How to Get on New Jersey's Pine Valley Golf Course

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Pine Valley Golf Club is one of golf's famous "fortresses," but there are ways to get on as a non-member.

This is a big week for golf, and I'm not talking about the Ryder Cup.

I'm talking about the rare opportunity for you to get on New Jersey's Pine Valley Golf Course, widely regarded as the best golf course on the planet.

And you don't even have to grovel.

That's the good news.

The bad news?

This isn't a chance to "play" Pine Valley, but rather a chance to get inside the gates and onto the golf course.

"Argh, too good to be true," you're probably thinking.

You're right. Nothing beats playing Pine Valley.

But this experience is still very cool.

Here's the deal: each year, Pine Valley hosts the premier amateur golf tournament in America, the Crump Cup (in honor of the club's founder, George Crump), and the public is invited to watch the final round.

This year, it's Sunday, September 30.

Unlike pro tournaments, where you only see the golf course from outside the ropes, in this intimate event, you can walk Pine Valley's fairways right alongside the players.

And make no mistake: these guys are "players;" elite amateurs from across America (often including some former members of the PGA and/or Champions tours).

That said, if you're simply interested in seeing Pine Valley "up close and personal," and at your own pace, it's often possible to walk certain holes all by yourself. As you can imagine, the "galleries" are thin because few people know this opportunity exists.

If you'd like to go, here are the details:

What: The 2012 Crump Cup (final round, match play)
Where: Pine Valley Golf Club (Clementon, NJ 08021)
When: Sunday, September 30 (opens to public at 1pm)
Price: $20
Details: Park at the nearby Clementon Amusement Park (144 Berlin Road, Clementon, NJ 08021; clementonpark.com) where a shuttle bus will take you to and from the course. No cameras or cell phones are allowed, so, if you want to memorialize your visit, um, be discreet about it. You may want to bring your own snacks, too, as there's no food or beverage service.

Craig Better

Craig Better is one of the founding editors of Golf Vacation Insider. In addition to traveling to 15 foreign countries, he has twice traveled across America to play golf courses in all 50 United States. Prior to joining Golf Vacation Insider, Craig was a freelance writer who contributed to GOLF Magazine, Travel + Leisure Golf, Maxim Magazine, USAToday.com, and co-authored Zagat Survey’s book, America’s Top Golf Courses.