Hollywood Golf Club About

In the early 1900s, the town of Deal, New Jersey, became a popular summer vacation destination for many New Yorkers. Located 50 miles south of Manhattan on the northern shore, the town is far enough outside of New York City to be a haven from the hustle of the tri-state. Away from the busyness of Westchester County and not as popular as the shores of Long Island, the region has remained an under-the-radar escape. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that Hollywood Golf Club, located in the heart of Deal, flies under the radar in this golf-rich region.

Hollywood Golf Club existed in two prior locations before it settled on the property where the club resides today. Founding members weren’t convinced of the initial designs, including the first course on the current site. In 1913, the club hired Walter Travis to completely redesign the course. When the work was completed in 1915, they had one of the best examples of Golden Age design in the country.

As the early history of Hollywood Golf Club showed, the club was always hungry to keep up with the times. They did so over the coming decades as they brought in Dick Wilson and Rees Jones for renovations, work that ultimately took away from the brilliance of Travis’s design. A look back through Google Earth will show the evolution of the property’s greens and bunkering, two Travis hallmarks. By 2013, early in the restoration trend of golf courses, the club once again dedicated itself to keeping up with the Joneses. This time, by going back to the original. Through slow, incremental changes, Hollywood worked with architect Brian Schneider to bring back the flair and character of the original Travis design. Greens were expanded and recontoured, and bunkers were broken up and restored. The final project was a full blow-up of the club’s 17th hole, a par 3 that is now one of the many showstopping greens on the course.

Today, Hollywood is one of the best current examples of the brilliance of Walter Travis. His green complexes are among the most interesting of any architect in history. Walking around Hollywood is like walking through a museum of some of the most intricate green complexes in golf.

Take Note...

The Heinz 57 Hole. One of the most photographed holes in golf is No. 12 at Hollywood, AKA the Heinz 57 Hole. When built, the hole had 57 bunkers. Many were lost over the years, but Schneider’s team was able to get back to a whopping 39 bunkers. It’s quite the sight from the tee.

“You should put a tee there.” While walking around Hollywood ahead of one of our Fried Egg Golf events on site, Superintendent Michael Broome pointed out a new tee box on the 18th hole that he said Tom Doak recommended while Schneider was working on the renovation work. The tee box is hidden up on a hill of heather near the fourth green and makes for a very fun short finisher when you’re looking for an alternate final tee. You can even walk through the tunnel right of the 17th green.

The Tunnel. Speaking of which, in rebuilding the 17th at Hollywood, Schneider built a tunnel through the mound right of the green. It’s not the natural route from the 17th green to the 18th tee, but it makes for a fun photo and an added quirk.

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