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Using imagination A most difficult challenge

in three dimensions for routing golf holes

It became obvious that, as a result of the The most difficult routing challenge was
size and shape of the available land, in or- how to fit golf holes into the narrow and
der to route a quality golf course building long piece of property that would eventu-
high mounds was necessary to separate ally become holes No. 4, 5, 6, and 7. After
golf holes. As it turned out, the three di- many attempts on paper it became appar-
mensional approach was one of the most ent that the only way these four golf holes
important strategies necessary to success- would work would be to use height, in the
fully route and build the Bayonne Golf form of hills, to create and establish the
Club. Because of the large quantity of separation needed between holes No. 4,
material imported to the site, the verti- 5, 6, and 7. Just mounding alone could
cal component of the golf course design not provide the necessary protection and
resulted in the horizontal separation be- character.
tween adjacent holes. The higher or low-
er the topography, the closer the adjacent Eric designed these holes, which run par-
play area could get allowing for a generally allel to each other, with significant eleva-
small land area to feel and play big. tion differences so that those holes greens,
tees, and fairways were on much higher or
lower grades. Without the three dimen-
sional approach to the design, it would
have been impossible to route this narrow
parcel of the golf course.

The large hills in the distance frame holes No. 3,
4, 6 and 7. The hills were built according to the
drafted routing plans to include the designated
elevations. Photo 2017.

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Photo from the clubhouse looking towards
holes 3,4,5,6 and 7 clearly demonstrates
how elevation created separation between
these golf holes. Photo 2017.

More decisions are made Walking the site

in the field while designing to sharpen the vision
a golf course
This approach calls for continually assess-
Routing a golf course using pencil and ing how best to set green and tee locations,
paper and making stick drawings will design bunkers, and create the height and
only show how holes will be located on shape for all features. Many golf architects
the property. Some golf architects rely on do not have the time to make the majority
CAD computer driven graphics to design of design decisions in the field, as it does
detailed plans on a ‘screen’ when creating take significantly more effort to properly
golf hole features, including individual manufacture land forms to arrive at a nat-
green contours. ural looking landscape.

Other golf architects, Eric included, feel Eric walked the Bayonne site routinely and
more comfortable making most of these repeatedly in 2004 and 2005, when most
decisions in the field. This means walking of the design features were finalized. Some
the site frequently, communicating with decisions made included shaping hills to
the bulldozer operator, the ‘shaper’, pre- blend into fairways, developing a concept
cisely what is in the mind’s eye. for each green that would fit the intended
design, golfer’s visibility to a green site,
and location of the putting green.

“An often discussed story amongst caddies and members
concerns the 17th hole, the long par 4. The rumor is this hole
was originally intended to be a par 5. During the planning phase
for the golf course, once the holes were laid out in the field,
it became clear this hole would be a strong par 4 but a weak par 5.”

Eric Bergstol

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The long par 4 hole No. 17 is named ‘Water’s Edge.’ Photo 2017.

“The par 4 hole No. 10 is a dogleg right with large mounds
protecting the dogleg. A drive hit to the right side of the fairway

may have a blind shot to the largest green on the golf course,
thirteen thousand square feet in size, with no bunkers on this hole.”

Eric Bergstol

No. 10 green on the left and the par
3 No. 11 on the right four months
after seeding during the summer of
2005. Photo November 2005.

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“The original plan for the tee location on holes No. 2
and 8 called for tees to be opposite their location today.
A golfer was to walk off the first green, pass the first set of tees,
and then tee off on the second hole on what is now the eighth tee.
Early on during construction, when there was only dirt,
it became obvious the most natural way to play holes 2 and 8
was to have the tees crisscross as they are played today.”

Eric Bergstol

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The tee for hole No. 8 is directed
towards the fairway, on the right
in the distance, with the tee for
hole No. 2, on the right, aimed
towards the lower fairway, on
the left, that allows a crisscross
of tee shots on these two holes.
Photo 2017.

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Greens with contours to achieve this goal is to construct large
putting surfaces that would offer ‘space’
and slopes for flowing surface features that will allow
for ample pin positions. He knew that, if a
Before any of the green sites were shaped, green surface was made too small in size, it
Eric knew he wanted to design greens that would limit his ability to contour a green.
would allow for significant surface ‘move-
ment’ in the form of gentle contours and
slopes, valleys and ridges. The approach

No. 13 green complex displaying a tri-level modified ‘Biarritz’ green design. Photo 2017.

“On the par 5 hole No. 13, after the tee shot,
there are no bunkers through the green.

With no fairway or greenside bunkers the large tri level
modified ‘Biarritz’ green design offers the challenge.

A ‘Biarritz’ design features a deep swale
bisecting the middle of the green.”

Eric Bergstol

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“The first hole was finished last.
When you build something like this you tend to finish away
from the area where all the truck traffic was coming and going,

through the main entrance to the property.”

Eric Bergstol

View from hole No. 1 championship tee looking towards the fairway.
This golf hole was the last one to be designed and completed in 2005. Photo 2017.

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No. 1 green from the right rough looking into the green set in a ‘Dell’. Photo 2017.

“I wanted the first hole to set the tone for links golf.
The problem was the first was routed away from the water and

views of the Hudson and it was going to be a short par 4.
We came up with a concept to include placing the tee close to the
clubhouse and the green behind a small man made hillock in a dell.”

Eric Bergstol

e

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The Regulators

The most amazing part of the final prod- As part of the permitting process approv-
uct, the Bayonne Golf Club, was how Eric als were required to build a marina, a FAA
was able to keep and maintain his ‘creative regulated helistop, decisions on how best
genius’ and his ‘vision’ for developing to create improved environmental habi-
quality golf holes despite the range of reg- tats both in the water and on land, and
ulatory obstacles placed in the way. construction of a 1.5 mile public walkway
to include fishing platforms and a kayak
Seven issues that launch.

must go the right way It’s fair to say that there is a natural conflict
between the goals of some developers and
What follows describes what we may call those agencies which oversee their imple-
the seven extremely important ‘forks in mentation. In many situations environ-
the road’ with each outcome having the mental groups and regulators prefer that
opportunity to go one way or the other. If developments do not occur at all, as in
each one of the following situations would most situations development is viewed as
have taken the wrong fork, from the eyes bad for the environment. That is why reg-
of the developer, the Bayonne Golf Club ulatory hurdles have been put in place to
may not exist today. make sure that basic environmental safety
standards are followed if projects are ap-
To put a golfing frame of reference on the proved to move forward. In sum, there
long odds of success for these seven issues must be a balance in creating a successful
it would be like making ‘seven 30-foot project.
putts in a row’ while playing in the club
championship. The Bayonne Golf Club had a very differ-
ent dynamic. The genesis of the Bayonne
Any development project of this scope and Golf Club was the result of previous bad
scale will always need to face the scrutiny actors who allowed the site, over many de-
of numerous regulators and public interest cades, to succumb to pollution and poor
groups who want a say in what will be al- management. A history of misuse that was
lowed to be constructed. provided with an opportunity to be cor-
rected through this development. At the
Since the Bayonne Golf Club fronted on onset the property required many millions
the Hudson River, had levels of contami- of dollars to clean up the land and addi-
nation that needed to be cleaned up, im- tional monies to set up monitoring and
ported more than 7 million cubic yards of additional clean-up instruments which are
various fill materials, deposited processed still in place today and will be for years to
dredged material, there were numerous come.
regulatory agencies that would take a long
and active role in the approval and devel-
opment of the club.

