By David Luis Verdict: Worth It If You Can Get In
Best For: Members and invited guests who want Ross-era architecture and a serious competitive history
Avoid If: You want a public tee time, a posted fee schedule, or a flat walking round
Last Reviewed: 2026-10-04
Most clubs earn a reputation from one big event. Montclair Golf Club in West Orange, New Jersey has hosted so many that its trophy case reads like a USGA index.
This Montclair Golf Club review comes down to one question: is an 1893-founded private club with 36 holes on one hill worth chasing? For golfers who value routing and history over amenities, yes. For anyone who needs a posted price or a visitor option, the answer is no, because neither exists.
This review covers access rules, the cost details the club does not publish, and who should look elsewhere. Compare every club we have reviewed in the golf club review archive.
Montclair is not a one-course club. It is four nines that start and end at the same clubhouse, which is why two members can talk about the club all night and describe different golf.
Club Overview
Montclair Golf Club sits at 25 Prospect Avenue in West Orange, Essex County, in the hills west of Newark. The club was founded in 1893 and, by its own account, ranks among the oldest golf clubs in the country. A January 2016 merger with Rock Spring Club added a second campus 3.6 miles away, but the club kept the Montclair name.
| Club Type | Golf Club |
|---|---|
| Location | West Orange, New Jersey |
| Founded | 1893 |
| Membership Type | Private; members and invited guests |
| Initiation Fee | Not publicly disclosed by the club |
| Monthly Dues | Not publicly disclosed by the club |
| Green Fee | No public green fee |
| Best Time to Visit | May-June and September-October |
| Dress Code | Traditional private-club golf attire |
| Reservations Required | Member or guest access required |
| Official Website | montclairgolfclub.org |
| Phone | 973-239-1800 |
What I Liked
The pull here is the ground. The property rolls and tilts, and the Ross nines use it the way he did at his better-known work.
- Three Donald Ross nines plus a Charles Banks fourth nine, so the architecture pedigree is real and not marketing
- Renaissance Golf Design restoration work that removed trees and rebuilt greens back toward Ross’s intent
- Championship history that few clubs in New Jersey can match: the 1973 U.S. Women’s Amateur, the 1985 U.S. Amateur and the 2026 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur
- More than 250 feet of elevation change on a hillside site, which makes most holes feel different from a flat suburban layout
- Four nines that start and finish at the clubhouse, so you can mix loops and never play the same 18 twice in a week
What I Didn’t Like
The downsides are about access and information, not the golf itself.
- Private and invitation only, with no public tee times and no visitor green fee
- Initiation fee and dues are not published, so you cannot budget before a conversation with the club
- Hilly ground and some steep greens make it a tiring walk for casual golfers
- The 2016 merger with Rock Spring Club makes the facility count confusing; the 36 holes in West Orange and Rock Spring’s 18 are separate sites
Membership & Fees
Montclair does not post initiation fees or annual dues. I could not find an official rate sheet, and any number you see on a forum is a guess until the club confirms it.
What the club does tell you is how it is built. The January 2016 merger announcement described roughly 950 members at the time, about 590 of them with full golf privileges. That split matters, because a full-privilege seat and a social or sports seat are priced very differently at clubs with this structure.
| Item | Published detail |
|---|---|
| Public green fee | None; membership required |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosed |
| Annual dues | Not publicly disclosed |
| Guest play | Through a member or club invitation |
| Other facilities | Tennis, platform tennis and pools at both campuses, per the merger announcement |
For context on how private-club pricing usually breaks down, see our guide to what US golf clubs actually publish. How to join a private golf club covers sponsors and waitlists. Is a golf club membership worth it gives the math.
Facilities & Amenities
The golf is the headline. Everything else is club-life support.
- Four nine-hole loops in West Orange, par 35 each, all returning to the clubhouse
- Nines designed by Donald Ross (three, around 1919-1920) and Charles Banks (the fourth, reported as 1928-1930)
- A reported restoration led by Brian Schneider of Renaissance Golf Design
- Tennis, platform tennis and pools, plus a newer paddle and pickleball area reported by third-party listings
- A second campus from the Rock Spring merger, 18 holes by Seth Raynor and Charles Banks, 3.6 miles away
Best Time to Visit
Come in late May or June, or between mid-September and mid-October. The hillside holds its color in fall and the greens are at their firmest.
New Jersey winters shut most of the golf down, and humid July rounds on this much slope are work. Championship setups land in late summer. The 2026 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur ran in late August and early September.
Dress Code & Etiquette
Montclair does not publish a dress code online that I could verify. Assume the standard for a club of this age: collared shirts, tailored shorts or trousers, and soft spikes.
Ask your host about phones and the order of play before the day. Our guide on what to wear at a private golf club covers the common slips.
Who Is This Club For?
This club is a good fit if you value routing and old-school architecture close to New York.
This club is a good fit if you like competitive golf and want a club that regularly hosts it.
Skip this one if you want a transparent fee schedule. Montclair publishes none.
Skip this one if you want a public alternative nearby. Look at our Baltusrol Golf Club review for another New Jersey private option, or Liberty National for a very different, newer one.
People Also Ask: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Montclair Golf Club private?
Yes. Montclair Golf Club in West Orange, New Jersey is a private, member-only club. Play is limited to members and their invited guests. The club sells no public tee times and no visitor rounds, so a golfer without a member connection cannot book a round there.
How much does it cost to join Montclair Golf Club?
Montclair does not publish its initiation fee or annual dues, and any figure online is unofficial. The club’s membership office holds the real numbers, and a member sponsor opens that conversation. The 2016 merger announcement reported about 950 members, roughly 590 of them with full golf privileges.
Who designed Montclair Golf Club?
Donald Ross designed the first three nines around 1919 and 1920. Charles Banks added the fourth nine in the late 1920s or about 1930, depending on the source. Brian Schneider of Renaissance Golf Design has led a restoration of the greens and the tree work.
Where is Montclair Golf Club located?
Montclair Golf Club is at 25 Prospect Avenue in West Orange, Essex County, New Jersey. Despite the name, the club sits in West Orange rather than in the town of Montclair. The second campus from the 2016 Rock Spring merger is 3.6 miles away.
What tournaments has Montclair Golf Club hosted?
Montclair hosted the 1973 U.S. Women’s Amateur and the 1985 U.S. Amateur. It also hosted the 2026 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, plus several New Jersey State Opens and State Amateurs. The 2026 event ran in late August and early September.
Verdict & Score
I rate Montclair Golf Club 4.6 out of 5. Ross and Banks design, restored greens and a recurring USGA calendar earn the score. I deduct for zero published pricing and a two-campus facility story. How we score clubs explains the scale.
If you can reach it through a member, go. If you cannot, spend the effort on a public course with good architecture instead.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-04.
Author Note
This review scores routing, access and published cost. Montclair publishes no cost, and the score reflects that. It is still a very good golf club.
