Just Play Golf: Red Hoffman Cup Comes to West Orange

The Red Hoffman Cup came to West Orange's Essex County Country Club Saturday – blustery winds making the 7,000-yard challenging course seem just a bit trickier to some of the best scratch golfers in New Jersey.

The event, in its seventh year, is named after the late Arthur K "Red" Hoffman, a well-known golf writer and publicist who worked for famed golf architect Robert Trent Jones and the New Jersey State Golf Association. That was just part of his resume ...

Hoffman was an advocate for the sport both in New Jersey and nationally for more than 60 years, starting in the 1940s.

Growing up in Louisiana, event director Kevin Casey of Madison recalled hearing Hoffman's name. Hoffman died in 2005 at age 86. The event didn't have a name early on, so when Plainfield Country Club officials – Hoffman's club —  suggested that it be named after Hoffman, Casey was in full agreement.

"It's pretty neat. We didn't really have a good name for the event and Plainfield suggested it. He was a member there," Casey said. "Nobody cared more about golf than Red did."

He would have loved the spirit of the event named in his honor.

"It's as pure as golf gets," said Casey, adding that the event final's site is rotated from year to year. "Not a lot of pretense here. You just go out and play golf."

Baltusrol Golf Club won its first Hoffman Cup title decisively, building an early lead and pulling away. Baltusrol won by eight strokes over Hamilton Farm Golf Club (206-214). Plainfield Country Club (216) and Metedeconk National Golf Club (218)  came in third and fourth. Hackensack finished fifth at 220.

The Cup started with 20 clubs, split into five groups in scratch interclub competition. Each club put together its best eight players, including a representative from a professional club into four two-man teams. Two teams from each club played "home" and two played "away" at the opponent's course. The five group winners then competed in final medal play Saturday.

Baltusrol advanced to Saturday's matches by beating group foes Essex County C.C., Echo Lake C.C. and Knickerbocker C.C..    

"This event is one of our favorites, because it draws the best players from most of the finest courses in the area," said Vinny Dolan, captain of the Baltusrol team.  "We worked hard to win the Hoffman Cup, and look forward to holding the Cup for a year."