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Because of the change in Federal Laws usually the case involving such a big clean
which prevented the dredged materials, up and the amount of land rejuvenated.
which were dug up from the Hudson Riv- Only private funds were used to restore
er channels, to be deposited in the ocean the land and develop the Bayonne Golf
as had been for many years, this blighted Club.
land in Bayonne had the opportunity for a
rebirth and to become what it is today. It should be noted that most regulators
and their environmental counter parts
There is no question the building of the were quite supportive of the construction
Bayonne Golf Club has created many en- of the golf club. Some in the environmen-
vironmental and community benefits. tal world would have preferred that a golf
Among those benefits are the cleanup of club was not the end product but most
an old municipal landfill, the installation were supportive because of the clear ben-
of a 1.5 mile public walkway to an area efits.
that has not been available to people for
100 years, the creation of a public fishing The difficulties receiving permits and the
pier and kayak launch. years it took to get them were as much a
function of the regulations in place that
Building the Bayonne Golf Club allowed needed to be overcome than the individu-
for the creation of a new and attractive als who were opposed to the golf club.
project for the City of Bayonne that put
the city on the map in a global arena, by One issue was that regulations did not
contributing a large tax ratable while not differentiate between a site that was pris-
burdening the school system, employing tine in nature, or as with the Bayonne Golf
many citizens, and restoring some of the Club project, land which was contaminat-
habitat both aquatic and land lost to ne- ed and neglected.
glect and pollution.
What follows are some examples of the
All of the above described benefits were hurdles which were overcome allowing for
delivered with no public funds which is construction of the golf course.


“There were many days when I was ready to walk away
from the project due to unreasonable mandates.

The system as designed was intended to make you want to give up.”

Eric Bergstol

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Regulating large steep hills decreased the usable acreage available to
build an acceptable golf course.
would kill this project
As the Bayonne site was filled and raised
As the dredged and fill material was im- the area usable for building the course
ported to the site the golf design concept diminished with more elevation being
was evolving. In 1999 Eric produced added. It became clear very quickly that
many hole layouts that were needed to a 3-to-1 slope would not work and the
create a golf course with the distance and golf course could not be completed. After
separation of these holes to meet a stan- many negotiations with state regulators,
dard that would be considered acceptable. and their realization that the Bayonne golf
Acreage was necessary to get length but Club may not get finished, an agreement
also separation of holes. NJDEP had a re- was made to separate the classification of
quirement that landfills were required to the area which was an actual landfill from
have a maximum slope of 3-to-1, meaning the larger balance of the land.
for every vertical foot of elevation created
there needed to be a horizontal distance of What was finally decided was that the
3 feet. actual landfill, which had an elevation of
around 38 feet, needed to remain 3-to-
While the Bayonne property had a portion 1 slope. The slopes above 38 feet eleva-
of its land as a municipal landfill, the ma- tion on the landfill were allowed to go to
jority of the property was not. The NJDEP a 2-to-1 slope. The rest of the property
originally took the position that the entire was permitted to steepen the side slopes
site was a landfill which required the 3-to- to 2-to-1 allowing for more usable acreage
1 slope. As the material arrived and was for golf on the higher elevations of the site.
put in place the effect of a 3-to-1 slope

Looking back at the large hill that separates the fairways on holes No. 4 and 7. Photo 2017.

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Without the added dimension of height, Fight to keep hole No. 8 green
in the form of large hills, holes No. 4,5,
6, and 7 would not have been possible at adjacent to the salt marsh
Bayonne, primarily due to golfers’ safety
for stray golf shots. It is easy today to Attempting to design a championship
understand this strategy if one stands atop course on a smaller site requires many
the large hill where the back tee on hole accommodations which would normal-
No. 6 sits, looking left and right, to see the ly not be permitted. The location of the
benefit of the three-dimensions, the height No. 8 green was one of those decisions
of the mounds that created separation for which needed to be made. The permit-
these three golf holes. ting agencies had required that the green
be set back to a minimum of 60 feet from
the salt marsh. Doing this would have
pushed the green to the east and further
in line with the tee shot on hole No. 9.

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The tee shot for hole No. 9 already crosses holes while allowing Eric the opportu-
a part of the 8th fairway, at a higher eleva- nity to create challenging holes. From
tion, but only for the back set of tee boxes. a design perspective having this green
up against the hazard made hole No. 8
The entire separation between holes No. a classic risk-reward hole, tempting the
8, 9, 14, 15 and 16 would have been se- golfer to reach the green in two shots if
riously compromised had permission not the drive was properly positioned.
been granted to set the green for hole No.
8 along the salt marsh and if the No. 8
green had instead been forced to be placed
east some 60 feet from the water.
The compromise, from the permitting
agencies, was critical for the Bayonne Golf
Club to have safe separation between golf

The par 5 hole No. 8 is named ‘Salt Marsh’
and offers a challenging shot over the tidal
basin to the green. Photo 2017.

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Remove the cement platform As the golf course became more of a reali-
ty it was apparent that this peninsula was
Today, green No. 16 is located on a man- needed to add distance and separation to
made cement platform, supported by the golf course as well as the supporting
sheet piling, and originally built for receiv- infrastructure for the marina and helistop.
ing barges of river dredged material. This The permitting agencies were very reluc-
platform is also the location for the marina tant to permit this dockage to remain as it
and helistop and the total area is about 300 was originally intended to be temporary.
by 300 feet or about 2 acres. The surface Permission to allow for the pier to remain
of the platform was constructed with 12 resulted only after many subsequent meet-
inches of reinforced poured concrete and ings and discussions between the golf team
housed the 2 pug mills (portable cement and the regulators.
plants) used to process the dredge and mix
it with 8% Portland cement. The inclusion of this small but significant
piece of land has benefitted the Bayonne
As part of the original permit this 2 acre Golf Club giving it one of the most in-
peninsula was required to be removed. It teresting and beautiful golf holes on the
had been approved to be installed to ac- course and noted in the Metropolitan Golf
cept dredged material from barges only Association section of Clubs. Hole No. 16
and the creation of a golf hole was not part named appropriately ‘Heavens Gate’ con-
of the permitting. tinues to receive accolades as one of the
region’s best par 4 holes.

Today No. 16 green is located on a manmade cement platform, supported
by sheet piling and originally built for receiving barges of river dredged
material. Photo 2017.

