What Was Shady Rest Golf and Country Club?

Progressive Realty Company, a group of Black investors, bought the former Westfield Golf Club property in 1921 and established a Black-owned and operated country club. Amid racial exclusion, Shady Rest made room for recreation, business, family gatherings and cultural life.
Today, Scotch Plains owns and operates a public nine-hole course at 820 Jerusalem Road under the Shady Rest name; the historic member-owned Black club no longer operates. Black ownership, Black historical significance and current public operation describe different periods.

As reviewed September 12, 2026, the municipal course describes itself as a public, nine-hole, par-33 layout measuring 2,247 yards. Tee times can be requested online or by phone. The course generally operates seasonally from sunrise to dusk, but weather and course conditions affect play. Current rates should be checked at booking because the posted table has no effective date.
The FAQ says rentals are available, walking is encouraged and carts depend on conditions. It lists putting and chipping areas but no full range or lessons. The pro shop sells snacks; there is no restaurant. Confirm before travel.
A round of golf does not automatically include a historic-house visit. Contact the course or Preserve Shady Rest in advance about clubhouse interpretation or tours. Ask directly about step-free access, accessible restrooms, mobility-cart rules and assistance for any planned program; the public pages reviewed do not establish a complete current accessibility profile.

The site’s built history predates Shady Rest. New Jersey’s Historic Trust dates part of the clubhouse to a farmhouse constructed in the 1740s and notes later use as a tavern. Westfield Golf Club developed golf on the property around 1900. The decisive change came in 1921, when Progressive Realty acquired the club and established Shady Rest.
The club offered golf, tennis, horseback riding, skeet shooting, dining, lodging and entertainment. It appeared in the Green Book, which helped Black motorists find businesses and accommodations during segregation. Township histories name visitors including W. E. B. Du Bois, Ella Fitzgerald and Althea Gibson. Its deeper significance lies in the everyday infrastructure it provided for Black leisure.
Scotch Plains acquired the property through tax-lien foreclosure in 1938 while Shady Rest continued. It took over operations and renamed the course Scotch Hills in 1964, then restored the Shady Rest name in 2021. The property entered the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.

Understand the institution first, then play if conditions and ability allow. Shady Rest corrects golf histories built only around tournament winners: Black communities created land access, instruction, lodging, entertainment and networks while segregation restricted entry elsewhere. One focused visit is more honest than an inflated checklist.