Francis Byrne Golf Course

Detailed description of Francis Byrne Golf Course

Francis Byrne Golf Course is a public 18 hole golf course located in West Orange, New Jersey.

Francis Byrne Golf Course first opened for play in 1926. The course was designed by Charles Banks.

The golf course covers a 167.71-acre tract located off Pleasant Valley Way, Mt. Pleasant Avenue, and Old Indian Road in West Orange. The West Branch of the Rahway River runs across the western portion of the land.

Francis Byrne Golf Course is named after Francis Byrne, a West Orange community leader and Town Commissioner for 15 years during the 1960's. 

Once a private golf club, it was acquired by the County in 1978, one of the last acquisitions of the Park System. Since that time $2.2 million in improvements have turned the golf course into one of the finest in New Jersey.

Through their renovation, many of the course features have been restored to their classical roots, making Byrne one of the premiere public golf destinations in the state. A number of holes are based on famous courses from Scotland, including the par five 1st hole that is modeled after the Road Hole at St. Andrews.

Among other classic holes on the Byrne Golf Course are the long par three Biarritz 2nd hole that measures well over 200 yards from the championship tee and the short 14th that is similar to the Eden hole that is also found at St. Andrews, as well as many of the best private clubs in the United States. The back nine at Byrne includes several long par four holes such as the 12th and 15th, the latter of which champion golfer Bobby Jones considered to be one of the most difficult holes in America.

This beautiful course in West Orange features deep bunkers, hilly topography and rolling greens that combine to create a wonderfully challenging layout that measures nearly 6,800 yards and offers public golfers the rare opportunity to play a course from golf's Golden Age of Design.