Being a golf sicko that grew up in New Jersey, I had always heard stories about this place called Due Process. People talked about it with more reverence than they would for Pine Valley. The place only like 60 or 70 members. It’s as exclusive as it gets, yet there are no rules when you’re on property.
Turns out, most of that is true.
I know this because I had the extremely good fortune of getting behind the gates of Due Process Stable in Colts Neck, N.J., last Thursday, and, believe it or not, it had nothing to do with my place of work. Let’s just say, Chris Powers, Sr. (my dad) knows a guy who knows a guy. I didn’t even mean for that to sound as New Jersey as it did.Â
RELATED: I never noticed how many pros do this—until I started looking
Lucky for me, I am more often than not Chris Powers Sr.’s first text when he or someone in his orbit “needs a fourth,” and I’m batting nearly 1.000 in immediately saying yes. Especially for places like Due Process, which absolutely lived up to all the lore. As the guest of a guest, I didn’t put this to the test, but the “there are no rules” thing is 100 percent accurate. Walking into the men’s grill for lunch I saw multiple people hanging out with their hats turned backward. Some had jeans on. My caddie told me the normal member he loops for plays strictly in gym shorts and a T-shirt.Â
Your browser does not support the video tag. Your browser does not support the video tag.
The backstory of Due Process is a fascinating one. The land it sits on was originally just used for horse stables owned by a stockbroker named Robert Brennan. In 1992, Brennan spent $40 million to build a golf course, one co-designed by Gene Bates and Johnny Miller. Just a few years later, Brennan was found guilty of securities fraud and fined $75 million by the SEC. In 1995 Brennan declared bankruptcy and six years later was found guilty of money-laundering and bankruptcy fraud, leading to a prison sentence of nine years and two months.Â
A year later Due Process was bought out of bankruptcy for $20 million by a man named John Ferolito, who is one of the co-founders of the Arizona Beverage Company, and Peter C. Gerhard. It became a membership-by-invitation only club along with one of the heftier initiation fees in the country. The most common membership number you’ll hear is less than 100 at Due Process, but in asking some folks who work there the actual number as of 2025 is 109. There are around 40 rounds a day on average, though on Fridays, the busiest day of the week, they’ll get 80.Â
RELATED: The best golf courses in New Jersey
Your browser does not support the video tag. Your browser does not support the video tag. Your browser does not support the video tag.
As you can see, much of the horse paraphernalia and horse culture remains (including the elite logo). The stables are all still standing, one of them already transformed into a bar/golf simulator/gym building, another into a halfway house and two more that are currently still empty.Â
Your browser does not support the video tag.
There were a number of other incredible features I loved at this ultra-exclusive spot, one I realize many reading this may never get to see up close. The least I could do is give you a peak behind the literal curtain since I was lucky enough to experience the legendary Due Process Stable.
To hear more about the full experience, please have a listen to this week’s The Loop podcast below, and like and subscribe to The Loop wherever you get your podcasts.Â
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
