Scotch Plains combines golf courses, a walking trail and several sites connected to the history of the American Revolutionary War. In the north, Scotch Plains includes part of the Watchung Reservation; it is also home to historic houses and two different golf offerings. This gives you several ways to plan your trip: you can focus on golf and local history, while also taking the landscape and walking opportunities into account.
Golf in Different Forms
At Scotch Hills Golf Course, the 9-hole course measures 2,247 yards from the back tees and has a par of 33. The Scotch Hills Country Club also has an 18-hole miniature golf course with streams, stepping-stone ponds and a waterfall. Scotch Plains therefore offers two different forms of play: the 9-hole course has specific length and par details, while the miniature golf course is shaped by its water and landscape features.
Golf history is also part of the town’s character. Shady Rest was the first African American-operated golf and country club in the United States and was located at Scotch Hills Golf Course in Scotch Plains. This historical connection adds a distinct story of the sport to today’s course descriptions.
Landscape and Walking Trail
If you are looking for more than golf, consider the northern part of Scotch Plains, where part of the Watchung Reservation is located. Brookside Park has a walking trail, offering another specific place to go for a walk. The reservation and the park trail represent different aspects of the local landscape; you can include either as a separate interest in your plans.
Historic Houses and Local History
Frazee House is a farmstead dating from the American Revolutionary War. It was built in the distinctive and rare 18th-century Anglo-Dutch architectural style. Having survived for more than 230 years, it is a landmark of Union County. Its architecture, construction period and preservation make the house a notable reference point for the region’s architectural history.
Osborn Cannonball House is located in the center of Scotch Plains. It has four furnished rooms with items from the Colonial period and the early 19th century. The house’s name also refers to an event from the American Revolutionary War: a cannonball struck the building during a skirmish.
The historic cemetery of Scotch Plains Baptist Church offers another connection to the wartime period. The graves of 24 soldiers from the American Revolutionary War are located there. The site adds a distinct perspective on remembrance of that period to the stories of the houses and their architecture.
Stage House Inn offers another perspective on local history. John Sutton built it as a hotel in 1737; it later became a stop on the Swift and Sure Stage Line, which ran between Philadelphia and New York. Together, Scotch Plains’ historical connections span architecture and furnished rooms, wartime events and a former long-distance route. You can choose the focus of your stay according to your interests, rather than reducing the town’s history to a single theme.
Discover more destinations: Linden, Berkeley Heights, Cranford, New Providence, Westfield, Rahway, Clark, Union City.
Return to the main travel overview: Union.
