Francis Byrne Golf Course Review
The better half of the Gurus played Francis Byrne Golf Course located in Essex County, New Jersey. I have played this course plenty of times over the last 15 years. It is more or less my home course because it’s a county course and I have always been a resident of Essex County. However, with that said, the last couple of years I have stayed away from it due to the fact that each year I played it, the conditions of course and the pace of play always seemed to get progressively worse, which left a sour taste in my mouth. I decided to give it another go this year and was quite surprised at all of the changes that were made to it. The first and most notable thing I noticed was how well the course was maintained. The course had always in my opinion provided a nice layout, but you were always teeing the ball up on dirt, the fairways were always burnt out and the greens were never in great condition. After playing it this year, it was the complete opposite. Tee boxes were minty fresh, fairways were green with grass and the greens were fantastic. I rate this course a 7 out of 10.
Location:
Francis Byrne Golf Course 1100 Pleasant Valley Way West Orange, NJ 07052 Telephone: 973-736-2306 |
Golf Guru Ratings:
Ratings (1 -10):
Manicured: 7
The fairways were in the best shape that I have seen them in 15 years. If you have ever played the Byrne, then you know that in the past, on most holes you would be teeing up on dirt, and would need a jackhammer to get your tee in the ground. However, every tee box had grass which was a pleasant surprise. In certain areas of the course, they are allowing fescue to grow. Although it doesn’t really come into play, it does make the course ascetically appealing to the eyes. Finally, the greens were good shape as well.
Facilities: 4
Facilities at this course are really nothing special, which can be expected being that it is a county course. There is no pro shop, but they do sell golf balls, tees and a few other miscellaneous golfing needs. The course offers a putting and a chipping green. The chipping green is somewhat hidden so if you are not aware of it, you will probably miss it.
Price: 7
The price if you are an in county resident is a no brainer. However, if you don’t have a resident card, or live out of county, the course becomes a little more expensive. The price during the week for non-residents is $45 and the weekends it is $50. I still don’t think that it’s a bad deal if the course stays in the shape it was in when I played it.
Booking Process: 6
The booking process is through an automated phone system. The system allows you to book tee times one week in advance. In my opinion, the course is Essex County’s number one course, so the good tee times book up relatively quickly. My recommendation would be to start calling one week in advance.
Overall Golf Experience: 7
I was pleasantly surprised at how well Francis Byrne Golf Course played. As I have mentioned above, maintenance wise, the course was in the best shape I have seen it in years. The course has nice layout, but it is wide open. If you are errant off the tee, most of the time you will still have a decent second shot. I don’t think the course is overly challenging, however I do find it one of the more enjoyable courses that I play.
Course Rating and Slope:
Tee Par Yardage Course Rating Slope
Blue 70 6663 70.2 128
White 70 6338 70.2 125
Ladies 70 5384 73.1 121
Francis Byrne Greens Fees
Type Card Holder Non-Cardholder
Adult - Weekday $25.00 $45.00
Adult - Weekend/Holiday $29.00 $50.00
Senior, Junior, Disabled Weekday $15.00 $28.00
Twilight Weekday $18.00 $18.00
Twilight Weekend $18.00 $18.00
Ratings (1 -10):
Manicured: 7
The fairways were in the best shape that I have seen them in 15 years. If you have ever played the Byrne, then you know that in the past, on most holes you would be teeing up on dirt, and would need a jackhammer to get your tee in the ground. However, every tee box had grass which was a pleasant surprise. In certain areas of the course, they are allowing fescue to grow. Although it doesn’t really come into play, it does make the course ascetically appealing to the eyes. Finally, the greens were good shape as well.
Facilities: 4
Facilities at this course are really nothing special, which can be expected being that it is a county course. There is no pro shop, but they do sell golf balls, tees and a few other miscellaneous golfing needs. The course offers a putting and a chipping green. The chipping green is somewhat hidden so if you are not aware of it, you will probably miss it.
Price: 7
The price if you are an in county resident is a no brainer. However, if you don’t have a resident card, or live out of county, the course becomes a little more expensive. The price during the week for non-residents is $45 and the weekends it is $50. I still don’t think that it’s a bad deal if the course stays in the shape it was in when I played it.
Booking Process: 6
The booking process is through an automated phone system. The system allows you to book tee times one week in advance. In my opinion, the course is Essex County’s number one course, so the good tee times book up relatively quickly. My recommendation would be to start calling one week in advance.
Overall Golf Experience: 7
I was pleasantly surprised at how well Francis Byrne Golf Course played. As I have mentioned above, maintenance wise, the course was in the best shape I have seen it in years. The course has nice layout, but it is wide open. If you are errant off the tee, most of the time you will still have a decent second shot. I don’t think the course is overly challenging, however I do find it one of the more enjoyable courses that I play.
Course Rating and Slope:
Tee Par Yardage Course Rating Slope
Blue 70 6663 70.2 128
White 70 6338 70.2 125
Ladies 70 5384 73.1 121
Francis Byrne Greens Fees
Type Card Holder Non-Cardholder
Adult - Weekday $25.00 $45.00
Adult - Weekend/Holiday $29.00 $50.00
Senior, Junior, Disabled Weekday $15.00 $28.00
Twilight Weekday $18.00 $18.00
Twilight Weekend $18.00 $18.00
