Pitman Golf Course
"Golf's three ugliest words. Still your shot." - Dave Marr
(Played on January 26th, 2019)
It's hard to really summarize what Pitman Golf Course means to the Sunday Golfers. It isn't our favorite course, or the most scenic. It isn't the most challenging, and it doesn't have the best conditions in the area. But for a golf course run by the county, it has a lot of great character that makes it a joy to play.
Colman has a lot of personal history at Pitman. It wasn't the first course he ever played, but it's where he really learned the rules, etiquette, and instruction. The Pusey brothers both played Pitman all throughout high school as well, learning the game on this simple track.
If you are familiar with East Lake Golf Club, where the PGA Tour Championship is held every year, you may have heard that the architect of that course was Alexander Findlay. He also had a hand in designing Pitman Golf Course back in 1927. While the course has endured several owners since then, it now is a municipal golf course run by Gloucester County. While it's no Bethpage Black, it stands the test of time as a solid round of golf for a very reasonable price.
We were able to squeeze a 11:50 Saturday tee time on a cold January day, where the temperature never rose above 40 degrees. Considering how cold it has gotten over the past week, a 40 degree day sounds like shorts weather now. Joining us for his second time was our good friend CJ. We decided on a match similar to our ones back in January of last year at Beckett Golf Club, where Colman and CJ played the Pusey brothers in another great match that went all the way to the eighteenth.
When it comes to the routing at Pitman, the front nine stretches all around the perimeter of the property, while the back nine fills in the center of the property. One of the big issues with the course is that a lot of the holes are short, with a bunker right and left of the green.
While this may seem repetitive, and it is, the holes can be difficult depending on pin locations, rough length, and if the greens are running quick.
Although it was a chilly day, and Colman battled a cold for a few days afterwards, getting out to golf in January is rare, and we always try our best to make it out for at least a quick nine when the weather is nice.
Pitman plays to a par 70, with only one par 5 on each side. They aren't long holes, but if you are out of position, it can make a birdie attempt turn into a bogey if you have the wrong angle to the green and can't go at the flag, or you hit one out of bounds. Despite playing a two-man scramble, neither group was able to birdie either par 5 on the course. Then again, we aren't exactly scratch golfers, so what should we have expected?
As you can see from the photo above, this hole plays over a hazard, downhill, and is less than 300 yards. But the green is blind with out of bounds down the left, which is a characteristic the front nine has a lot. But if you can't turn the ball right to left, you have a shot from the rough to a green that slopes away from you. What Pitman lacks in length, it makes up for by being a shot-makers course.
Because it was winter, a couple holes had moved the tee boxes up to protect the grass for the spring season. The eighth hole, originally a short iron or wedge for most players, plays to a temporary green and bucket hole, and a makeshift tee box for the winter. As you can see from the photo below, the original green is about 15 yards further, but the original tee box is about 50 yards to the left of the temporary tee.
After you make the turn, you get back to back holes that make a 90 degree turn. The tenth is a little nonchalant, but the eleventh is where the going gets tough, and what we here at the Sunday Golfers consider one of the hardest holes in the state.
A layup tee shot of about 200 yards is needed before an approach of around 200 yards needed to hit the green. If you mishit your tee shot, bogey would be a great score, but double or worse is more likely in order. Between our two groups, we weren't even really close to making a par, but we'd take our bogey and run on the hole.
Chris Pusey's favorite holes at Pitman were both of the par 3s on the back nine. Holes 14 and 17 play over ponds, and test your ability with distance control. And if you play Pitman on a nice sunny afternoon, they make for a great photo as well.
Our friendly match suddenly got interesting on the par 4 16th, where Colman and CJ made costly errors that lead to a bogey, while Thomas stuck a short iron close for a birdie to take a one shot lead into the 17th. On 17, with the pin front right. both Thomas and Chris hit their tee shots short right of the hole, setting up a tense up and down, while Colman and CJ were on the front part of the green. CJ, who had been struggling all day with his game, made a clutch thirty-footer to tie the Pusey brothers with one hole to play.
