Volunteer Opportunties

The Somerset County Park Commission provides a wealth of active and passive recreation opportunities for the residents of Somerset County and beyond. The well-trained, experienced Park Commission staff provides a maximum level of customer service throughout the entire park system.

Supporting the Commission’s year-round and seasonal employees is an army of volunteers whose efforts provide much needed support to ensure that our parks and recreation programs fully meet the expectations of millions of annual visitors.

The Park Commission welcomes volunteer community service from individuals who seek the satisfaction and enjoyment gained through active participation. For those who enjoy the great outdoors, volunteer opportunities exist as maintenance assistants; garden guides and horticultural assistants; leaders and side walkers in the therapeutic horseback riding program; horse groomers, equestrian trail guides, and stable workers; members of the Volunteer Park Patrol working closely with the Park Rangers; and support for special events including the July 4^th Fireworks, the 1770s Festival, and the free summer concert series

Group and corporate volunteer opportunities exist for projects at various locations throughout the park system. These include conservation efforts, land management projects, park beautification, and assistance at major events. The support of corporate and community groups enables necessary improvements to our parks while fulfilling the mission and goals of many community-minded organizations.

For information on Somerset County Park Commission volunteer opportunities, contact Nancy Meola, Volunteer Coordinator, at 908-722-1200, ext. 5528 (NJ Relay 711 for individuals with a hearing or speech impairment) or at nmeola@scparks.org.  

It's Simulator Time at Neshanic Valley

The Somerset County Park Commission has announced that open time and tournament time is available at the Neshanic Valley Golf Course (NVGC) Learning Center HDGolf Simulator. The indoor facility is located at 2301 South Branch Road in Neshanic Station, New Jersey.

Weekday reservation times begin at 8:00 A.M. with the final starting time at 8:00 P.M. Weekend times begin at 7:30 A.M. ending at 3:30 P.M. Simulators rent for $50 per hour weekdays and $60 per hour weekends. Discounted standing blocks of time are available.

The High Definition Golf™ simulator sets the standard for indoor golf accuracy and realism. Revolutionary image processing software combines high resolution digital images, satellite data, and geophysical data into 3D models of golf courses. Representations look real and are completely accurate everywhere on the course with every tree, bunker and hazard reproduced exactly. Additionally, the simulator provides comprehensive and precise shot analysis including ball speed, club speed, launch angle, club face angle, ball spin and spin axis at high accuracy.

Among the 26 courses available at the Learning Center are: Pebble Beach®, St, Andrews®, Pinehurst®, Kiawah Island®, Spyglass®, Doral®, Harbourtown®, Troon North®, Bethpage Black®, Banff Springs® and many others.

The HD Winter Challenge stroke play tournament for men and women is run weekly on one of well-known championship courses. Weekly and year-end prizes will be awarded. Golfers may register as a single, twosome, threesome, or foursome. Fee is $20 per week

For information and registration email FGlass@scparks.org or call the Learning Center at 908-369-8232. For information on all Park Commission programs and activities, log onto www.somersetcountyparks.org.

Shop Amazon Smile & Benefit Park Foundation

The Somerset County Park Foundation has announced that anyone who purchases products through www.smile.amazon.com will be contributing 0.5% of the purchase price to the Somerset County Park Foundation.

The Foundation has recently 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. All eligible products are noted on the 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.

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.

Warrenbrook Senior Golf Team Repeats as Champions

The Warrenbrook Senior Golf Team is champion of the 2018 New Jersey Senior Golf League, successfully defending their 2017 Championship. The Championship round was played at High Bridge Hills Golf Club in High Bridge, New Jersey.

The New Jersey Senior Golf League is made up of 13 teams from Ash Brook Golf Course in Scotch Plains, NJ; Galloping Hill Golf Course in Union, NJ; Spooky Brook Golf Course in Somerset, NJ; Knob Hill Golf Course in Manalapan, NJ; Mountain View Golf Course in Ewing Township, NJ; Princeton Country Club in West Windsor, NJ; Suneagles Golf Club in Eatontown, NJ; Tamarack Golf Club in East Brunswick, NJ; and Warrenbrook Golf Course in Warren, NJ. Teams play weekly.

