NJ GOLF | SUMMER 2025 | NJGOLF.ORG
The discussion started by happenstance, along the edge of the water surrounding the ninth green of the Par 3 course at Augusta National Golf Club. A cordial introduction. An admission of overhearing a conversation. Handshakes, smiles and lighthearted laughs about what was happening around them.
Then, back to the topic at hand. “How’s the project going?” asked Mike Thomas, the father of two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about it.” “Everything’s going great,” replied Tyler Trout, older brother of three time American League MVP Mike Trout, of the Los Angeles Angels. “We’re really excited about it.”
The Masters was less than 24 hours away. Justin Thomas had just come a few feet away from a hole in one in the Par 3 contest. Children excitedly screamed and thrust souvenir flags and Sharpies at him as he walked by. There was a palpable buzz hovering amongst the smell of baked pine straw. Yet against the backdrop of one of golf’s grandest stages, the conversation between two people in the know was about a new golf course being built in Vineland, New Jersey. That’s the kind of buzz generated when Tiger Woods and Mike Trout combine forces to create a fresh look at the country club model in the Garden State.
“The transformation over the past year has been mind- blowing,” Mike Trout told New Jersey Golf. “Now that everything has fully grown in, you can really see the character of the course. I can’t wait for members to play it.”
Trout National is officially set to open in April 2026, though New Jersey Golf confirmed members will have the chance to play a few preview rounds this year. Who those members are remains a mystery, as does much around Trout National. Only a small group of people have seen the course. Trout himself hasn’t played a full round there yet — but it’s baseball season, after all. Woods designed the course in 2023 and it was fully seeded this past October. Construction teams are still finishing the club’s short course, putting green, practice facilities, performance center, lodging and clubhouse. What we do know is this won’t be a traditional country club. It’s an escape for people used to living life in the spotlight. No cameras. No social media. No tee times. Just a small, select membership playing an amazing course designed by the greatest golfer of his generation. All this while being surrounded by state-of-the-art amenities that would make Elon Musk jealous.