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Conflict between a public The suggested plan would require a berm
at the walkway and a cover of netting or
access walkway and golfers Plexiglas in order to protect the public
walkers. This would have been a major
The regulators priority was to protect the impediment to the success of designing
environment and enhance the experience hole No. 16 as well as adding an enormous
afforded to the public. One area of con- additional cost.
flict was the eventual installation of the last
section on the public walkway bridge over Eventually the permitting agencies saw
the salt marsh spanning about 130 feet. the wisdom to allowing the installation of
The permitting agencies did not want that the bridge which has now generated one
section placed over the salt marsh even of the finest public areas along the Hud-
though there was an approval for a similar, son River. Today, this public walkway is
and much longer bridge, crossing the larg- frequented by wildlife enthusiasts and
er marsh area. even recognized as a significant birding
site along with its daily use by people who
The agencies felt that this additional walk, jog, and bike. It is a source of much
bridge would add shade to that section of pride for those involved with the develop-
marsh and felt that this was not beneficial ment of the Bayonne Golf Club where a
to the environment. Instead of the bridge private enterprise, which used no public
it was suggested by the regulators that a funds, was able to add a valuable amenity
shoreline walkway would run parallel to for the citizens of Bayonne and the State of
hole No. 16 from the fairway landing area, New Jersey.
along the salt marsh, and to the walkway
behind the green.

One of the suggestions by regulators was to plan for a shoreline public walkway that would be
constructed parallel to hole No. 16 from the fairway landing area, along the salt marsh, and
to the walkway behind the green. Photo 2017.

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The regulators fought to allow the public walkway to continue from in back of No. 16 green
and proceed along hole No. 17, in the waste bunker, around to the oil storage facility and
through to Avenue J. Photo 2017.

One of the most contentious disagreements hole No. 17, past the water range practice
between the regulators occurred from the area and No. 12 green, around the oil stor-
termination of the public walkway at the age facility, and to its termination on Ave-
location of the current helistop. State reg- nue J next to the clubs maintenance facil-
ulators required that the public access be ity, created the greatest test of cooperation
created, as a public walkway, and made between the club and regulators.
available on the Hudson River frontage
from the northern border with New York The State’s view was that there is no com-
State to the Arthur Kill and Staten Island promise to the inclusion of the Hudson
in New Jersey. It is not practical that this River waterfront to public access. The dif-
will ever occur especially with all the large ficulty with the golf club frontage was its
private commercial real estate and marine remoteness and additional requirements
facilities along the Hudson River shore. that it be accessible 24 hours, 7 days a
It is, however, New Jersey State policy to week. The City of Bayonne, whose citizens
attempt to create this public walkway re- would benefit most from the public walk-
gardless of the obstacles. way, were the most adamant about limit-
ing the hours of operation. This walkway
In the case of the Bayonne Golf Club the was not like that constructed in towns like
extension of the public walkway along Hoboken or Jersey City which were adja-

54

cent to residences and commercial prop- own national tragedy on 9/11 in New York
erties seen in most urban settings. This City and the ongoing global terrorism
stretch of river front was remote and dark threat.
and could have posed a potentially dan-
gerous environment which would have Once Homeland Security made the deter-
stretched the resources of the City of Bay- mination that the public access be termi-
onne to monitor. The City did not want a nated at the helistop that then became the
24/7 walkway. prevailing wisdom among the numerous
agencies with supervisory interest control.
The Bayonne Golf Club did not want the
public walking past the tee box for Hole The water practice area,
No. 17 as it could put at risk pedestrians
who could be hit by golf balls as well as a most unique feature
disrupting play for members.
Knowing a short game practice area would
What happened next was a series of events be built, there was something still missing
that tested the good will and cooperation ... a long range practice area for hitting all
between the club and the regulators. An clubs in a golfer’s bag.
article appeared in the New York Times
which described the area around the club As the deed for the property recorded some
as one of the potentially most dangerous 310 acres of riparian land rights (under-
and sensitive areas from possible terror- water) in the Hudson River Bay, extending
ism. It is part of what is known as “the out from the area of the current No. 16
chemical coast.” Along the southern bor- green, No. 17 fairway, and No. 12 green
der is one of the nation’s largest petroleum approximately 1600 yards, the thought of
storage facilities and an essential part of a water range for hitting floating golf balls
our national security. into the Hudson was a creative way to pro-
After the article was written state and fed- vide what was needed.
eral Homeland Security Agencies inspect-
ed the walkway and independently made The next step was turning the concept
the determination that the public walkway of a water golf range into a reality. The
should terminate at the helistop and the plan was to use floating golf balls to hit
public should not be permitted to get ac- in the water, with the balls contained us-
cess close to the tank farm. This decision ing a floating retention skirt around a de-
led to some tension and accusation that fined practice area. Once the floating balls
the club interfered with the installation of would be hit in the water, they would be
the walkway. corralled into a retaining area and scooped
up with a fishing net from a small boat op-
While the club did not want the walkway erated by club employees.
to proceed down the shoreline parallel to
hole No. 17, the water range practice area A bentgrass turf tee would be placed on
and green No. 12, the New York Times top of a rock jetty that was already con-
article was a coincidence inspired by our structed along the shoreline adjacent to
hole No. 17. The bentgrass tee, on the

55

The water range, bentgrass tee,
is located on top of rock break
water constructed between the
17th green and 18th tee. The
plans illustrates the site contours
with elevations drawn in 10 foot
intervals. Image, circa 2002.

Hudson River, would allow golfers to The regulators had concerns with the aqua
practice full long shots, using floater golf range. The perceived concerns to the en-
balls, offering a unique experience for the vironment and wildlife were more un-
golfer. The floater balls, as manufactured, likely than a reality. The project had to be
provide 90% of the distance of a regular viewed in its totality and not by its com-
golf ball. ponent parts. Everyone involved, on all
sides, came to this realization. In order for
The proposed driving range was also of the Bayonne Golf Club to come into being,
concern to the regulators. Being in an ur- preconceived notions, biases and prejudic-
ban setting and having limited acreage it es had to be set aside. The metamorpho-
was necessary to be creative in creating a sis from an improperly closed landfill to
full golfing experience. Eric did not want a world class links golf course was not al-
players to hit full shots into nets. Not hav- ways pretty. It was a difficult and, at times,
ing enough land for a full driving range contorted road.
Eric explored, with his environmental
consultants, the possibility of using float- The next step was turning the concept
ing balls hit into the club’s riparian, cor- of a water golf range into a reality. The
ralled by a boom, and picked up by boat. plan was to use floating golf balls to hit
Eric was happy to find out that there was in the water, with the balls contained us-
nothing written in the regulations that ing a floating retention skirt around a de-
prevented the installation of the boom and fined practice area. Once the floating balls
the use of floating golf balls being hit into would be hit in the water, they would be
the river where the land rights (riparian) corralled into a retaining area and scooped
under it were owned by the club. up with a fishing net from a small boat op-
erated by club employees.

56

“The Bayonne Golf Club is one of the greatest ‘implausibilities’
in golf. In the end, the achievement was the result of cooperation,

trust and recognition of a great goal by all parties involved.
The Bayonne Golf Club was created in a ‘moment in time’
when all the stars were in the right alignment along with the tenacity
of Eric and Ron. Every obstacle was viewed as a challenge

to be overcome and not as a death knell.”

