Berkshire Valley Golf Course

I have been playing this course since it opened in 2004/2005 and although the staff is excellent, friendly and helpful there are a few things that need to be addressed immediately. First the conditions of the course has been steadily going downhill, there is very little sand in the traps but plenty of stones and some of the bunkers look as if they are never maintained. The tee boxes markers need to be moved more often and those areas need to be top dressed and seeded. Second and probably most annoying is the pace of play. To have to endure a 5.5 hour round is totally unacceptable and I have 2 suggestions to correct this issue, first hire rangers to keep the slow players moving and second explain to every group going out that if they are high handicappers they must play from the white tees! Every time I play I observe countless golfers playing from the blue or even the "tips" when they absolutely should be playing from the whites. There hasn't been a ranger on this course since last Spring and I fault the course manager for failing to hire them. Again I must make it clear that the clubhouse staff, the starters and the cart attendants are excellent. If these few items were addressed this would be one of the top municipal courses in the tri state area.

4:50 for an early morning tee time is way too slow and $72 is not a good value in Apeil

This very fine layout has suffered under the management of the Billy Casper Co. In short, corners are being cut. Tee boxes are in poor shape - particularly on par 3's, fairway divots are rampant, and the greens are mediocre at best. The course reminds me of unkept munis from decades ago. On course drinking water containers were empty the day we played, even the Porto John hand sanitizer was empty. This stuff added up over the course of the round on what is otherwise a fine, fun to play course.

$65 dollars for an off-season round unbelievable! Didn't have all the tees set up either!

From the winding drive into the course to the final drive down 18, the visual estestics of this gem may make you forget that missed 3 footer. Amazing opening holes that open playing horizontally on high ridges with awesome vistas of the valley holes below. Course is in great shape as well. Staff is always friendly as well

As serene as this course appears it will reach out and bite you!

This course is in excellent shape and is very scenic however you have to hit straight and fairly long on a couple of holes.

If hitting over hazards intimidates you?

You will struggle on several holes.

Greens are about average.

I struggle on this course at times but it is still my favorite course to play during the week.

Staff is always pleasant.

Berkshire IMO is the best Muni course in Morris county and may be one of the better muni courses in NJ.

The holes are well spread out and provides enough challenge for all level of golfers i.e. elevation , water hazard, blind tee shots etc. (would not recommend this course for beginners though).

First 4 holes need accurate tee shot and the 5th hole although may look short and easier, the greens are sure to make you sweat, the fairway opens up after the starting holes.

Greens are fast and true and not overly undulated ( except few). The club staff, starters are extremely friendly and there is decent driving range to warm up before your round.

In line with the other reviews, it is recommended to carry some extra golf balls when playing this course.

Ok, well I had a 7:40 tee time on a Monday morning. The course was empty and the woman in the pro shop and the starter were beyond helpful and friendly. Giving me great advice on the course since it was my first time around.

The first 5 holes are great and challenging. The rest of the course is great yet not as difficult. I can see why people complain about the pace of play here because if there are foursomes who are mid to high handicappers, this course eat them alive on the front side. Not to mention the water and carries on the back side.

Overall the course conditions were excellent. The greens were sandy and slow but that is to be expected this time of year. The rest of the course was in A+ condition. Loved it! Will be back many times more!

Course in good shape, except for the sand applied to the greens as part of the aeration. GolfNow failed to relay that information

Great course but challenging if it's your first time out. Green were quick and hard to read. Very nice scenic views.

Enjoyed the day. Very friendly staff. Course was in excellent condition. Beautiful views. Unwalkable.

The pace of play was slow. Our front 9 took 3hrs. We quit after 14 holes. No one on staff was willing to do anything about the pace. The response was, "I just work here!"

This is a beautiful course. Easily one of the top in central/northern New Jersey and comparative to other greats like Ballyowen and Architects. Prob top 3. BUT, no ranger available when I played at 3:45 pm on a Monday and it killed the round for me. I played with two other guys who exclaimed that the course 'is always this slow.' That's a shame. I played the front 9 in under 90 minutes, but when I got to 12 I hit a wall. The groups I ran in to had teed off around 2 and ended up playing over a 4 hour and 45 minute round. One of the requirements of being a prestigious course is maintaining pace so that the golfers can stay in rhythm and remain focused for 18 holes. Waiting for 10 minutes on every tee box for the final 6 holes destroyed my focus and my game went down the tubes, as did my playing partners'.

I spoke with an employee who said they only use rangers on Sun and Sat mornings. That can't happen if this course wants to be recognized as a top course. I'd normally say the $52 fee would be a good deal, but if you're waiting on the tees for over a couple minutes then it's not a good deal.

Beautiful course but management needs to sort out pace of play.

This course requires fairly acurate tee-shots since there is very little room to recover from a poor shot. Also, you do not always need to hit your Driver. Many times it is better to just put the ball in play with your Hybrid….Sometimes it was hard to find the yardage markers….Carts are not permitted anywhere near a green, so expect to do a lot of walking on hilly terrain.

Berkshire Valley is a hidden gem. Not many golfers know about this course but it has great character and some breathtaking views. Each hole is unique and the course is very well maintained. Staff is great and friendly. It's a little costly but well worth it. We got a golf now $55 w/ green fees and cart and was not disappointed. Even saw a black bear in the woods on number 5! Bring your "A" game because the course is somewhat difficult but very fair and your rewarded for good golf shots.

Course was very nice, but green was very slow.

Great layout, not to hard but challenge all the same.

Berkshire Valley is top 3 best public course in NJ. Especially for the price. I've hosted my annual outing here for the past 4 years. The staff is great (thanks Eric!) and the course is beautiful. Layout is awesome and maintenance is impeccable. I really have no complaints about this course and all of my outing guests love the course despite how challenging the first five holes can be. Definitely looking forward to many more years of hosting my outing here.

Everything about this course makes golf a pleasure. The maintenance is impeccable. The scenic views are spectacular. The staff is friendly, but they need to spread out tee time a few minutes. 5 hour round is not necessary.