We come to 18, which was the first photo you see of this blogpost. It plays uphill and usually into the wind. After a pair of decent drives between the two groups, each team faced an approach shot to a back left pin, with the chilly winter wind blowing right in our faces. Each approach shot was short of the hole, but both groups had long putts across the entire green to win.
The Pusey brothers left their putts about 8 feet short, while Colman and CJ had about 3 feet. Chris missed his attempt, and while Thomas' looked good all the way to the hole, it lipped out, and set up Colman and CJ to win by a single stroke. Two rounds, two years in a row, and two victories for the winning team.
Here are some more photos from our day at Pitman Golf Course:
Yes, it was cold that day. But we had Pitman Golf Course to ourselves, a fantastic match down the last stretch of holes, and great friends to golf with. We recommend Pitman Golf Course to anyone looking to have a very relaxed, but still challenging day of golf. This course has a driving range, a large putting green to practice on, and some very nice professionals that we would recommend to the beginner as well as someone who has been playing for years.
We'll be looking to comeback when the weather improves, the grass starts to turn green, and the days are never ending.
- The Sunday Golfers
P.S. Pitman also has a restaurant in their clubhouse, aptly named Bogey's. Very underrated 19th hole spot in Southern New Jersey. If you ever get the chance to play here, make it a day and grab lunch before or after your round. We would never steer you wrong!
"Golf's three ugliest words. Still your shot." - Dave Marr
(Played on January 26th, 2019)
It's hard to really summarize what Pitman Golf Course means to the Sunday Golfers. It isn't our favorite course, or the most scenic. It isn't the most challenging, and it doesn't have the best conditions in the area. But for a golf course run by the county, it has a lot of great character that makes it a joy to play.
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| The uphill eighteenth hole at Pitman. |
Colman has a lot of personal history at Pitman. It wasn't the first course he ever played, but it's where he really learned the rules, etiquette, and instruction. The Pusey brothers both played Pitman all throughout high school as well, learning the game on this simple track.
If you are familiar with East Lake Golf Club, where the PGA Tour Championship is held every year, you may have heard that the architect of that course was Alexander Findlay. He also had a hand in designing Pitman Golf Course back in 1927. While the course has endured several owners since then, it now is a municipal golf course run by Gloucester County. While it's no Bethpage Black, it stands the test of time as a solid round of golf for a very reasonable price.
 |
| Our friend CJ back at it again, teeing off the par 4 first. |
We were able to squeeze a 11:50 Saturday tee time on a cold January day, where the temperature never rose above 40 degrees. Considering how cold it has gotten over the past week, a 40 degree day sounds like shorts weather now. Joining us for his second time was our good friend CJ. We decided on a match similar to our ones back in January of last year at Beckett Golf Club, where Colman and CJ played the Pusey brothers in another great match that went all the way to the eighteenth.
 |
| Colman hitting out of the green side bunker on the par 5 third. |
When it comes to the routing at Pitman, the front nine stretches all around the perimeter of the property, while the back nine fills in the center of the property. One of the big issues with the course is that a lot of the holes are short, with a bunker right and left of the green.
While this may seem repetitive, and it is, the holes can be difficult depending on pin locations, rough length, and if the greens are running quick.
 |
| Chris Pusey teeing off the par 5 third. |
Although it was a chilly day, and Colman battled a cold for a few days afterwards, getting out to golf in January is rare, and we always try our best to make it out for at least a quick nine when the weather is nice.