Richard Hurley

The completed water practice range on the Hudson River. Floating golf balls are collected
within the retainer. Golf balls are scooped up by one of the staff riding in a motor boat
using a hand held fishing net on the end of a pole. Photo 2016.

57

The reality for including a great concern to the club and risking the
swhaosrftogratmuietopruasc. tice facility quiet enjoyment needed to have a quality
golfing experience. Also of great concern
A short game area was not a part of the was the fact that the plant was behind the
original course layout simply because there clubs proposed gatehouse where plant
was no land available to build a practice traffic could be disruptive.
facility. During the planning of the golf
course there was a continuing concern for Negotiations to purchase this site took
not having a location for members and 4 years and required the approval of the
their guests to warm up prior to starting PSE&G Board of Directors, the NJ Board
their round of golf. of Public Utilities (“BPU”), the Federal En-
ergy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”),
Also, of great concern was the existence of The Pennsylvania - New Jersey - Maryland
a 61 megawatt peaking plant owned and Interconnection (“PJM”) and the City of
operated by PSE&G. This power plant was Bayonne. How it all came to be is some-
mainly in operation for only one or two times a blur, but clearly a concerted group
days during the hot summer months when effort, spearheaded by Eric and Ron.
electricity was in high demand. The plants Today, the Bayonne Golf Club short game
location was where the short game area is facility, with three practice target greens
now today, behind the clubs entrance gate. and a sand bunker green complex, is ap-
It consisted of two 747 jet engines and preciated by golfers as a nice practice fea-
generators powered by kerosene stored ture. The short game area is also used by
in a large 100,000 gallon storage tank. members to work on short game shots, up
It was obvious to see this facility was of to a distance of 180 yards.

On the left side of the plan is the site of the five acre 61 megawatt power peeking
plant that was purchased from PSE&G and is now the short game practice area.
Image circa 2002.

58

The short game practice area was built on the former PSE&G peaking power plant in 2005. Photo 2017.

“It is important to recognize, reflecting on designing and building
the golf course that for all major regulatory issues debated,
for the most important and critical ones Eric prevailed,

allowing the Bayonne Golf Club to become the facility it is today.”

Richard Hurley

59



The Ten Year Journey,
1996 – 2006

“In retrospect the construction of the Bayonne Golf Club
was a marvelous improbability” as there were a hundred
reasons why the course, as we know it today, would not

and could not be developed as a golf course.”

Ron D’Argenio

The Bayonne Golf Club project began in in total, of this 136 acres is upland and an-
1996 with contract negotiations. This be- other 14 acres above mean high water, not
came a 10 year journey, by all measures, part of the playing area, but a mitigation
a very long time to plan and build a golf area. The balance of 310 acres is riparian,
course. It is important to appreciate the or the land underwater. The golf course
significant personal investment in time for is an assemblage of the former Bayonne
this one project, considering 10 years is al- City Landfill, which was 38 acres and the
most one-third of a typical working career. balance of upland and riparian was owned
For anyone to invest so much of their own by PSE&G. It was Fred DeSanti, Vice Pres-
life on a golf course construction project ident of Government Affairs for PSE&G,
there must be incredible vision and a se- who negotiated the terms of the contract
rious commitment. In the big picture this with Eric and Ron to acquire the property.
was simply ‘a moment in time’ that in real-
ity could not be duplicated today.

It was 1996 - 1998 when talks were initi-
ated to procure the land and strike a deal
that would result in the building of a pri-
vate golf club on the Bayonne landfill site.
The negotiations were with OENJ to lease
the site it had purchased from PSE&G and
the City of Bayonne. Eric and Ron were
both involved from the outset for purpose
of negotiation, acquisition and finally de-
sign and construction. The site is 460 acres

61

The following is a list of governmental What followed was a maze
agencies requiring legal approvals for the
Bayonne Golf Club project to proceed: of uncertainties

• City of Bayonne Town Working through the bureaucracy to trans-
Planning Board form a derelict piece of land with dredged
material from New York Bay on an im-
• Bayonne Municipal Utilities properly closed municipal landfill and un-
Authority used utility property provided a maze of
uncertainties. It was clear from the start
• New Jersey Department of that some of the NJDEP employees were
Environmental Protection (NJDEP) circumspect about construction of a pri-
vate golf course on this site as much con-
• Federal Environmental Protection vincing needed to be done.
Agency (Federal EPA)
However, throughout the entire project,
• Army Corps of Engineers some of the employees representing the
NJDEP remained attentive but cautious.
• Homeland Security Nothing like this had ever been done be-
fore. By their nature, regulatory agencies
• Hudson County Soil are not known for speculative ideas. They
Conservation District can’t be. It goes beyond their grant of au-
thority. Had it not been for the strong sup-
• Passaic Valley Sewer Commission port by the City of Bayonne, particularly
the administration of Mayor Joseph Doria,
• Water Conservation District it is unlikely the regulators in Trenton
for Bergen County would have taken a chance on a project
with such lofty goals.
• Hudson River Waterfront Walkway
It was Eric and Ron, working day after
• New York/New Jersey Baykeepers day, week after week, and month after
Association month who were in continual discussions
with regulators over proposed restrictions.
• NJ Board of Public Utilities (“BPU”) In many situations these conversations
slowed and hampered the progress of the
• Federal Energy Regulatory project.
Commission (“FERC”)
Ultimately, the goal, if ever achieved, would
• The Pennsylvania - New Jersey - become a successful landfill remediation
Maryland Interconnection (“PJM”) and create a win-win project for the City
of Bayonne, the citizens of Bayonne, and
the Hudson River environmentalists.

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How Landfill Rehabilitation Led to the
Construction of the Bayonne Golf Club

“I am not building this golf course to sell real estate;
it’s all about the golf.”

Eric Bergstol

1996 Included in the plan were the proposed el-
evations for all the hills and mounds seen
Negotiations between OENJ and PSE&G on the golf course today.
and the City of Bayonne to assemble the
real estate. 1998 - 2003

1998 The contract to build a golf course did
not progress easily and there were seri-
An agreement was consummated with the ous issues that arose. In 2000 a corpo-
Army Corps of Engineers and the NJDEP ration named Cherokee purchased the
for both the “Waterfront Development Per- controlling interest in OENJ. Following
mit” and the “Remedial Action Work Plan that, the new company, OENJ Cherokee,
(RAWP)” for the Bayonne Redevelopment became remiss in fulfilling their part of the
Landfill Site. agreement which called for continuing to
deliver river dredge to the Bayonne site.
1999 The golf course could not be completed
without the additional dredged material
Eric and OENJ finalized a 200-year lease required for creating the elevations based
on the property that included a contract on the plans for the golf course design.
with OENJ to be the architect to design a
golf course. Lower pricing for dredged

2002 material almost killed the deal

After 40 attempts at developing a routing The primary issue with delivering addi-
for the golf course a basic outline was de- tional dredged material was the lower
veloped, on paper, for the golf holes seen pricing structure being offered from the
today. The plan placed the clubhouse in Army Corps of Engineers to pay for dredge
the center of the golf course at an eleva- placement on the site. This made it un-
tion of 90 feet above the Hudson River. attractive for OENJ Cherokee to continue.
This issue almost caused Eric to walk away
from the project before it was started.

