THE MEADOWS AT MIDDLESEX

This Geoffrey Cornish design threading through central New Jersey's rolling farmland delivers surprising elevation changes and strategic bunkering that punishes wayward drives while rewarding precision. The back nine's water-guarded par-3 16th demands a committed mid-iron over a pond that has claimed countless golf balls from indecisive swings. At under $60 for weekend play, it's become the region's worst-kept secret among players seeking championship conditions without private club pretensions.