Our Club

Albert W. Tillinghast was contracted to design the new course. Tillinghast used the natural lay of the land to create each hole to be in harmony with its surroundings. He wrote about the course just before it opened. “The most recent course in the metropolitan district is that of Shackamaxon Country Club, near Westfield, New Jersey and certainly this must be numbered among those of distinction when complete. The ground is ideal, not broken by hills that bring fatigue with every round, but beautifully rolling into profiles which delight the eye of the golf architect. On the front nine holes nature has been particularly lavish with her bounty, leaving the architect with little to do.When Shackamaxon is completed entirely the course will present a very exacting test of the expert’s game yet on not a single hole will the player of ordinary ability be confronted by necessary shots which are beyond his powers. Always there is to be found a safe and not terrifying route to the green.”

Of all the great holes that Tillinghast designed at Shackamaxon none received more notoriety than the ninth, one of the first island greens in the United Stated. The famous ninth green has been written about in several golf design books, newspaper articles and even used in advertisements. It was voted one of the most intimidating holes in the metropolitan area.On September 3rd 1916 the new Shackamaxon Country Club would have its opening day. Complete with a newly renovated club house, boat houses for canoeing on the lake and an ice skating shelter for winter recreation. The course was opened over the Labor Day weekend and the public was invited. Over six hundred local residents visited the club that weekend. The membership list grew rapidly. A membership certificate entitled the member to an interest in the property and assets of the club.

Every great country club needs a great professional golfer to head its staff and Shackamaxon has had more that its fair share. The first head pro was Cyril Walker, a well established tournament player. Walker was a diminutive man but could hit the ball as long as anyone. He was the head pro at Shack for three years before moving on to another club. In 1924 he would win the US Open. Walker would be replaced by Pete O’Hara an Irish professional who would win the first New Jersey State Open in 1921. But it was the year before that, in 1920 that O’Hara along with his brother Patrick whom he brought on as his assistant played some of his best golf. In an exhibition match O’Hara and his brother took on the six time British Open Champion Harry Vardon and Ted Ray, the reigning 1920 U.S. Open Champion. The 36 hole event drew huge crowds. It was reported that a gallery of fifteen hundred witnessed the afternoon round in which the O’Hara brothers beat Vardon and Ray by a score of 6 up in match play. The next head pro to come would be Bobby Cruickshank in 1922. He was head pro at Shackamaxon for four years. During that time he would achieve some of his greatest success as a professional golfer. In 1922 and 1923 he finished third in the PGA Championship. Also in 1923 he would battle the legendary Bobby Jones for the U.S. Open title loosing in a two man playoff. Cruickshank would later be one of the original inductees into the PGA Hall of Fame. After Cruickshank came Danny Williams one of the most interesting of all the Shack’s pros. Danny started at Shackamaxon as caddie and in 1918 became Caddie Master. He also worked in the pro shop and then became first assistant to Cruickshank. He became head pro in 1925. Danny stayed with the club until 1938. He is an inductee into the New Jersey PGA Hall of Fame. Shack was also fortunate to have as a head pro Milton “Babe” Lichardus from 1969 to 1973. Babe won five New Jersey PGA championships, was named New Jersey Golfer of the Decade in 1972 and New Jersey Player of the year seven times. He also won several PGA tour events. He won the Dodge Open twice and the Volvo Open. He is an inductee into the New Jersey PGA Hall of Fame.