STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 18TH FAIRWAY at Liberty National Golf Club, a player might forget that this, too, is as New Jersey as the shore villas, swamplands, and smokestacks, the cliffs of the Palisades, mountains of the North, and pastures of the South.
Ahead looms the spectacular $50 million clubhouse, modeled after the Sydney Opera House. To the right are the Hudson River, Manhattan skyline, and Statue of Liberty. Behind lie acres of prized real estate transformed by time, love, sod, vision, and expert architecture from a toxic wasteland to a playground for some of the best golfers in the world.
From August 25-30, the PGA tour’s Barclays Invitational comes to Liberty National for the first time. Dan Fireman, who along with his father, Paul, conceptualized and developed the course, believes that the Barclays will put this side of the Hudson on national display. “When they show Liberty, you’ll see Jersey City,” Fireman says. “When they run promos teasing the golf course and location, it’s going to be a really strong story about the transformation of the course and of the whole New Jersey waterfront. It’s a fascinating story of American history.”
The club counts among its members former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft. One of its newest members is tour pro Phil Mickelson, a huge fan favorite and the chief rival of living legend Tiger Woods. “My first impression was that I wanted to be a member,” Mickelson says. “Liberty offers amazing golf with the Statue of Liberty in the background. It’s one of the very coolest settings I’ve ever been a part of. The par-3 14th is one of the coolest holes in golf.”
The Barclay’s Invitational began life as the Westchester Classic in Harrison, N.Y., where it was played for 38 years—with the exception of last year when it was played at the Ridgewood Country Club in Ridgewood, N.J.—and later became the Buick Open. This year, it will combine all the elements that make for a first-class event—a top venue, world-class field, and high stakes.
Visitors to Liberty National will not only get an inside look at one of the most exclusive clubs in the country, but they’ll be offered a true spectator’s paradise. Tons of earth, some of it dredged from the Hudson, were brought in and used to shape the existing land with high mounds on either side that function almost like bleachers, providing stadium-like views of the action.
“When we designed Liberty,” Fireman says, “we went through 100 different routing plans, always with an eye toward views of the tournament, the city, the waterfront, the Verrazano Bridge, and the Statue of Liberty. We wanted to create an environment where not everything is visible and overexposed on every hole. The view builds up as the round builds up.”
The Barlcays tournament has a rich history of strong fields and prominent champions, including legends such as Seve Ballesteros, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer, and current stars such as Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, and defending champion Vijay Singh. These days, of course, every tournament director wants the two biggest draws in golf: Mickelson and Woods.
It’s too early to tell what the exact field will be, but Singh will likely defend his title. Mickelson is a member at Liberty National, and one of his primary sponsors is Barclays. And Woods, coming off an injury that cut his 2008 season short, is likely to be hungry for a FedEx Cup championship in 2009.
Recently, the PGA Tour formed the FedEx Cup, an end-of-year, four-event postseason. Tour players earn points throughout the year, and the top 144 qualifiers are eligible for the first round of the playoffs. The Barclays tournament is the first of these key playoff dates. Championship-level golf used to have a two-tiered structure. The first was the four major tournaments—the Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open, and the PGA Championship. The next tier was every other tournament.
Although Woods won the inaugural FedEx cup in 2007 while playing only three of the four events, the points system has recently been tweaked to make such a scenario less likely. This will mean a highly talented and highly motivated field.
“We always envisioned that the true validation of this course would be that the best players in the world would be competing here at a prestigious event,” says Fireman. “It’s a given that the golfers want to compete in the FedEx Cup, but they also care about the ancillary benefit: We’re five miles from Manhattan.”
Says Mickelson, “I’m really excited about the Barclays at Liberty National because we get to stay in Manhattan and take advantage of all it has to offer and commute to work via ferry to one of the most fun courses we’ll play this year.”
