-277-2683
- Address: 1108 Morris Turnpike, Summit, NJ 07901
- GPS: Enter “Short Hills, NJ” — the property straddles both municipalities
- Website: canoebrook.org
Conclusion
The North Course at Canoe Brook is best understood as a living record of 124 years of golf architecture — Travis, Tull, RTJ Sr., and Rees Jones each left a visible mark, and the result is a course that rewards careful play and holds up under championship pressure.
Its rankings have softened since the 1960s peak, but two U.S. Women's Amateurs, roughly 20 U.S. Open Qualifying appearances, and three MGA majors tell the real story of what this course is. For anyone serious about private club golf in New Jersey, it remains a benchmark.
