The DROP Podcast

Patrick Keenan, Head Golf Professional at Deal Golf & Country Club, explains how one of New Jersey’s most historic private clubs continues to evolve while protecting its golf identity. Founded in 1898, Deal has long been known for tight fairways, strong bunkering, and highly contoured greens, but this episode focuses on something equally important: how junior golf, family participation, and a...

Brigantine Golf Links is one of the most distinctive public golf properties in New Jersey: a historic links-style course built in 1927 as part of the island’s original master plan and designed by Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek. Set just minutes from the tables in Atlantic City, the course blends Scottish links influence with bay views, native marshland, open terrain, sea breezes and a layout that...

Chris Gotterup’s final-round 62 at the John Deere Classic changed the conversation around New Jersey’s best golfer. Mike and Chris examine how Gotterup erased a five-shot deficit, won with his brother Patrick on the bag, and added another closing round that places him among the most dangerous winners on the PGA Tour. The episode also covers Mike’s three-day Crystal Springs Resort experience, inclu...

Can 12 holes deliver a better modern golf experience than 18? Mays XII is betting that it can. Opening July 11 in Mays Landing, New Jersey, the former Mays Landing Country Club has been transformed into one of the most interesting new golf concepts in the state. Mays XII offers a legitimate round with full-length Par 3’s, Par 4’s and Par 5’s, while reducing the total playing time to approximately...

Jaimie Pierson, Head Golf Professional at Baltusrol Golf Club, previews the Upper Course ahead of the 125th New Jersey Amateur Championship, where the cut will be established Tuesday and the champion crowned Wednesday afternoon. Although it has often stood beside the Lower’s larger major-championship profile, the Upper owns a defining history of its own, including the 1936 U.S. Open and 1985 U.S....

Jaimie Pierson, Head Golf Professional at Baltusrol Golf Club, previews the Lower Course ahead of the 125th New Jersey Amateur Championship. Opened in 1922 as part of A.W. Tillinghast’s groundbreaking dual-course design and restored by Gil Hanse, the Lower has hosted some of the defining championships and moments in American golf. For this milestone State Amateur, it will play as a par 70, with No...

The 125th New Jersey Amateur Championship heads to Baltusrol Golf Club, where 102 of the state’s best players will compete across 72 holes on the Lower and Upper Courses. Mike and Chris preview the championship format, the two-course rotation, the demanding 36-hole final day, the significance of the milestone edition and the leading contenders. They examine the pressure facing defending champion B...

Jimmy Arbes captured the 2026 New Jersey Mid-Amateur Championship after a dominant week of match play at Alpine Country Club, defeating three-time New Jersey Player of the Year Troy Vannucci, 3 and 1, in the final. After falling in the semifinals one year earlier, Arbes explains what changed, how he handled the pressure of another championship opportunity and why patience, recovery and course mana...

Twisted Dune Golf Club brings a taste of Scotland to Egg Harbor Township and delivers one of New Jersey’s most distinctive public golf experiences. From the black tees, the par-72 layout stretches to 7,270 yards, with towering dunes, dramatic elevation changes and more than 100 bunkers creating an intimidating look without making the course feel unfair. Generous landing areas provide room off the...

Wyndham Clark entered Sunday at Shinnecock with a six-shot lead and left as a two-time U.S. Open champion, but the final round became a test of survival. Mike, who picked Clark to win before the tournament, and Chris examine how he stopped a near-collapse, held off Sam Burns and handled a crowd openly rooting against him. They also assess Shinnecock’s championship setup, Scottie Scheffler’s missed...

Jason Lamp returns to The DROP Podcast for a where-are-you-now episode centered on his next chapter in South Jersey golf. Since his first appearance, Lamp has moved into ownership at Pomona Golf, become a partner at FIRE GOLF, continued helping players through instruction at Atlantic City Country Club, and carried forward the experience he built during his time at Galloway National. Mike and Jason...

Pinelands Golf Club in Hammonton, New Jersey has the feel of a course that more golfers are going to start paying attention to. Located just off the Atlantic City Expressway, Pinelands offers a classic South Jersey golf experience built around deep sand-based, tree-lined fairways, distinct doglegs, strategically placed water hazards, and highly contoured greens that make the round feel both playab...