Pitman plays to a par 70, with only one par 5 on each side. They aren't long holes, but if you are out of position, it can make a birdie attempt turn into a bogey if you have the wrong angle to the green and can't go at the flag, or you hit one out of bounds. Despite playing a two-man scramble, neither group was able to birdie either par 5 on the course. Then again, we aren't exactly scratch golfers, so what should we have expected?
 |
| Thomas Pusey teeing off the short par 4 fifth. (He topped this into the hazard.) |
As you can see from the photo above, this hole plays over a hazard, downhill, and is less than 300 yards. But the green is blind with out of bounds down the left, which is a characteristic the front nine has a lot. But if you can't turn the ball right to left, you have a shot from the rough to a green that slopes away from you. What Pitman lacks in length, it makes up for by being a shot-makers course.
 |
| Chris Pusey about to hit a hellacious seed on the par 4 seventh. |
Because it was winter, a couple holes had moved the tee boxes up to protect the grass for the spring season. The eighth hole, originally a short iron or wedge for most players, plays to a temporary green and bucket hole, and a makeshift tee box for the winter. As you can see from the photo below, the original green is about 15 yards further, but the original tee box is about 50 yards to the left of the temporary tee.
 |
| Thomas Pusey skulling one off the par 3 eighth. |
After you make the turn, you get back to back holes that make a 90 degree turn. The tenth is a little nonchalant, but the eleventh is where the going gets tough, and what we here at the Sunday Golfers consider one of the hardest holes in the state.
 |
| Colman preparing for his approach shot. |
A layup tee shot of about 200 yards is needed before an approach of around 200 yards needed to hit the green. If you mishit your tee shot, bogey would be a great score, but double or worse is more likely in order. Between our two groups, we weren't even really close to making a par, but we'd take our bogey and run on the hole.
Chris Pusey's favorite holes at Pitman were both of the par 3s on the back nine. Holes 14 and 17 play over ponds, and test your ability with distance control. And if you play Pitman on a nice sunny afternoon, they make for a great photo as well.
 |
| The par 3 14th. |
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| Thomas finding the distance on the par 3 17th. |
Our friendly match suddenly got interesting on the par 4 16th, where Colman and CJ made costly errors that lead to a bogey, while Thomas stuck a short iron close for a birdie to take a one shot lead into the 17th. On 17, with the pin front right. both Thomas and Chris hit their tee shots short right of the hole, setting up a tense up and down, while Colman and CJ were on the front part of the green. CJ, who had been struggling all day with his game, made a clutch thirty-footer to tie the Pusey brothers with one hole to play.
 |
| The face CJ makes after draining a thirty-foot birdie putt. |
We come to 18, which was the first photo you see of this blogpost. It plays uphill and usually into the wind. After a pair of decent drives between the two groups, each team faced an approach shot to a back left pin, with the chilly winter wind blowing right in our faces. Each approach shot was short of the hole, but both groups had long putts across the entire green to win.
The Pusey brothers left their putts about 8 feet short, while Colman and CJ had about 3 feet. Chris missed his attempt, and while Thomas' looked good all the way to the hole, it lipped out, and set up Colman and CJ to win by a single stroke. Two rounds, two years in a row, and two victories for the winning team.
Here are some more photos from our day at Pitman Golf Course:
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| Colman punching out of the tree's right of the first fairway. |
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| Thomas getting the distance on the par 3 fourth. (We all missed the green.) |
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| CJ teeing off the par 4 sixth, another short hole protected by O.B., and tree limbs, left of center. |
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| Colman about to hit a tasty approach on the par 4 seventh. |
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| The green of the par 4 ninth. |
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| Chris teeing off the par 4 tenth. |
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| Thomas trying to cut one in from 200+ yard on the eleventh. |
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| No "pose" shot, but Chris Pusey off the par 4 13th. |
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| "Fore Left!" Colman on the par 5 15th. |
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| The home hole at Pitman. |
Yes, it was cold that day. But we had Pitman Golf Course to ourselves, a fantastic match down the last stretch of holes, and great friends to golf with. We recommend Pitman Golf Course to anyone looking to have a very relaxed, but still challenging day of golf. This course has a driving range, a large putting green to practice on, and some very nice professionals that we would recommend to the beginner as well as someone who has been playing for years.
We'll be looking to comeback when the weather improves, the grass starts to turn green, and the days are never ending.
- The Sunday Golfers
P.S. Pitman also has a restaurant in their clubhouse, aptly named Bogey's. Very underrated 19th hole spot in Southern New Jersey. If you ever get the chance to play here, make it a day and grab lunch before or after your round. We would never steer you wrong!
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