By Vinnie Manginelli, PGA
Located just to your right as you drive south down the Garden State Parkway through Kenilworth, New Jersey is the impressive clubhouse of Galloping Hill Golf Course, a GRAA Top 50 Public Facility for the past three years.
With 70,000 rounds played annually on its 18-hole championship course and Learning Center 9, a Par 33 layout that is ideal for beginners, PGA Director of Golf Matt Dunn is a busy guy. Dunn has been in his current role for two years, after serving as PGA Director of Instruction for four years since 2018 and two years as an assistant professional a decade ago. He remains heavily involved in the facility’s player development programming with PGA Director of Golf Emeritus Peter Busch. Add to the team PGA Assistant Professional Isabel Gonzalez and PGA Teaching Professional Adam Giordano, and you can be assured of a world-class learning experience and top-notch service when on the grounds of Galloping Hill Golf Course.
The Galloping Hill Golf Academy has a 52-stall range and learning center, with 20 of them being covered and heated for practice and play during inclement weather. There are three putting greens, a chipping area with practice bunkers and a dedicated custom-fitting professional Ryan Myers in their state-of-the-art custom-fitting lab.
Player development programming includes private instruction with golfers of all skill levels, group clinics like beginner and experienced golf boot camps, Adult Operation 36, Supervised Practice Sessions and a Winter Training Program. The winter programming is extensive, as it offers one-on-one lessons, short game clinics, an equipment review, supervised practice and opportunities for private practice, as well.
Junior golf instruction includes PGA Jr. League, Spring Break and Summer Camps, Junior Operation 36 and a Winter Training Program. Dunn says their PGA Jr. League program is thriving and competes against two other Union County golf courses, Shady Rest Country Club and Ash Brook Golf Course, both located in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Together, they have 72 junior golfers aged 8-13 across six teams.
Participants can typically register for programs right on the Galloping Hill website, enabling program facilitators to gauge how many instructors will be needed based on the number of registrants in the program. In addition, the facility is paid up front, leaving the days of tracking people down for payment happily in the past.
Dunn says that their facility hosts a plethora of golf outings, booked and organized by Director of Sales and Marketing Greg Ward. With an array of weddings and other special events, F&B is a big deal at Galloping Hill Golf Course.
The Hill Tavern is open year-round and offers lunch and dinner options for golfers and local patrons seeking a good meal in a vibrant social setting. Check out their website and you’ll even see a seasonal beer menu that is sure to quench the thirst of anyone coming off the course or onsite just for the food and beverage.
Galloping Hill has something for everyone in your group. Whether you’re a new golfer seeking instruction, a part-time player looking for some range time or Par 3 practice or a die-hard player trying to post your new low score on their 6,855-yard championship layout, Galloping Hills hosts many opportunities to engage with friends and family and meet new people in the community.
Union County residents can pay for a discount card that allows them 7- or 14-day advance tee time booking, a perk that is most appreciated when you’re trying to get a reservation at Galloping Hill and there’s nothing available.
County-owned, Galloping Hill Golf Course is managed by Kemper Sports Management and is the home to First Tee of Raritan Valley and the New Jersey State Golf Association.
For more information on this stellar public golf facility, check out their website today.