63

In 2002 the Waterfront Development Per- Dredged material is mixed
mit Application was drafted and submitted
using the coordinated professional efforts with cement
of Mazur Consulting, Sadat Associates,
Princeton Hydro, Boswell Engineering, Upon delivery of dredged material to the
ICON Engineering and Richard Hurley, Bayonne site it was to be mixed with 8%
PhD -- a team of specialist in soils, plants, Portland cement, then relocated around
drainage, land planning and environmen- the site. Arriving at the Bayonne site as a
tal engineering. soupy, messy slop, and then, once mixed
with cement, the combination firmed
The Remedial Action Work Plan (RAWP) up sufficiently to enable it to be trucked
authorized Hudson River dredged mate- around the site. It is hard to imagine how
rial to be delivered, primarily on barges, many thousands of truckloads of dredged
to the Bayonne landfill site. During the material were actually carted around the
years 1998 to 2003 there were mountains site and dumped to create the land fea-
of dredge being delivered, day by day, tures.
barge by barge, to the platform docking
site (now the location of green No. 16.)

A bulk head cement platform was built
solely for the purpose of receiving dredged
material from the Hudson River. Flat river
barges would arrive at the reception site to
deposit river dredge. Two portable cement
plants were constructed to mix the dredged
material with cement before trucking around
the site to build the hills and mounds.
Photo 2003.

Large equipment on site moving dredge from
the portable cement plant in the background,

now the site of the sixteenth green. Internal
roadways were constantly having to be built,
repaired, and replaced to allow the trucks to

traverse the site as driving on the dredge
material was not possible. Photo 2003.

64

It was the enormity of the dredge mixture bentonite clay, a highly impervious mate-
that created the hills, mounds, and val- rial, which was placed at the sides, base or
leys that would eventually be molded and bottom of the entire remediation site.
shaped into the holes on the golf course.
The elevations seen on the golf course to- Methane gas collection and
day were entirely the result of the extreme
volume of available dredge delivered to burn off silo
the site.
A methane gas venting system was engi-
From the beginning, Eric knew he had to neered and installed on the areas of the site
have three-dimensional features to suc- that were the former Bayonne municipal
cessfully route the golf holes. The seem- waste landfill (The location of green No. 2
ingly never ending series of hills and and holes No. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7). Methane
mounds were first designed, on paper, to gas created naturally from decomposition
produce the varying elevations seen today. of the municipal waste in the landfill area
The site plan called for creating elevations would be trapped, collected, and piped to
that would vary anywhere from 20 to 93 a location for burn off. This system in-
feet above the Hudson River. cluded multiple vents and one flare placed
behind the golf course short game area.
Impervious slurry wall
As a point of reference on the location of
installed around the base the methane burn station today, after en-
of the site tering the Bayonne Golf Club guard gate,
drive down the road 100 yards. On the
At the same time the dredged material was left is an entrance path, and in back of a
being delivered to the property the slur- hill sits the golf course irrigation pump
ry wall was being built on the site cover- house and the burn off silo for methane
ing the 136 acres of upland property. The produced on the landfill area of the prop-
slurry wall was made of dredge mixed with erty.

“We brought in sheet piles -- steel plates that interlock and anchor in
the soil. Along with that a bentonite impervious slurry wall was installed.

That was created from the grade level to the bedrock around the entire
perimeter of the property. This prevents ground water under the golf course

from exiting the property. All of the ground water is contained,
and we mechanically pump and treat 60,000 gallons per day,

which is then discharged to the sanitary sewer system.”

Eric Bergstol

65

A thousand flat barges filled Two hundred thousand

with dredged material truckloads of clean fill
delivered to the site
The volume of material ultimately deliv-
ered to the site was staggering, 7.5 mil- The amount of clean fill required was enor-
lion cubic yards of approved materials, mous, with deliveries to the site averaging
primarily Hudson River dredged material approximately 225 trucks per day, six days
and clean fill. Of this total, approximately per week, over a three year period. Dozens
4.5 million cubic yards was river dredge. of large dump trucks were arriving at the
Simply stated, the total amount of soil fill site each hour of the working day, lined up
and processed dredge that came to the at the entrance at the weigh station, await-
Bayonne site is almost too much for one ing their turn to dump (trucks entered the
to imagine. site at a designated area -- the weigh sta-
tion, located not far from the current club
While dredged material was being deliv- entrance and the guard house).
ered to the landfill on flat-river barges,
clean fill was also being transported to the Doing the math, there were over 200,000
site using large dump trucks. In total, the truckloads of clean fill delivered to the
trucks delivered approximately three to Bayonne site primarily for use in capping
four million cubic yards of clean fill. the mountains of river dredge after the fi-
nal shapes and contours were completed.

Large dump trucks moved the dredge Hole No. 13 early shaping of the fairway.
mixture around the site to create basic l Photo 2003.
and forms for the golf course. Allen Hicks,
project manager, offers instructions to the
truck driver. Photo 2003.

66

This clean fill originated from literally Each truckload of ‘clean fill’ delivered to
hundreds and hundreds of locations, with the site had to be tested for soil pH and
soil arriving in trucks from a vast number free of petroleum residue, soluble salts,
of totally unrelated sites, from a mile away and other undesirables not suitable for
to possibly 100 miles from Bayonne. growing grasses and plants.

Clean fill, loosely defined, arrived primar- CcoonmsptarruicntgiotnhetoavBeraayogne ngeolf
ily from construction projects in the states
of New Jersey and New York. It was im- For the vast majority of all new golf cours-
possible to know exactly where the fill es completed since the 1950s, the most
originated, other than to say this soil was common method for construction would
excess taken from active construction sites be to move soil already on the property,
including retail, commercial, and residen- typically one to two million cubic yards,
tial projects all looking to dispose of fill. by cutting depressions to create ponds and
An additional source of fill was the dis- to take this soil and relocate it to build up
posal of rubble from building demolitions features.
or the digging of foundations for high rise
apartments and office buildings, much of
it used for the endless rebuilding of the in-
ternal site trucking roads.

“One thing is for sure; the clean fill material as acquired for the Bayonne
Golf Club project, in general terms, was consistently inconsistent.”