He’s looking forward to the charged-up crowds. “The metropolitan spectators are passionate about their sports, whether it’s football, baseball, or golf,” he says. “I think it’s the competition … that gets those fans fired up. Yet at the same time they’re respectful of the game and the players, and some of the funniest lines I’ve heard anywhere come from outside the ropes in the New York/New Jersey area.”
For now, the PGA Tour is committed to Liberty National only for this year, with a return to Westchester scheduled at least once before 2010.
“The venue is chosen by the sponsor and the players,” says Fireman. “At places like Ridgewood and Westchester, the players have experience. This is our first time hosting an event of this caliber. Everyone is taking a wait-and-see approach; we want to make sure it’s an enjoyable venue for everyone. I have every reason to believe they’re going to love it.”
Adds Mickelson, “Liberty National is not a traditional New York area golf course with the history and tradition of a Ridgewood or Baltusrol. But it has so much to offer on its own. It has a fabulous setting and some of the most dramatic hole variations on the PGA Tour.”
Fireman is not at all worried about being compared to Westchester and Baltusrol. “My humble opinion is that I would love to be compared to those great courses,” he says. “Sometimes I have to pinch myself when people tell me we’re being compared to these venues. I think we’ve done something unique and special—something that New Jersey can take pride in.”
If you plan to attend the event, you’ll want to make the most of your outing by seeing the entire course throughout the day. But you may also want to scope out a great place to catch action on multiple holes. Dan Fireman, who knows the course better than anyone, suggests a spot among the closing holes. “From near the 16th green—which is a drivable par 4—you can also see the approach to the 5th and 3rd greens, as well as the 17th tee,” Fireman says. “That’s a really good spot.” Be aware that the largest crowds of the estimated 20,000 to 30,000 spectators will be those who follow Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson throughout their round, and those who gather around the green of the picturesque closing hole.
• Sunblock, applied liberally. The links-style course offers little in the way of natural shade.
• Comfortable walking shoes. If you’ve never walked a golf course, approach it the same way you would a trip to the amusement park. Sandals, flip flops, or any sort of high fashion may leave you heavily blistered by mid-morning.
• Cash. The PGA shop may accept credit cards, but you’ll probably need good old-fashioned paper money for lunch and bottled water to stay hydrated. For the bladder-challenged, there will be lots of port-a-potties. At most events, coolers and bags over a certain size are not permitted. Typically, tickets range between $35 for a practice round (Tuesday and Wednesday) to $125 for the final day (Sunday, when a champion is crowned). Ticket prices have not yet been set.
• Courteousness. At most sporting events, cheering is encouraged. Golf has not evolved the way tennis has. Silence is still expected until after the golfer has struck the ball. Also, no cell phones will be allowed.
• Attentiveness. The “stands” in golf are what’s known to golfers as “the rough,” or, “the place the ball is most likely to land.” While the PGA Tour players are the best in the world, that unpredictable white ball will often scream into the crowds at high speeds. Stay alert at all times—BS
Visit thebarclaysgolf.com for updates as the event nears.
Liberty National’s well-heeled members often arrive from Manhattan, Long Island, or more distant shores by ferry or private boat. It stands to reason, then, that an enterprising boat owner could try to catch some of the tournament action from the public waters of the Hudson River for the bargain price of … free.
Let’s say the U.S. Coast Guard, New Jersey State Police, and park police do not prohibit boaters from entering the area, this is still a bad idea on many levels. For one thing, the Hudson near Liberty State Park is challenging to navigate for those unfamiliar with it. Strong, shifting currents; heavy boat traffic (commuter ferries, commercial vessels, and leisure craft, to name a few); narrow channels; and shallow waters with exposed rock should combine to give all but the most experienced captains pause.
This plan would also pose logistical problems. Although the Hudson River is visible from many holes on the course, only four or five would be visible from the water. For those who may still be undeterred, who may have already gotten a glimpse of the exclusive venue from the water, consider this: those lovely hills and mounds you see from the water? They’ll be hidden by 20,000 or so spectators.—BS