Looking to play the best golf courses in New Jersey? Whether hopping over from New York or vacationing in NJ, GolfReviewsGuide.com picks out the top courses to play in New Jersey.

New Jersey, resting in the shadows of New York, is one of the smallest states in the United States. But across the Hudson River from NYC, you can find plenty of great golfing options.

A visit to tourist-popular New York can be mixed in with a golf-centric visit to New Jersey. Let’s take a look at what golfing enthusiasts can expect in the state.

1. Pine Valley Golf Course

The Pine Valley Golf Club, a popular course, is less than 20 miles from the Pennsylvania border with Philadelphia the nearest major city to the venue.

First opened in 1913, Pine Valley plays host to the Crump Cup in modern times, a tournament that is considered a major event in amateur golf.

Golf Digest ranked this course number one in the world in the past and it is considered a major challenge to reach par at this venue.

If a credible source thought Pine Valley was number one in the world then, needless to say, it should be sit at the top of the list of best golf courses in New Jersey.

2. Baltusrol Golf Course

One of the best picks for golfing in New Jersey is Baltrusol Golf Course. Located in Springfield, New Jersey not far from the I-78 Express, golf has been played on these grounds since the late 19th century.

The private-member venue has hosted the US Open seven times and the USPGA Championships twice. Jack Nicklaus and Phil Mickelson are among the notables that have claimed victories at the course.

The grounds have both a Lower Course and an Upper Course for a total of 36 holes that have earned accolades in Golf Digest, Golfweek, and Golf Magazine.

3. Plainfield Country Club

The Donald Ross golf course at Plainfield Country Club is just 15 miles from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

Established in 1890, Plainfield is one of the most historic clubs in the USA. For over 125 years, the course has offered the classic challenge of blind-tee shots and blind approaches to the greens.

This is a course that truly puts a golfer’s sixth sense to the test.

The venue hosted the US Women’s Open in 1987 (won by Laura Davies) and Plainfield was the stage for both the 2011 and 2015 FedEx Cup series.

A big part of the history of golf, Leighton Calkins, a member of Plainfield, developed golf’s handicap system.

Hardly a one-sport venue, the country club itself also features tennis, swimming, dining, social activities, paddle, and squash.

RELATED: Best Courses To Play in the United States

4. The Ridgewood Country Club

The tree-lined Ridgewood Country Club offers guests and members alike a chance to escape the concrete jungles that characterize many parts of America’s east coast.

Situated across the Hudson River, The Ridgewood Country Club features 27 holes on three courses: the East, the West, and the Centre Courses.

The venue is remembered for hosting the 1935 Ryder Cup (the United States won 9-3) and it has been selected multiple times for the FedEx Cup Series.

5. Somerset Hills Country Club

The Somerset Hills Country Club is central to the state of New Jersey, located off of Mine Mountain Road near Bernardsville.

At its current site, the club has a history that goes back over 100 years to 1918.

Designed by A.W. Tillinghast, the front nine was built on a former racetrack while the back nine lead into a hilly wooded area that promises to challenge members.