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Club History

Founded in 1893, Montclair Golf Club is one of the nation’s oldest golf clubs, which began as a single course in the Town of Montclair. By 1899, the first 18-hole course, designed by Tom Bendelow, was established roughly upon the location of the present-day first and second nines.

In 1920, the legendary Scottish architect, Donald Ross, was commissioned to design the first, second and third nines. After the original Clubhouse was destroyed by fire two years later, a larger facility was constructed and still stands at the core of our current Colonial-style clubhouse.

In October 1928, the Club added a fourth nine designed by Golden Era of Golf architect, Charles Banks. The original designs have been improved over the years by two world-renowned Club members. Robert Trent Jones joined Montclair Golf Club in 1934 and remained a member until his death. His son, Rees Jones, “The U.S. Open Doctor,” learned the game here and remains a member today.

Montclair Golf Club was one of the founding members of the Metropolitan Golf Association (MGA) in 1897. Three MGA presidents—Isaac “Ike” Grainger, Ken Gordon and Jack Kelsey—came from the Club ranks. Grainger also served as President of the United States Golf Association, as did member Charles Littlefield.

Montclair’s challenging greens have helped hone the game of many of the region’s top players. In the words of Bobby Jones, Montclair is “the longest short course I ever played.” It is also one of the few Clubs to have hosted both the Men’s and Women’s U.S. Amateur Championships.

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