Twisted Dune Golf Club brings one of the most distinct public golf experiences in South Jersey into focus, with big dunes, bold visuals, generous playing corridors, and the kind of personality golfers remember after the scorecard is put away. Mike and Chris connect that idea of course identity to U.S. Open week at Shinnecock Hills, where wind, firm conditions, patience, decision-making, and emotio...

Harbor Pines Golf Club is highlighted as The DROP examines one of South Jersey’s most recognized public golf properties through its course, conditions, pricing, practice facilities, and overall player experience. Assistant General Manager Chris Doyle adds the club perspective on how Harbor Pines delivers a Jersey Shore golf product built around conditioning, access, and a private-club feel without...

Dan Hicks has spent more than two decades calling golf's biggest moments, making him one of the most trusted voices in championship golf. With the 2026 U.S. Open returning to Shinnecock Hills and The Open Championship heading back to Royal Birkdale, Hicks joins The DROP Podcast to assess the season's defining storylines, the players shaping the year, and the questions still waiting to be a...

Pomona Golf is not trying to be the biggest golf course in New Jersey. It is trying to be one of the most fun. In this Course Feature on The DROP Podcast, we sit down with one of Pomona Golf’s owners, Jason Lamp, to talk about the vision behind the property, the renovations taking shape, and why Pomona is leaning into what golfers actually want: great vibes, good food, affordable golf, and a place...

This episode begins with a golf course that left a lasting impression. Pinelands Golf Club in Hammonton delivered outstanding conditions, pure greens, exceptional food, and a level of value that raises an important question: why isn't more of New Jersey talking about this place? Located just off the Atlantic City Expressway, Pinelands offers the kind of complete public golf experience golfers spen...

Dottie Pepper brings one of the clearest voices in championship golf to The DROP Podcast. The CBS Sports lead on-course reporter, two-time major champion, and 17-time LPGA Tour winner helps define the 2026 golf season so far, from Rory McIlroy defending at Augusta to Aaron Rai winning the PGA Championship at Aronimink. The episode covers Chris Gotterup’s rise, what made Aronimink such a strong maj...

Knob Hill Golf Club has long been considered one of the top public golf experiences in New Jersey, but what makes it stand out today? In this Course Feature on The DROP Podcast, we sit down with Director of Golf, Lou Kubisa to discuss the course's continued commitment to exceptional playing conditions, championship-caliber greens, and the exciting changes that are shaping the future of Knob Hi...

This episode looks at two completely different South Jersey golf experiences and what they say about the strength of public golf in New Jersey. Harbor Pines brought a polished, challenging, and complete public golf feel near the shore, while Pomona Golf proved why affordable, local, personality-driven 9-hole courses still matter in a serious golf market. Mike and Chris also look ahead to the NJ Go...

John Mascari, Director of Golf at Alpine Country Club, joins The DROP ahead of the 2026 New Jersey Golf Mid-Amateur Championship for a proper championship preview of one of the most intriguing private clubs in the state. Originally known as Aldecress and designed by A.W. Tillinghast in 1928, Alpine has always had a different kind of story. Built into the rocky terrain of the Jersey Palisades, the...

NJ Golf Member Golf Days might be the best way for everyday golfers to play private golf courses in New Jersey without being a member. This episode centers on Mike’s full experience at Cherry Valley Country Club, where the day was about much more than getting access to a private course. From the range and clubhouse to the food before the round, competitive format, post-round drinks, prizes, and ov...

Griffin Jayne, Head Golf Professional at Navesink Country Club, has taken a path into the golf business that is anything but typical. Raised in Chattanooga, he grew up playing baseball, did not start golf until eighth grade, did not make his high school team until junior year, and was originally on a pre-med track at Furman before choosing a career in golf. Now, he is only the fourth Head Professi...

The PGA Championship at Aronimink is in the books, and now the question becomes how the week will be remembered. Aaron Rai claimed the Wanamaker Trophy after a final-round 65, while Aronimink gets judged as every major venue does: by the golf course, the setup, the leaderboard, the pressure, and whether the championship produced something that felt worthy of the stage. With the major played close...

Mark McCormick has spent decades competing at the highest levels of professional golf while leading one of New Jersey’s most historic clubs. As the longtime Head Golf Professional at Suburban Golf Club, an A. W. Tillinghast design just outside New York City, McCormick built a career that includes the 2008 New Jersey State Open title, multiple U.S. Open and U.S. Senior Open appearances, and inducti...