Rutgers
New York Harbor Cup
Men's Golf Set to Open Season Hosting Inaugural New York Harbor Cup
Aug 17 | Men's Golf
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The Rutgers men's golf team heads to the water's edge at the end of the month to host the New York Harbor Cup, a 54-hole stroke play event running Aug. 29 through Sept. 1 at Bayonne Golf Club in Bayonne, N.J.
Rutgers will be one of nine programs in the field, joining Kansas, Nebraska, Little Rock, Marquette, Michigan St., Purdue, South Florida and West Virginia. Each team will send five players, with the four best scores counting toward the team total each round.
The event's signature wrinkle is its transportation: rather than a standard team bus commute, players and staff will be ferried across New York Harbor from the Brookfield Place Terminal in Lower Manhattan directly to Bayonne Golf Club, with teams headquartered at the New York Marriott Downtown for the week.
It marks the first time Bayonne Golf Club has hosted an event of this kind, and for head coach Rob Shutte, the tournament is a chance to put both the course and the program on display.
"This is the first time Bayonne has done something like this, and it's exciting for the golf course to showcase itself to some of the best amateur players in college golf," Shutte said. "For Rutgers to show the connection between the New York City skyline and everything that comes with being in this metropolitan area, along with golf, is really unique. Riding underneath the Statue of Liberty every morning and staying right next to the 9/11 Memorial — these are experiences most of these players have never had before. It really showcases Rutgers and the connection to New York."
Shutte credited the tournament's sponsors for helping bring the event to life.
"We couldn't have done it without our sponsors, especially Morgan Stanley as our presenting sponsor and Dunning, along with a number of other companies and individuals who helped us raise the money to put on a first-class event for everybody," Shutte said.
Schedule
- Saturday, Aug. 29 — Teams practice at Bayonne Golf Club following an early ferry pickup and lunch at the clubhouse.
- Sunday, Aug. 30 — A shotgun practice round begins at 11 a.m. (no spectators), with a coaches' and players' cocktail hour and dinner at the Bayonne clubhouse that evening.
- Monday, Aug. 31 — Rounds 1 and 2, 36 holes of continuous play, with tee times running 7:45–9:15 a.m. off the 1st and 10th tees. Spectators are permitted for the first time, provided they stay behind groups and in designated areas.
- Tuesday, Sept. 1 — Round 3, 18 holes, tee times 8:15–9:45 a.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 3 p.m. and team departures.
Bayonne Golf Club plays to a par-72, with the front nine measuring 3,562 yards and the back nine 3,688 yards from the tournament markers. Scores will be tracked in real time via the Clippd Scoreboard mobile scoring system, with players checking in every three holes.
Rutgers is coached by Rob Shutte, who also serves as a tournament organizer alongside assistant coach Patrick Spraggs.
Beyond the setting, the Harbor Cup also marks the opening chapter of a new season for the Scarlet Knights.
"It's always an exciting time of year when you have a new group of guys coming together for the first time with different backgrounds but a common goal of being great teammates," Shutte said. "We get to share this experience together and bond, whether it's the Yankees-Red Sox game Friday night or just competing and preparing for this tournament together. We have eight guys this year, and I think we have a chance to be a really special team. This is a great way to start the season."
