How a Bergen course landed big-time golf
AUGUST 18, 2014, 10:12 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2014, 12:12 AM
BY ANDY VASQUEZ
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
On an October day back in 1935, a few caddies at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus presented a seemingly ridiculous challenge to the young assistant pro.
They knew Byron Nelson was good. But they didn’t think he could hit the narrow flagpole from the patio behind the clubhouse. Today there’s a plaque on the stone patio that marks the spot from which Nelson, one of the legends of the game, hit that flagpole on his second try.
It’s just part of Ridgewood’s rich history, one that the venerable club will build on this week when it hosts The Barclays for the third time.
The top-ranked golfers in the world — including Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler — will be at Ridgewood this week to compete in the first event of the PGA Tour’s playoffs. The purse is $8 million, with $1.44 million going to the winner.
Ridgewood has hosted the Ryder Cup (1935), the U.S. Amateur (1974), the U.S. Senior Open (1990) and the Senior PGA Championship (2001). But when the FedEx Cup playoffs and The Barclays first arrived at Ridgewood in 2008, it was the storied club’s first foray into big-time, modern tournament golf. And for a long time, it looked as if Ridgewood might not get that opportunity.
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Good business plan.
A lot of fun in a beautiful setting even if you are not a golf fan. Might be worth the price of admission to enjoy a nice day out in the fresh air.