Baltusrol Golf Club - Upper Course: NJ Golf’s 125th Amateur Preview

Jaimie Pierson, Head Golf Professional at Baltusrol Golf Club, previews the Upper Course ahead of the 125th New Jersey Amateur Championship, where the cut will be established Tuesday and the champion crowned Wednesday afternoon. Although it has often stood beside the Lower’s larger major-championship profile, the Upper owns a defining history of its own, including the 1936 U.S. Open and 1985 U.S. Women’s Open. Its 2025 restoration by Gil Hanse returned the scale, movement and strategic character of A.W. Tillinghast’s original design.

This episode examines how Baltusrol Mountain, natural elevation changes, restored fairway lines and expanded greens shape the Upper’s championship test. Jaimie explains where players can score, why shorter holes such as Nos. 9 and 12 still demand precision, how the restored dual greens at 14 change the strategy, and what the final stretch of 16, 17 and 18 will require under pressure. It is a complete preview of the course that will determine the cut and ultimately decide the 125th New Jersey Amateur.

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