Parks to Re-open

In accordance with Governor Phil Murphy’s Executive Order No. 133, the Somerset County Park Commission has announced the re-opening of its general use parks, trails, and golf courses in Somerset County on Saturday, May 2, 2020 at sunrise.


Restrictions included in the Governor’s Order will be imposed at all Commission facilities, and will be enforced by Park Commission staff, the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, and local police.  The Governor has made it clear that non-compliance with these restrictions and general social distancing measures will be met with an order requiring the closure of parks and golf courses.  The Commission requests the cooperation of all park patrons and golfers in complying with these mandates so as to limit the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and allow Commission facilities to remain open.

General use parks including Duke Island Park on Old York Road and North Branch Park on Milltown Road, both in Bridgewater; Natirar Park in Far Hills and Peapack-Gladstone; East County Park in Warren; and Skillman Park in Montgomery will be open.


In addition, the trail systems in Washington Valley Park in Bridgewater, the Sourland Mountain Preserve in Hillsborough and Montgomery, the Environmental Education Center at Lord Stirling Park in Basking Ridge, and the Little Brook Sanctuary in Bernardsville will be open. However, restroom facilities, picnic areas, pavilions, playgrounds, exercise stations, and all buildings including, but not limited to, visitor centers and educational/interpretive centers will remain closed to the public.


The leash-free dog areas located in Colonial Park, East County Park, and Skillman Park will also remain closed until further notice.  Further, the Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden at Colonial Park and the Leonard J. Buck Garden in Far Hills will remain closed.  Classes, lessons, and programs at all Park Commission facilities remain suspended indefinitely.  All of the Commission’s baseball, basketball, softball, cricket, and soccer fields, the tennis courts at the Green Knoll Tennis Center and Colonial Park, and the roller hockey rink at the North Branch Greenway Park in Bridgewater remain closed.


In compliance with the Governor’s most recent order, the following requirements will be implemented at its general use parks and trail systems:

·      Employees and visitors must wear cloth face coverings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, except where doing so would inhibit that individual’s health or where the individual is under two years of age;



•     Parking will be limited 50% of the maximum capacity at one time, and

visitors shall be prohibited from parking in undesignated areas, including

in roadways. At 50% of parking capacity, parking areas will be closed. We thank patrons for their patience and compliance;

·      Picnicking, of any nature, shall be prohibited.  This prohibition includes a ban on picnic blankets, chairs, coolers, and other such personal property;  



·      Visitors must practice social distancing and stay six feet apart whenever practicable, excluding immediate family members, caretakers, household members, or romantic partners;



·      Organized or contact activities or sports shall not be allowed; and



·      Gatherings of individuals in park or on trails are prohibited.

Golf courses including Neshanic Valley in Neshanic Station, Green Knoll in Bridgewater, Quail Brook and Spooky Brook in Somerset, and Warrenbrook in Warren Township will be open starting on Saturday, May 2, 2020 at 7:00 a.m.


Like park facilities, Commission golf courses will have a number of requirements and restrictions. The particulars of those requirements and restrictions are consistent with the requirements set forth in Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 133.  The Park Commission has adopted a Policy on COVID-19 Mitigation Practices and Procedures which can be found on the Park Commission website at www.somersetcountyparks.org.


Individuals desiring to golf at Park Commission courses should review that policy, understand its content, and be prepared to comply with all requirements and restrictions.

The welfare of the Park Commission’s employees, park patrons, and golfers is of paramount importance to the Commission. If Commission staff in its parks and trails or at its golf courses witness non-compliance with the Governor’s Executive Orders or the Commission’s practices and policies, the Commission will have no choice but to close its facilities.  Moreover, the Governor, himself, has said that if these rules are not followed, he will reverse the Executive Order and close parks and golf courses again.  For these reasons, the Park Commission implores everyone to comply with all mandates.


Updates on programs and activities may be found at www.somersetcountyparks.org or by calling 908-722-1200.

Amazon Shopping to Benefit Park Foundation

The Somerset County Park Foundation would like to remind park patrons and supporters that all purchases through www.smile.amazon.com will result in a contribution of 0.5% of the purchase price to the Somerset County Park Foundation.

The Foundation has registered with AmazonSmile, a simple and automatic way for financial support with every Amazon purchase. AmazonSmile offers tens of millions of products eligible for the donation, virtually everything available on the standard amazon.com website.

Anyone with an Amazon account can register on AmazonSmile and select the Somerset County Park Foundation as the charitable organization. The Amazon Smile Foundation will then donate 0.5% of every purchase price to the Foundation. As everyone continues to practice social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic, Amazon purchases will provide a much needed contribution to the Therapeutic Recreation department and other Foundation activities.

The Somerset County Park Foundation is a 501c(3) created to preserve, support, and promote Somerset County Park Commission programs, facilities, and open space, through advocacy and fund raising. The Foundation is managed by a 15-member Board of Trustees including one member from the Board of Chosen Freeholders. Funds are used to sponsor, underwrite, support, and promote park activities, expansion of programs, improvement of facilities, and capital expenditures to enhance access to active and passive recreation opportunities.

For information on the Park Foundation, visit www.somersetcountyparks.org or call 908-722-1200.

NVGC Meadow #7 Included in NY Post Top 18 Golf Holes

Somerset County Park Commission Neshanic Valley Golf Course (NVGC), located at 2301 South Branch Road in Neshanic Station, New Jersey, is included in the NY Post “Best 18 Holes on Public Courses in the Metro Area.”

The 18 holes were chosen by Post golf writers Brett Cyrgalis and Mark Cannizzaro. Selected as hole 13 was Meadow 7, a short dogleg left par 4 at 336 yards to a narrow green. Course architect Michael Hurzden noted when designing the course, “The magic of short par-4s is that they allow average golfers to feel like they’re pros.”

Other courses on the list include Bethpage Black on Long Island, host to major championships; Trump Ferry Point in the Bronx, New York; and Crystal Springs in Sussex County, New Jersey.

In 2017, Neshanic Valley Golf Course Meadow 9 was selected as part of the Metropolitan Golf Association (MGA) Dream 18, a selection of 18 holes at different courses that were played in one day by a select group of MGA golfers and broadcast by the Golf Channel.

Neshanic Valley provides a complete golfing facility with a 27-hole Championship Course (Meadow, Ridge, Lake), a 9-hole Academy Course, the Learning Center, and the Callaway Golf Performance Center and High Definition Golf™ simulator.

The state-of-the-art Learning Center includes a double-ended driving range with grass and mat hitting areas, a 12,000 square foot putting green, a practice facility including bunkers and three chipping greens, and two practice holes.

The Performance Center at Neshanic Valley offers a state-of-the-art computerized golf club fitting and swing analysis system, operated by Callaway-trained professionals.

NVGC and the Somerset County Park Commission’s additional four golf courses are currently closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Information on Neshanic Valley, the other four county golf courses, and additional Somerset County Park Commission activities may be found on the Internet at www.somersetcountyparks.org.