Richard Hurley

Dredged material piled up at what is now Hole No. 11, grey colored dredged material
hole No. 17 fairway and green. Left side in the process of being covered (capped) with
of the photo, in the water, is where the long two feet of brown clean fill. Photo 2003.
range practice area would be constructed.
Photo 2003. 67

By comparison, the amount of soil de- 2004
livered to the Bayonne course averaged
225 truckloads of soil each day, six days In 2004 the Bayonne site was nearing the
a week, and 12 months a year, for three designated capacity for the landfill and
years. Including both dredge and soil, the no longer taking in Hudson River dredge.
total utilized for the creation of the ulti- With a few small exceptions, from this
mate features amounted to 7.5 million cu- point through to the completion of the
bic yards of material -- a sum almost too golf course only clean fill and sand (for
large to imagine and one which is a testa- capping fairways) was accepted for deliv-
ment to the fact there is no comparison to ery to the site.
the enormity of what was accomplished at
the Bayonne Golf Club. Based on the approved site plan, storm
drains were installed in the dredge, ac-
After the dredged material was moved from cording to the engineering plans provided
the receiving area (near the current No. by Maser consulting, Sadat Associates, and
16 green site) it was placed and shaped to ICON Engineering as necessary to accom-
create the primary land forms for the hills modate surface drainage throughout the
and mounds. The nature of the dredge property.
material was such that it was unsuitable
for growing grass -- or any plants for that Large 42 inch drainage culverts were in-
matter -- and had to be covered. It was stalled that carried water into the harbor.
only after the river dredge was in place, Smaller culverts collected the golf courses
making the basic land forms, that it was surface water from all over the site. The
time for fill to be methodically trucked further up the elevation the smaller the
around the site and placed over the dredge pipes that were required to be installed.
for the purpose of covering this sterile ma- Twelve-inch storm drains were installed,
terial with two feet of clean fill. mostly in locations where golf course
fairways would be routed, smaller 4-inch
Once the dredge was covered with clean drains were placed in greens, tees, and fair-
fill, the seeding could begin for grassing ways, and connected to the larger storm
the hills, mounds, and slopes on the golf drains. Additionally, storm drains were
course. Today, the fescues and other native installed adjacent to areas where roads
grasses growing on the hills and mounds would be constructed and sites identified
of the golf course are growing in the clean to become parking lots. Upon completion
fill that was deposited on top of the river of the golf course a total of approximately
dredge. 4,000 surface drains had been installed on
the property.

68

2005 and plants to be used, while offering
thoughts on course design activities. Eric
In a pivotal move initiated by Eric, ne- would direct Don and Allen Hicks, the
gotiations were successful to buy out the project manager, on his vision for the final
200-year lease and purchase the property shaping of greens and tees.
outright from OENJ. This transaction ce-
mented Eric’s perpetual control of the Bay- One giant chess game with all
onne Golf Club property.
of the pieces moving at once
Time to finish and seed
Allen was in constant motion ‘juggling’ all
the golf course of Eric’s directives and making sure every-
thing was moving forward to complete the
For anyone who visited the site in 2004, a golf course by the end of 2005. Allen was
golf course was barely recognizable. the glue that kept all the individual proj-
This was an exciting time to finish and ects together. The project site was a giant
seed the golf course. All of the primary real life chess game, with all of the pieces
hills and mounds were set to the designat- moving at once and somehow, some way,
ed height and shape and all river dredge Eric and Allen knew where all of the piec-
was capped with two feet of clean fill. es were simultaneously and what the next
move needed to be.
Don Ellsworth, the shaper/bulldozer op-
erator, was the person most responsible
for completing the features for the greens,
tees, and fairways. Eric, assisted by Doc
Hurley, was on the site, day after day in
2005, discussing and directing the activ-
ities. Doc would discuss the soils, seeds,

Eric (Right) and Steve Kristoph (left) sanding It was 2005 when the golf course, as it is known
close to the current site of No. 14 tee. In the today, finally, after seven years of hard work and
distance is the site of green No. 16 before dreaming about golf holes, became a reality.
construction. Note the portable cement Photo 2005.
plant has been dismantled. Photo 2004.
69

The flexible and durable ADS mainline irriga- Drains being installed in a green cavity prior to
tion pipe is welded together prior to installation. placing four inches of pea gravel over the drains.
Photo 2005. Photo 2005.

No. 16 green and 17 tee and fairway under No. 1 green and fairway under construction,
construction, summer of 2005. Photo 2005. early summer 2005. Photo 2005.

70

13 to 18 inches of sand and organic mix Selecting the growing medium
installed on top of pea gravel on green No. 13.
Photo 2005. for greens

Hole No. 4 under construction. Looking back The selection of the sand based greens soil
toward the tee is the driving landing area. mix was a most critical decision. Rutgers
Photo 2005. University, under the direction of Dr. James
Murphy, conducted an extensive seven
year USGA-financed research project di-
rected to identify the most desirable sand
and soil amendments for use in building
golf course putting greens.

Using the results of this study, a medium
fine sand mixed with an organic bio solid
compost amendment named “All Grow”
was selected for construction of the Bay-
onne green sites. This combination was
the best performer in the Rutgers long
term research project.

The depth of the sand based growing me-
dium to be placed in each green cavity
was approximately 13 to 18 inches deep.
Since building the greens in 2005, the
sand and organic matter recipe selected
for use has held up extremely well. Over
the years since construction the greens
have not allowed large ripping ball marks
and the green surfaces have remained firm
and true. The test of time has shown the
health of the turf on the greens to be ex-
ceptional, year after year, providing con-
sistent putting surfaces.

No. 9 green growing in from seed to 50%
Velvet bentgrass and 50% creeping bentgrass.
Photo 2005.

71

No. 3 green shortly after seeding, summer 2005. No. 8 green three weeks after seeding, summer
Photo 2005. 2005. Photo 2005.

Sand, sand, and more sand for Why sand based fairways?

the fairways Currently, under all fairways is the dredge
base, covered with two foot of soil, and
It was Doc Hurley who advised that it would topped with a minimum of eight inches of
be wise to purchase pure sand to place on pure sand and in some areas many feet of
fairways. This would require trucking to sand -- similar to beach sand. The purpose
the site sand to be used for dressing eight of the sand is to allow for fast drainage of
to ten inches deep on fairways, from slope surface water after rain events and, most
to slope. The sand placed in the fairways importantly, to support the proper growth
is what would be used to construct the for links grasses to include the Chewings
greens. That is the reason the fairways are fescue and Colonial bentgrass that were
consistently good and drain so well. seeded on fairways.

This decision was important considering
the clean fill, alone, placed over the dredge
would be unacceptable for successfully
seeding and maintaining the fairway grass-
es. The decision, once made, set in motion
trucking to the site hundreds and hun-
dreds of loads of pure sand from quarries
primarily in Long Island.

A mountain of pure white sand stockpiled
prior to placing on the fairway surfaces.
Photo Photo 2005.

72

Hole No. 13 showing a minimum of eight inches Hole No. 6 from the back tee. On the left,
of sand placed on the fairway prior to seeding. over the hill, are recently established plantings.
This green had been recently seeded and was Note the white sand on the surfaces of the tees
being rolled to firm the surface. Photo 2005. and fairway. Photo 2005.

Sand being spread from top of slope to slope on Hole 16 under construction with sand being
each side of a fairway. Photo 2005. placed on the surface. Note Lower Manhattan
in the background. Photo 2005.

