$6.8M In Upgrades Underway At Golf Course In West Orange

WEST ORANGE, NJ — A project to “modernize” the Essex County Francis A. Byrne Golf Course in West Orange continues, and the view from the first hole is impressive, an official said last week.

Essex County officials recently announced an upgrade plan for the golf course:

“The project includes rebuilding sand bunkers, reconstructing and enlarging tee areas, reconstructing greens, installing new sod or enhancing existing grassy areas, repairing cart paths and updating drainage and irrigation systems. Work to remove dead and decaying trees started earlier in September. Nine holes will remain open at Francis Byrne during construction. Kay Golf Course Design from Galloway Township received a professional services contract for $285,000 to design the improvements to the golf course. Turco Golf Inc. from Pompton Lakes was awarded a publicly bid contract for $6,837,631 to perform the construction. The project is being funded through the Essex County Capital Budget and a grant from the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Board. Work started earlier in September and is scheduled to be completed by April 2023.”

Essex County entered into a Project Labor Agreement to ensure unionized labor was hired for the golf course improvements, officials said.

The first hole at Francis Byrne was reconfigured in 2019 to enhance safety at the course and reduce the number of balls that left the golf course and landed on residential properties across Pleasant Valley Way. The last major upgrade at the course was completed in 2009, officials said.

“Our courses have become so popular,” Essex County Golf Director Tim Christ said, referring to recent improvements made to Essex County Hendricks Field Golf Course in Belleville and Essex County Weequahic Golf Course in Newark.

“With these improvements, Francis Byrne is going to be spectacular,” he said, adding that the number of rounds projected to be played at Essex County three golf course is on pace to surpass 100,000 rounds in 2022.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. has been sharing photos of the development project on social media, which can be seen below.

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