Scotch Plains: Golf, Nature and History

Scotch Plains offers a range of options for a stay: golf and mini golf, a natural setting in the north, and buildings and places connected with local history. The 9-hole course at Scotch Hills Golf Course and the mini golf course at Scotch Hills Country Club represent two different types of play. There are also natural and historic sites that you can explore according to the interests behind your trip.

Nature and Golf in Scotch Plains

Part of the Watchung Reservation lies in the north of Scotch Plains. Brookside Park has a walking path. The two places offer different points of interest: the reservation provides a natural setting in the north, while the path is for a walk in the named park. If outdoor activity plays a role in choosing your destination, this distinction offers a concrete point of reference.

The 9-hole course at Scotch Hills Golf Course offers 2,247 yards of golf from the back tees and has a par of 33. The reference to the back tees is important for understanding the length: the yardage applies to those tees. Scotch Hills Country Club also has an 18-hole mini golf course with streams, stepping ponds and a waterfall.

If you are choosing between the two types of play, you can compare their stated features: the golf course is described in terms of hole count, length and par, while the mini golf course is characterized by its 18 holes and the water features described. This gives a more precise picture of the golf options in Scotch Plains without treating the two facilities as equivalent offerings.

Historic Houses and Local History

The Frazee House is a farmstead dating from the American Revolutionary War. It was built in a rare style typical of 18th-century Anglo-Dutch architecture. Having been preserved for more than 230 years, it is a landmark of Union County. For those interested in architecture, the house brings together its identity as a farmstead, a distinctive building tradition and a long historical span.

With four furnished rooms, the Osborn Cannonball House offers a glimpse of furnishings from the Colonial period and the early 19th century. Its name comes from a cannonball that struck the house during a battle in the American Revolutionary War. The furnishings and the story behind the name offer different points of interest: the rooms relate to two periods, while the name refers to a specific wartime event.

The historic cemetery of Scotch Plains Baptist Church also preserves a trace of the Revolutionary War: 24 soldiers are buried there. The cemetery thus adds another clearly identifiable aspect of local history alongside the houses and buildings.

The Stage House Inn adds the history of travel. John Sutton built it as a hotel in 1737. It was also a stop on the Swift and Sure Stage Line, which ran between Philadelphia and New York. Its two historic functions—a hotel and a stop on a route between the cities—place the building within both the history of hospitality and that of overland travel.

Discover more destinations: New Providence, Linden, Kenilworth, Westfield, Summit, Clark, Cranford, Union City

For the broader travel overview: Union.