It started even before David Reasoner was the head professional, when he was just two years removed from being an intern out of Penn State, shagging balls on the back of the range at Ridgewood Country Club.
That was 2001, when the real brainwork began figuring out how to bring golf's biggest stars to Paramus, N.J., to this historic club set among the towering oaks, with 27 holes designed by famed course architect A.W. Tillinghast.
"We kind of looked at the facility as a whole, and we wanted to lengthen the golf course a little bit to get a bigger event," Reasoner said Monday, having now been the head pro for 12 years and with the club set to be the host for The Barclays for the third time in six years.
"This golf course is so good it deserves to be on that stage," Reasoner said of his club hosting the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs, starting Thursday. "The course itself deserves to be on that stage."
With more than 300 total acres to work with, and a rich history of big-time events, Ridgewood roped in the 1990 U.S. Senior Open, and then the 2001 Senior PGA Championship. The two over-50 major championships were nice, but the membership wanted more. And to get it, Ridgewood was going to have to lengthen the golf course.
So rather than use the composite layout they used in 2001, the club decided to reroute the course and to stretch it to 7,340 yards, a substantial number even in light of the prodigious length of even the slightest PGA Tour pro. That got Ridgewood the 2008 Barclays, which was won by Vijay Singh, followed again in 2010 by Matt Kuchar's victory on the first playoff hole.
"I love it," said Morgan Hoffmann, who qualified for the field at No. 124 of 125 and who grew up in nearby Wyckoff, N.J., playing a lot of junior golf at Ridgewood. "We don't get to play many great, old golf courses, and this is one of the best."
Bubba Watson on the driving rangePhoto: Getty Images
Reasoner said the decisions made in terms of the new routing were based on a few factors — one being the club wanted to end on the West nine, where the final two holes provide ample challenge and excitement, as well as include a couple of the club's most popular holes. That includes the famed "five-and-dime" hole, a 291-yard par-4 that got its name from members playing it with a 5-iron off the tee and a 10-iron (a modern wedge) into the green. It will play as the fifth hole this week.
"It took a little while to figure out the routing, but we pretty much have close to our best 18 holes out there," Reasoner said. "It really worked out well."
All said, there are seven holes from the East nine, five from the Center nine, and six from the West nine. That leaves a big open parkland feel to the middle of course, where spectators can hang out and view numerous holes from one spot.
"Some of the [pros] are like, 'Wow, these other holes we are not playing, those look really good, too,'" Reasoner said. "That's the nice part."
The course is going to be closed for member play for less than two weeks, and it's only that long because there is 40 percent larger infrastructure from the last time the Tour was here. Reasoner, the younger brother of former Islanders' forward Marty Reasoner, is also happy with the conditioning of the course, led by superintendent Todd Raisch. With an extended forecast with nothing but good weather, it should stay that way, as well.
"The golf course right now is in perfect condition," Reasoner said. "The place is pretty mint."
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