The Warrenbrooks 2018 Season record was 17 wins, 6 losses, and 1 tie for a Winning Percentage of 729%.

This is the second win for the Warrenbrook team in the league that began in 1978. Participating players are 60 years of age or older with the oldest player in the recent competition 84 years of age. It should be noted that golfers in competition walk the courses.

Team members competing in the Championship round were: include Mike Carey, Rocky Collucci, Brian Hill, Gregg Lister, Bill Maloney, Dennis O’Hare, Rich Regan, Ed Schwartz, Bill Thompson, and Bill Weeden. Additional team members are: Joseph G. Kiely, Andy Stewart, John Tripp, Bob Winikoff, Andy Horun, Ted Piontkowski, Bruce Arfken, Vinnie Turturiello, John Runfolo, Roger V. Johnson, Jim Piretti, Sung Kim, Jack Hobbs, Jim Mecca, Bob Pines, Paul Martin, Mario Testa, Bettyann Maloney, Jeri Hill, and Ted Piontkowski.

The Spring Session for the league will begin on April 4, 2019.

For information of Somerset County Golf, call 908-722-1200, ext. 5428. For information of Park Commission activities and programs call 908-722-1200 or go online at www.somersetcountyparks.org.

County Adds to East County Park Amenities

At a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, October, 11, 2018, Somerset County Park Commissioners and staff, members of the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and Warren Township officials celebrated the opening of two pavilions at East County Park on Reinman Road in the township.

East County Park is bordered by Dubois, Reinman and Old Stirling Roads and was officially opened to the public in September of 2014. The 150-acre park features an 8-foot-wide stone multi-use trail approximately one half mile long, two large dog and one small dog leash-free areas, three ponds, and two pavilions.

The park was developed in partnership with the Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Park Commission, and the Warren Township Committee.

Future plans include the installation of picnic tables in the pavilions and the ability to reserve the larger of the pavilions for group events.

  

“We are pleased to have been able to provide new recreation opportunities to County residents,” commented Interim Park Commission Secretary-Director Geoff Soriano. “The leash-free dog areas and the pavilions are welcome additions to the park, providing patrons with additional activities accompanied by beautiful views.”

“This is another great example of a successful county-municipal partnership,” said Freeholder Director Patrick Scaglione.

“East County Park provides a much-needed recreational boost to the eastern portion of Somerset County,” said Freeholder Mark Caliguire, parks liaison.

International Delegation Visits Rose Garden

A nine-person delegation from the Guizhou Botanical Garden in Guiyang City, China visited the Somerset County Park Commission Rudolf van der Goot Rose Garden at Colonial Park on Friday, September 14, 2018.

Led by Horticulture Supervisor Shauna Moore, the delegates toured the Garden that received the prestigious 2015 World Federation of Rose Societies' (WFRS) Garden of Excellence Award.

The delegates are rose researchers at the Display Plants Laboratory of Guizhou Botanical Garden and are sponsored by the Guizhou Provincial Government to learn about the management of rose gardens. Among the topics that the tour addressed were: historic information about the garden and roses planted there, curation of the collection, garden management practices, and both species and cultivars of special interest

The Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden is one-acre in size and contains more than 3,000 roses of 325 varieties. The garden was named in honor of Rudolf W. van der Goot, the first horticulturist with the Somerset County Park Commission, as a tribute to his efforts in designing and developing the garden. The Rose Garden is located on Mettlers Road (Parking Lot A) in the East Millstone section of Franklin Township’s Colonial Park.

From late spring through fall, the roses present a kaleidoscope of color, form, and fragrance. Visitors can view popular modern hybrids, species, and various classes of Old Garden Roses. All roses are clearly labeled for easy identification and only roses that thrive in central NJ are kept in the rose collections.

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Shop Amazon Smile & Donate to Park Foundation

The Somerset County Park Foundation has announced that anyone who purchases products through www.smile.amazon.com will be contributing 0.5% of the purchase price to the Somerset County Park Foundation.

The Foundation has recently 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. All eligible products are noted on the 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.

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.