73

No. 9 tee sodded in the summer of 2005. Note Fairway No. 17 being seeded with Chewings
the Mugo pines and Junipers planted on the small fescue and Colonial bentgrass. Bob Wolverton,
hills on each side of the tee ground. Photo 2005. grow in superintendent, is on the tractor.
Photo 2005.

Fairway No. 17 with eight to ten inches of sand Eric is watching the progress of seeding No. 17
on the surface. Storm drains would be cut to the fairway. Photo 2005.
surface once the fairway seed had established.
Workers are prepping and raking during seeding
this fairway. Photo 2005.

74

In mid-summer 2005, the features for the
greens, tees, and fairways were sculpted
and readied for the final phase of seeding
the golf course. Late July, August, and
early September seeding allowed the golf
course to be ready for play in late spring
2006.

No. 18 fairway recently seeded and covered with a “The year 2005 was a very good
green-colored fiber mulch to minimize soil erosion summer for seeding
while the seed germinates. The pipes are storm
drains and the brown hill, in the middle of this as the weather was hot and dry
photo, in the background is the site of the club- with no major rain
house undergoing a soil stability test prior to start-
ing construction of the clubhouse. The hill on the or thunderstorms that would
right is the back tee on hole No. 16. Photo 2005. cause significant washouts
before the turf could become
established from seed.”

Richard Hurley

No. 18 green and fairway shortly after seeding
and before seed germination. The green color in
the fairway is fiber mulch sprayed over the
seeding to prevent soil erosion. Photo 2006.

75

Doc Hurley standing on the site of the putting green. In the background
is hole No. 2 green and the public walkway to the right. Photo October 2005.

Traditional links grasses and Drainage installed in the bunker in front of No. 6
green. Note the mugo pines planted on the hill in
plants selected for use back of the bunker. Photo 2005.

The greens, tees, fairways, and roughs were
seeded with traditional links grasses. Un-
der the direction of Doc Hurley and Ste-
phen Kristoph, 55,000 landscape plants,
ornamental grasses, and shrubs were stra-
tegically planted at around the property.
All of the plants and grasses selected for
use offered low maintenance while pro-
viding the necessary look for a links golf
course.

76

No. 4 fairway and slope seeding during the The grasses selected for seeding the golf
summer of 2005. Note the ring of fescue sod course were identified by Doc Hurley for
placed around the fairway. Photo 2005. the purpose of providing the golf course
look and play of a natural links course
No. 17 green one month after seeding, similar to what can be found in Ireland or
September 2005. Photo 2005. Scotland.

Putting greens were seeded with a mix of
velvet and creeping bentgrasses; the fair-
ways were seeded to a combination of
Chewing’s fescue and Colonial bentgrass-
es; and the hills and mounds seeded to a
mix of fescues to include hard, creeping
red, sheep, and Chewings.

The outside slopes of the property were
seeded to a combination of fescues along
with little bluestem, Indiangrass, and
switchgrass. All native grasses selected for
use being low maintenance -- not requir-
ing irrigation or fertilization -- while pro-
ducing seed that attracts birds to feed on
during the fall, winter, and spring seasons.

Additional grasses planted on the site in-
clude blue lyme and American beach grass,
both selected for stabilizing the sandy ar-
eas along the beachfront and in the waste
bunkers on the golf course. Plant selec-
tions for establishment around the proper-
ty included three types of junipers, Scotch
broom, baccharis, rugosa rose (salt spray
rose), mugo pine, spirea, beach plumb,
sweet fern, heather, bayberry, blueberry
and viburnum.

77

Plantings of spirea bushes and other species In November 2005 thousands of vegetative
on the hill separating holes No. 8 and 9. clumps of American beachgrass were planted in
Photo 2005. the waste bunker next to No. 17 fairway. Photo
summer 2006.

Mugo pines and spirea plants shortly after Hundreds of clumps of blue lyme grass were
planting in the summer of 2005. Photo 2005. planted in sandy areas around the golf course.
Photo summer 2006.

78

Newly-built stack bunker and drainage installed in front of green No. 5. On the left is Barry Crawford,
a native of Scotland, whom Eric and Doc Hurley met on a golfing trip to Scotland. Photo 2005.

Bulldozer shaper
Don Elsworth (left),
Eric (right) and Eric’s son
Brandon standing on the tee
at hole No. 17. Photo 2005.

79

cWohmeerferwomil?l irrigation water Irrigate thirty percent

After drilling test wells on the site, search- of the property
ing for acceptable water for irrigation, re-
sults reported poor water quality (i.e., wa- At the Bayonne Golf Club “best water
ter having a salt content too high for use management practices” are applied each
on the turf). The only option for irrigating summer season, using only as much wa-
the golf course was potable water -- some ter as necessary to sustain a quality play-
20 to 30 million gallons annually to irri- ing surface on tees, greens, and fairways.
gate approximately 25 acres of fairways, Consider this: the property is 136 up-
5 acres of greens and surrounds, and two land acres with less than 40 acres being
acres of tees during the golfing season from routinely irrigated.
late April through to the end of September.

Hole No. 12, note the 7 sisters 6 brothers bunkers in front of the green. Photo September 2005.

80

The golf course serious washing and damage to the newly
binectohmeefsalrlecoofg2n0iz0a5ble germinated seedlings. These concerns did
not occur as the summer of 2005 provided
Seeding of the golf course began in the the most desirable weather conditions for
summer of 2005 and it is important to seeding and completing a golf course – to
recognize this summer was generally free include seasonably dry conditions.
of excessive rain events that could have
hampered and delayed the construction The grass seed successfully established,
process. was fertilized, grew in, and matured during
the fall of 2005 and the spring of 2006 and
As most of the golf course seeding was during this time period a golf course lit-
accomplished during the months of July, erally appeared for everyone to recognize
August and September strong thunder- and appreciate.
storms or a hurricane would have created

The green for hole No. 16 on the peninsula with the Lower Manhattan skyline in the background.
Photo October 2005.

81

2006 - 2008 Looking across No. 3 green, lower right in the
picture, with fairways No. 2 and 8 and the
Ready for play in May clubhouse under construction. Photo Fall 2006.

In May 2006, greens, tees, and fairways The clubhouse under construction with the steel
were sufficiently mature to open the golf framework completed. Photo fall 2006.
course for member play. Some found it
hard to believe that a golf course seeded
in the summer of 2005 would be ready to
play in the spring only nine months after
seeding.

During the late spring and summer of
2006 the condition of the golf course ma-
tured offering exceptional playing surfaces
during the first golfing season for the Bay-
onne Golf Club.

For opening day in May 2006 a tempo-
rary clubhouse tent was constructed in
the lower parking lot and was used by the
members for the 2006 and 2007 golfing
seasons. With the golf course completed,
the plans to begin construction of the cas-
tle-style clubhouse with attached light-
house were finalized.

Fairway and green for hole No. 15, ironwork
on the clubhouse, and the American flag.
Photo fall 2006.

