JACKSON, N.J. – Golf course architect Raymond Hearn completed a stunning 3-year renovation of the highly acclaimed Metedeconk National Golf Club. The Club, nestled in the upper region of the New Jersey Pinelands, was designed by world-renowned architects Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and Roger Rulewich.
Hearn worked closely with Club President Fred Price, Greens Committee Chairman Rob Bakos, Golf Course Superintendent Andrew Mallick, Director of Golf Brent Studer, and General Manager Derek Kopp to restore this 27-Hole golfing oasis.
Hearn is president of Raymond Hearn Golf Course Design and a member of the ASGCA.
“It was a great team effort”, states Hearn. “I could not be more pleased on how things turned out. It is a tremendous honor working for this great Club. Strategy and shot value were enhanced on every hole with regards to current day hitting distances that have increased since the club’s original opening.”
“Ray Hearn has helped us tune and freshen our classic RTJ course and provided great guidance on longer term issues like tree and turf management. Ray has a unique understanding of both the architectural objectives and maintenance needs,” said Price.
“Ray fully respected the Legacy of Robert Trent Jones, Sr. Strategy, shot value and course aesthetic were all dramatically increased. The remodeled bunkers really brought our aging golf course to life and the enhanced fairway contours and greenside runoff areas are bold and dramatic,” said Bakos
“Every partnership in this industry is unique. Ray Hearn has exhibited every quality needed to be mutually successful. Working on our master plan during the peak of a pandemic, Ray’s flexibility shined. Communication and accessibility were second to none, no matter how insignificant the detail. Ray’s altruism has established him more than a respected professional but a close friend,” Mallick said.
“Raymond Hearn did an amazing job restoring our Robert Trent Jones bunkers while adding variety to many of the holes. Ray was a great team player throughout the project with a focus on restoring, not redesigning,” said Studer.
“The feedback from our members and their guests has been remarkable. The attention to detail throughout the entire process is evident. Ray had a great approach to maintaining the look and feel of our Robert Trent Jones, Sr., and Roger Rulewich design, while finding ways to refine strategy and shot value with added angles and options,” Kopp said.
