Redesigned Shore golf course holes drawing raves: 'Love the aesthetics'
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MANALPAN – A little more than three miles west of the site of the Revolutionary War Battle of Monmouth lies Knob Hill Golf Club, a hidden gem among the Shore’s treasure chest of renowned courses.
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A rolling par-70, 6408-yard course with its own unique charm and history, the semi-private club stands out among the area’s top-tier private and nationally acclaimed public courses by providing member and public access throughout the week.
This season, two redesigned holes – Nos. 16 and 17 – present new challenges with an aim to improve the course optics and experience and for all comers.
“We are always looking for ways to reinvest in and enhance the course,” said Director of Golf Lou Kubisa. “We understand fees are going up all over and this is an opportunity for us to show we are committed to the membership and public golfers that play here. That’s our niche. We all do a very good job of managing the experience and conditions for our members and the public. This shows our commitment and we are really happy with the way everything turned out.”
The overarching goal with the redesign was to create more playable space on the 16th hole and to keep golfers’ focus on the course away from other holes and activity outside the existing property lines. That also led to changes for the 17th green and resulted in both holes being more isolated from each other and from the environment beyond the boundaries.
Members got their first swings at the new holes on the morning of May 2. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
“I love it! I parred them both,” said Colts Neck resident and long-time member Gene Maresca. “It took a little longer than expected with the rough winter but everything came out great.”
“I didn’t play them very well today but I love the aesthetics of both,” said Plainsboro resident and member Len Bellezza. “On 16 there used to be a lot of trees up the right side and it seems the wind is always blowing left to right there so most people would slice into the trees. Now the trees are out and it’s uphill so it plays much longer and it’s wide. It’s beautiful.”
The redesign was something Kubisa had been thinking about for some time. The project went into motion last fall with an eye toward early spring finish. The extreme cold and winter storms pushed construction back several weeks to the early May opening.
“As a golf professional here, I always wanted to enhance the 16th hole,” said Kubisa. “It was kind of a claustrophobic tee shot with trees along the boundary. So we shifted everything toward the center of the course rather than along the edges.”
Tasked with creating more space on the par-5 16th while keeping golfers’ sightlines focused on the course and away from property edge, architect Jim Ryan also repositioned the 17th green to accommodate the change. The major changes stemmed from lowering 16’s tee boxes, shifting its fairway left toward the interior of the course and building up its boundaries, resulting in an entirely new, somewhat isolating experience for golfers.
The repositioned and still reachable 275- to 300-yard par-4 17th hole also features new green-surrounding ampitheater mounds. Designer Ryan aimed to keep the hole’s driveability by rewarding golfers for carrying the now green-fronting water hazard with embankments designed to gently coax wide shots back on the green. It worked.
“I love 17,” said member Anthony Parrente from Jackson. “I hit a cut on the right side above the bunker, hit the hill and it rolls down to five feet of the hole.”
Originally designed by Marc McCumber and opened in 1998, Knob Hill consistently ranks near the top of NJ’s semi-private courses given its challenging layout, excellent condition and scenery, placing 2nd in NBC Golf Pass and Golf Choice rankings for 2026. The clubhouse and the Sycamore Grille restaurant are open to the public throughout the year, featuring comedy shows, live music, trivia, wine tastings and theme nights.
The course history before Knob Hill’s opening in 1998 remains sketchy with speculation and searches dating it to post-WWII golfing boom of the 1950s and 1960s akin to the Monmouth County-owned Hominy Hill course.
The club’s logo and restaurant Sycamore Grille are a tribute to the 185+ year-old sycamore tree outside the clubhouse with an old metal “Hole 14” this-way arrow sign embedded in its trunk. The historic tree draws flocks of tourists year-round.
➤IF YOU GO: Book a tee time 732-792-7722 knobhillgolfclub.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Knob Hill Golf Club in Manalapan redesign drawing raves