Liberty National Golf Club

Last updated
Liberty National
Liberty Natl Golf clubhouse jeh.jpg
Clubhouse in February 2012
Club information
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Location in the United States
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Liberty National Golf Club (New Jersey)
Coordinates 40°41′49″N74°04′05″W / 40.697°N 74.068°W / 40.697; -74.068
Location Jersey City, New Jersey
Established2006
TypePrivate non-equity
Owned by Paul Fireman
Total holes18
Events hosted The Northern Trust
(2009, 2013, 2019, 2021)
Mizuho Americas Open
(2023, 2024)
The Presidents Cup
(2017)
Greens Bentgrass - A4
FairwaysBentgrass - L93 [1] [2] [3]
Website libertynationalgc.com
Designed by Lindsay Newman
Architecture & Design,
Robert Cupp &
Tom Kite
Par 72
Length7,387 yards (6,755 m)
Course rating 77.7
Slope rating 155 [4]
Course record60 Cameron Smith (2021)

Liberty National is a country club located in Jersey City, New Jersey adjacent to Liberty State Park on the Upper New York Bay. Its clubhouse, guest villas, teaching center, and "Cafe 12" halfway house were designed by Lindsay Newman Architecture and Design, while the golf course was designed by Robert E. Cupp and Tom Kite. [5]

Contents

With a construction cost exceeding over $250 million, Liberty National ranks among the most expensive golf courses in history. [6] The club features amenities such as an on-site helistop, direct ferry service to and from Manhattan, a spa, and a restaurant. [6] [7]

Tournaments hosted

Liberty National hosted The Northern Trust (formerly known as The Barclays and the Westchester Classic) on several occasions, including in 2009, 2013, 2019, and 2021.

In 2009, Heath Slocum won with a score of 275 (–9), one stroke ahead of four runners-up. [5] [8] In August 2013, [9] Australian Adam Scott won by one stroke over four runners-up. [10] Due to negative feedback from many players in 2009, the course underwent numerous modifications leading to a more favorable reception in 2013. [11]

In 2019, The Northern Trust – the first of three events of the PGA TOUR's FedEx Cup Playoffs – was held at Liberty National from August 8–11. Patrick Reed emerged as the winner, with a score of 268 (–16). In 2021, the tournament again served as the opening event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, with Tony Finau claiming victory with a score of 264 (–20).

Practice Range 18th Hole at Liberty National Golf Course.jpg
Practice Range

From June 1-4, 2023, Liberty National hosted its first LPGA event, the Mizuho Americas Open, overlooking the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline. [12] Former amateur golfer Rose Zhang won the tournament in her professional debut on her final round in a sudden-death playoff with Jennifer Kupcho. [13]

From May 16-19, 2024, the course again hosted the Mizuho Americas Open with Nelly Korda winning the tournament by one stroke. [14]

Presidents Cup

From September 28 to October 1, 2017, Liberty National hosted the Presidents Cup where the United States team, led by captain Steve Stricker, defeated the International team by a score of 19–11 for their seventh straight victory. [15]

Caven Point controversy

Caven Point is a 22-acre (8.9 ha) bird sanctuary in Liberty State Park along the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, adjacent to the Liberty National golf course. The owners of the course have expressed interest in leasing the land to expand the course with additional holes. [16] The proposal would require privatization of publicly-owned land and disruption of the fragile ecosystem. [17] In response, proposals to protect the land have been made in the New Jersey Legislature to specifically protect the park from commercial development without a severe vetting process and public scrutiny. [18] [19]

Scorecard

Liberty National Golf Club [20]
Tee Rating/Slope 123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Tournament77.7 / 155398219395193427538484611474373951325043156315048132544549036487387
Medal74.2 / 142365196365163401523445565360338349622536352114644428542847133796762
Liberty72.9 / 141365171365153401498413537360326349619336348914642328542841432376500
Member72.2 / 134339171345153386498413537347318945319332448913142326138741430756264
Regular69.6 / 120319142322136344465381485330292442415330144611440124834838928245748
SI 151711135931712814101841662
Par434345454365345344443672
Forward72.4 / 13529313727710730443835345326926313741132624149836622429732524735104

Notable members

Liberty National has notable members such as:

References

  1. "Fact Sheet : The Barclays". GCSAA. 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  2. "The Barclays: Course". PGA Tour. 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  3. "The Presidents Cup" (PDF). GCSAA. Tournament fact sheets. September 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  4. "Course Rating and Slope Database: Liberty National Golf Club". USGA. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Hack, Damon (May 16, 2007). "PGA Tournament With a View of the New York City Skyline". The New York Times . Retrieved August 19, 2008.
  6. 1 2 "$129-million Liberty National Golf Course Opens in Jersey City". New Jersey Business. 54 (8). August 2006. Archived from the original on March 11, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  7. "Transportation". libertynationalgc.com. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  8. "Barclays tournament to Liberty National in 2009". USA Today . May 16, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2008.
  9. "This Week in Golf - August 21st through August 24th". August 18, 2008. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2008.
  10. "Adam Scott wins PGA Tour's Barclays event in New Jersey". BBC Sport. 2013-08-25. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
  11. "Liberty National's hole-by-hole changes". PGA Tour. August 20, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  12. "Mizuho Americas Open". mizuho. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  13. "Rose Zhang hangs on to win Mizuho Americas Open in a playoff in historic LPGA Tour start". sports.yahoo.com. June 4, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  14. "Nelly Korda continues heater winning sixth LPGA Tour event in seven starts at 2024 Mizuho Americas Open". cbssports.com. May 19, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  15. "Americans' dominance leads to Presidents Cup victory". ESPN.com. October 1, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  16. Journal, Ron Zeitlinger | The Jersey (July 12, 2020). "Ultra-exclusive Liberty National Golf Club received up to $1 million PPP loan". nj.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. Tully, Tracey (January 9, 2020). "Golf Club for the 1 Percent Wants to Seize a Migratory Bird Habitat (Published 2020)" via NYTimes.com.
  18. "S3357". www.njleg.state.nj.us.
  19. "A4903". www.njleg.state.nj.us.
  20. "Scorecard" (PDF). www.libertynationalgc.com. Retrieved 2021-02-05.