82

On the lower right side of this photo can The “bunker” half way house
been seen the ‘bunker’ halfway house under
construction, cut into the hill near No. 10 tee. From the beginning the plan was to keep
Photo 2006. golf course visuals clean and uncluttered
-- no club entrance sign, no hole or direc-
tional signs, or ball washers placed around
the property. Following this theme there
was no halfway house included in the
original plan.

While considering options, the most de-
sirable plan was to build a ‘bunker’ into
the side of the hill at the No. 10 tee, expos-
ing only one side of the structure for view.
When completed, the ‘bunker’ would have
a bathroom and a room for dispensing
light snacks and beverages. In front of the
‘bunker’ is a large mound that limits the
visibility of the facility.

The half way house ‘bunker’ is set in a hillside near No. 10 tees. Photo 2017.

83

2007 This NFA covenant from NJDEP confirmed
that all of the remedial work had been suc-
A great day when the NFA cessfully completed and legal suits against
the developer for non-performance could
letter arrived in the mail not be instituted. It was a long journey
but with this NFA letter, the permitting
After years of continued and sometimes and regulatory part of the project was at
contentious disagreements with the NJ- an end.
DEP and other regulatory agencies, it was
time for closure. Upon receipt of the NFA
letter (“No Further Action” required af-
ter complying with the Remedial Action
Work Plan), Eric and Ron knew they were
safe from further requirements for the suc-
cessful completion of the project. With
this NFA letter in hand, it was time to ex-
hale knowing that after years of regulatory
struggle this was a milestone.

84

Clubhouse Design and Construction

The clubhouse, reminiscent of a stately castle, sitting atop the highest hill, is elegant in appearance,
stylish, warm and inviting. Photo 2015.

In April, at the start of the 2008 golfing ings. Anytime a building is set on such a
season, this incredible and extremely im- large quantity and elevation of fill the ob-
pressive clubhouse was open to the mem- vious expectation would be to use pilings
bers and their guests. to support it. In the case of the Bayonne
clubhouse, pilings would have needed to
The Bayonne clubhouse was construct- be driven to a depth of at least 130 feet
ed during a two-year period from 2006 to hit the bedrock needed to support the
to 2008. With the site of the clubhouse building.
designated to be set at 90 feet above the
Hudson River, there were preconstruction Every engineer who discussed the struc-
concerns for soil firmness or, more point- tural stability of the ground below the
edly, stability of the dredge and fill that clubhouse with the architect would not
was used to raise the site to the designated sign off on a building without pilings being
height. used. Eric searched out his own structural
engineer, Malcolm McLaren, that he had
Throughout the more than six year soil worked with on other developments. Mal-
importing process the area where the club- colm looked carefully at the projects needs
house was to be located had been carefully and created a plan, supported by soil com-
raised and compacted so that the structure paction testing, which would clear the way
could be built without the need for pil- for a self-supporting structure.

85

Testing for site compaction (surcharged) area below the clubhouse. His
foundation design was innovative and be-
and firmness came recognized in the structural engineer-
ing community for its ingenuity and creativ-
To alleviate concerns, the plan was to con- ity.
duct a soil density and stability experi-
ment that required placing sufficient soil, Essentially what Malcolm came up with
mounded up 20 feet high, weighting at least was to have the building act like a boat.
the same amount as the finished clubhouse The foundation was designed having a 2
would weigh, and located exactly where the foot thick poured concrete basement slab
clubhouse would sit. and a 14 inch thick first floor. The perime-
ter basement walls were installed 12 inches
During the six-month test period, use of thick as well as all internal basement parti-
calibrated instruments measured stability tions, made of reinforced poured concrete.
both at the start of the test and again after All floors and walls were additionally sup-
six months to determine if any settling of ported by layers of heavy steel rebar (no. 6)
the base soil had occurred. Following the webbing connected to each adjacent con-
test period, results were positive and con- crete floor and wall.
firmed the soil was stable with no recorded
settling. The result was a foundation which was built
as a uniform, self-supporting box so that
Bsiunigllde-tphoeurrecboanr crreeintefobrlcoecdk no movement could occur. It performs like
the hull of a ship, displacing the water and
foundation allowing it to float. The only other consid-
erations were the pipes leaving and enter-
With the positive results from the soil bear- ing the clubhouse. They had to be installed
ing test Malcolm McLaren began to design a with flexible connections in case some set-
structural plan for the building that would
add extra insurance to a well compacted

This 2005 photo shows fairways No. 8 and 9 Photo of the 20- foot high pile of soil sitting
under construction. Note the 20-foot high pile of on the clubhouse footprint confirmed stability
dirt in the upper right which is the location of the and allowed clubhouse construction to start.
six-month stability test being conducted prior to Photo 2005.
initiating construction of the clubhouse in 2006.
Photo 2005.

86

tling would occur. It was planned that if What golf course has
settling happened it would be the entire aoflitghhetchlouubsheoaussepa?rt
clubhouse area, parking lot, terraces, and
putting green, and not just the main struc- The picturesque lighthouse may be entered
ture. As we approach nearly ten years of the from the second floor of the clubhouse from
clubhouse being established there has ap- the golfers pub. To reach the top of the
peared to be no settling that has occurred. lighthouse one ascends 24 steps to a land-
ing area, followed by 54 steps via a spiral
Award winning architect staircase.

selected to design The observation deck is located approxi-
the clubhouse mately 90 feet above the ground and 180
feet above the Hudson River. The top of
The award winning architectural firm of the lighthouse provides a panoramic view
Hart Howerton was selected to design the of the entire golf course including 360 de-
33,000-square foot clubhouse. The exteri- gree city and river views.
or design and basic room layout was devel-
oped by Hart Howerton and Eric’s design The impressive views from the top of the
team. The concepts for the oak woodwork lighthouse includes the World Trade Cen-
and finishing of the interior of the club- ter, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building,
house were completed under Eric’s personal Lower Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn,
direction. Newark Liberty International Airport, and a
total of eight bridges to include the George
The plan was to position the clubhouse in Washington, Verrazano, Brooklyn, Manhat-
the middle of the golf course to sit majesti- tan, Williamsburg, Newark Bay, Bayonne,
cally on top of a hill above the Hudson River. and Goethals.
The intent was to orientate the clubhouse to
maximize the panoramic views offered by
the presence of the Hudson River and the
skylines of Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Clubhouse designed

in proportion

The overall size of the clubhouse
needed to be in proper proportion
with the surrounding landscape to
include the golf course, the Hudson
River, and Manhattan’s towering
buildings. Today, admired from a
distance the Bayonne Golf Club
clubhouse is a spectacularly
beautiful, balanced, and elegant
mansion by any measure.
Photo 2017.

87

The putting green placed to

complement the clubhouse

With the clubhouse design and construc-
tion moving forward, the decision was
made to build a putting green in front of
the clubhouse with the grass surface main-
tained close to the clubhouse patio. It was
also decided that a flat flagstone walkway
would be installed adjacent to and parallel
with the clubhouse patio allowing for the
putting green to start at the flagstone.