The weekly Pulse of Golfing In The Garden State – new stories every Monday.
This week: North or South. Who has better public golf? Co-hosts Mike and Chris finally went head to head on the biggest debate in NJ golf, and neither side went down easy. Plus Mike got fitted and came out with a completely new bag of sticks, the DROP is hosting its first-ever in-person event, and New Jersey Golf opened registration Wed, Feb 18th.
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North vs. South: The Great NJ Public Golf Debate
They've teased it. They've danced around it. But Mike and Chris finally did the thing, a full episode dedicated to the question that divides every group chat, clubhouse argument, and post-round parking lot conversation in the state: where in New Jersey has better public golf?
The rules were simple. Draw a line at the Driscoll Bridge. Mike takes the North. Chris takes the South. No private clubs. No hypotheticals. Just courses you can actually book and play.
Watch the debate on YouTube
Mike came out swinging with what he called the "Kobe-Shaq combo" in the north Francis Byrne and Rock Spring, Essex County's one-two punch that anchors any best-of-NJ conversation. Then he started stacking: Berkshire Valley ("the first five holes, I was just blown away"), Neshanic Valley's 27 holes, Architects, Heron Glen, High Bridge Hills. And just when you think the North runs out of depth, he plays the Sussex County trump card, Ballyowen, Wild Turkey, Black Bear, and 27 at Great Gorge.
Chris countered with the shore. Hominy Hill and Charleston Springs (36 holes) anchoring Monmouth County. Ballamor, Twisted Dune, and Seaview (36 holes, home of the LPGA's ShopRite Classic) covering Atlantic. Cape May National, Shore Gate, and Avalon stretch the coast. And out west, Mercer Oaks gives South Jersey its own 36-hole destination.
"Everything's better down the shore. People are more relaxed. It's probably not heightened tee times and the stress of multiple groups waiting on the tee."
Even Chris conceded the North's edge in architecture, "you have historic, historic architecture... South Jersey doesn't really have that." And Mike admitted the North might be too repetitive, "Parkland, mountains, Parkland, mountains." The South's variety (coastal, links-style, parkland) is its secret weapon.
The verdict? It’s up to you: "If someone told you tomorrow, you can only play one half of New Jersey for the next five years, which side are you taking?"
This episode continues a thread The DROP has been pulling all winter. NJ public golf is having a moment, and this show is mapping every inch of it, from the Top 3 Counties for Public Golf, the Best Composite Public 9 to the courses-we-still-need-to-play.
Trivia
Michael Buell, Master Fitter at True Spec Golf, says the biggest club fitting myth involves which piece of equipment?
A) Drivers
B) Shafts
C) Putters
D) Wedges
(Answer at the bottom)
Jersey Boys on Tour
Cognizant Classic (PGA National): Nico Echavarria won at -17 after Shane Lowry imploded in PGA National's infamous Bear Trap: back-to-back double bogeys on 16 and 17 after leading by three. It was the first time Lowry has ever made consecutive doubles in his Tour career. Co-host Chris Dymek had Lowry as his weekly pick, just tough to watch two balls go in the water on back to back holes.
Mike's pick, Michael Thorbjornsen, missed the cut (72-71). Gotterup took the week off after his Genesis MC, sitting at No. 2 on the FedEx Cup with two wins in his first five starts of 2026.
Korn Ferry Tour: A toughweek in Argentina for the Jersey trio. James Nicholas and Ryan McCormick both missed the cut at the Visa Argentina Open with John Pak leading the group with a T48 finish. Nicholas had been riding momentum from his first career Korn Ferry win at the Astara Golf Championship two weeks ago and still third on the KFT points list. McCormick was making his first start of 2026 with a child on the way. They'll regroup.
The DROP Pod Outing: March 21st @ Tee2Green Golf
Mark your calendar. The DROP is hosting its first-ever in-person event: a 16-team, two-man better ball at Tee2Green in West Long Branch on Saturday, March 21 from 6 to 9 PM. $75 per person covers golf, pizza, wings, prizes, and a raffle.
Spots are limited to 32 players, if you don't snag a playing spot, you're still welcome to come for the meet-and-greet, chip-and-putt, and prizes. March Madness will be on the TVs.
This is the community showing up in person. If you've been DMing Mike and Chris, here's your shot.
Mike Got Fit The Results Are In.
If you've listened to Mike talk about his bag for any length of time, you know one thing: Titleist top to bottom, no questions asked. Everything changed last Thursday.
Mike sat down with Michael Buell, Master Fitter at True Spec Golf at Metedeconk National, for a full-bag fitting — and walked out with Ping irons, TaylorMade driver, Titleist wedges and a fundamentally different understanding of his own game.
The turning point came early. Buell watched Mike stripe a six iron and said: "That 185 is a fugazi number. It doesn't exist in an applicable world." The ball was carrying 185, but with 3,600 RPMs of spin and a 41-degree angle of descent.
The Problem: It was hitting greens like a line drive. Every protected pin was inaccessible. Approaches didn’t have the stopping power needed to hold greens.
"I put a towel over the quad. If someone is just fixated on the numbers, I'll put a towel over the screen. You be an athlete, and I'll worry about the rest."
The fix wasn't more distance, it was more loft, better spin, and a shaft that timed the release properly. For Mike the Ping Blueprint S irons with an Accra i-Series Green 115 shaft launched the ball higher, spun it more, and landed softer — while only giving up four yards of carry. On the driver side, the TaylorMade Qi4D added 10 yards of carry (254 to 264) and 15 total (272 to 287) over his Titleist GT2.
The biggest move: dropping the 3-wood entirely. A Callaway Quantum Max 5-wood carried 231 (only six fewer than the 3-wood) with dramatically more control, and a 7-wood at 205 carry solved the long par-three problem that's haunted Mike for years. Both fairways are bent 1 degree strong to achieve the perfect numbers.
Buell's financial pitch is hard to argue with: Mike bought three drivers in four Titleist release cycles. One properly fit driver should last four to five seasons. Measure twice, cut once.
"You bought three brand new drivers in four releases. If you did it right the first time, your TS2 should be beat right now."
When asked to describe True Spec in one word, Michael doesn't hesitate: "Agnostic." No brand loyalty. No house accounts. Just what the numbers say. He told his next client after Mike not to buy a new driver because his current setup was already performing at 98% of his potential. That kind of honesty is rare in the golf retail machine.
Watch the full interview on YouTube or listen in your podcast player or choice.
Pro Shop
Looking to show your Jersey golf pride this season. Check out our selection of shirts, hoodies, and hats in The DROP pro shop. Find quality gear like the DROP rope hat. Lightweight, comfortable, and perfect on or off the course.
The 19th Hole
North or South. The debate is out there now, and we want to hear from you. Pro says the shore vibes and coastal variety make the South unbeatable. Mike says Essex County alone could take on half the state.
So which side are you taking? If you could only play one half of New Jersey for the next five years, where do you plant your flag?
Hit reply. This one's going to get loud.
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Dunning Golf x DROP Partnership: Code DROP20 for 20% off your first order.
TRIVIA ANSWER: B) Shafts. Michael Buell says the biggest myth is thinking a shaft labeled "high launch, high spin" will automatically produce those results. "Shafts don't launch balls. They don't spin balls. A shaft is a timing mechanism, nothing more." If you're buying a shaft based on a marketing description, he says, just stop. Go get fit.