Parks & Facilities
Our Parks Maintenance team is in the process of closing all park restrooms for winterization. We expect all restrooms to be closed by Thanksgiving. They will re-open in the Spring.
Parks & Amenities
Brookside Park - 1255 Hetfield Avenue
- Baseball / Softball Field
- Basketball Courts
- Pavilion / Picnic Area
- Playground
- Pickleball Courts
- Restrooms
- Walking Trail
Farley Avenue Park - 436 Farley Avenue
- Baseball / Softball Field
- Basketball Court
- Grass Field
- Pavilion
- Playground
- Restrooms
Frazee House Park - 1441 Raritan Road
- Chess Tables
- Covid-19 Memorial
- Garden
- Historical Building
- Walking Trail
Green Forest Park - 554 Westfield Road
- Pavilion
- Playground
- Restrooms
- Tennis Courts
- Towne House
Greenside Playground - 355 Westfield Road
- Playground
- Restrooms
Haven Park - 336 Haven Avenue
- Playground
Jerseyland Park - 2377 Richmond Street
- Baseball / Softball Field
- Basketball Courts
- Grass Field
- Pavilion / Picnic Area
- Playground
- Restrooms
Kramer Manor Park - 1950 Evelyn Street
- Baseball / Softball Field
- Basketball Courts (with lights)
- Grass Field
- Playground
- Restrooms
- Tennis Courts (with lights)
Memorial Field - 2345 Plainfield Avenue
- Baseball Field
- Grass Field
- Playground
- Restrooms
Rt. 22 Ball Field - 1909 Rt. 22 West
- Baseball Field
Southside Field - 1910 Raritan Road
- Multi-Use Turf Field (with lights)
- Playground
- Restrooms
Union County Vo-Tech - 1776 Raritan Road
- Baseball Field (with lights)
- Grass Field (with lights)
Park Reservations: Picnic Rentals
Picnic Rental Season: April - November
Parks with Picnic Pavilions: Brookside & Jerseyland
*Ponderosa Park rentals are managed by the County: 908-527-4900
Before submitting a Picnic Rental Form, please contact the Recreation Department to check if your desired date is available.
Once confirmed, please fill out the form below and return it to the Recreation Department via email to Brad Davis:
The rental fee is due at the time of application submission. Bookings are not confirmed until payment is received by the Recreation Department.
*No Refunds!
Park Reservations: Field Rentals
- Field time is allocated by priority:
- Recreation Department
- Allied Associations (fee schedule does not apply)
- Resident-Based Groups
- Non-Resident-Based Groups
Email the Recreation Department for a Facility Permit Application:
- Do not schedule activities for your group/organization until you submit an application and receive the official permit from the Recreation Department. Permits are issued based on facility availability so not all requests are guaranteed to be granted.
- If your group is found to be using facilities during unpermitted times, this may result in revocation of all permits issued to the permittee.
- Unauthorized field preparation is not permitted without prior approval by the Recreation Director.
- Dogs must be leashed and curbed at all times.
- No vehicles are permitted beyond parking lots at any facilities. Parking restrictions will be strictly enforced.
- If fields are unplayable due to inclement weather, the activity should be rescheduled. If damage is done to the facility, the permit will be revoked and the group/organization will be held responsible.
- The Recreation Department may restrict or limit facility availability due to Township events, maintenance of fields, etc. The Recreation Department reserves the right to cancel this permit for any date(s) needed.
- Please allow 1-2 weeks for permits to be generated and distributed after application is submitted.
Shady Rest Country Club
9-Hole Golf Course
Scotch Hills Golf Course opened in 1920 as the Shady Rest Golf Club, the first African-American Golf and Country Club in the United States. The Club was home to John Matthew Shippen Jr., the first American born African-American Golf Professional.
The 9-hole course features 2,247 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par 33. The course rating is 33.3 and has a slope rating of 106 on blue grass.
Hours of Operation:
- Monday - Thursday, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
- Friday - Sunday, 7:00 am - 6:00 pm
Address: 820 Jerusalem Road in Scotch Plains
Membership Information
18-Hole Miniature Golf Course
Scotch Hills Country Club also features an 18-hole miniature golf course. The course wanders around streams and stepping ponds with small shrubs and trees accompanying them, with a picturesque waterfall as the centerpiece.
Hours of Operation:
*The mini golf course closes 1 hour before sunset
Let us host your next party! Contact Greg Ward, Director of Sales & Marketing, for pricing and a customized package that will suit all of your party needs.
Email:
Miniature Golf Rates
Shady Rest at Scotch Hills Country Club
A Brief History of the Shady Rest Golf and Country Club
by the Preserve Shady Rest Committee
The Shady Rest Golf and Country Club is the oldest African-American golf clubhouse in the United States. The building was once a dwelling of a Revolutionary War hero. In the 20th Century, it was home to John Matthew Shippen, Jr., the very first American born golf professional to play in the U.S. Open.
The Clubhouse, originally the Ephraim Tucker Farmhouse built in the 1700's, became the George Osborne Tavern in 1882. In 1900, the Westfield Golf Club converted the farmland into a 9-hole golf course and the farmhouse into a clubhouse. After the Westfield Golf Club merged with a club in Cranford to form the Echo Lake Country Club in 1921, a group of prominent Black investors purchased the property and organized Shady Rest Golf and Country Club. The private club became a center for African-American society at the time. The Shady Rest offered amenities in addition to golf such as tennis, horseback riding, and skeet shooting. Club members hosted events that brought to Scotch Plains such luminaries as Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway and Count Basie lead their bands there; tennis great Althea Gibson played tennis; African-American golf pros Teddy Rhodes, Bill Spiller, and Joe Louis teed off there.
Today, this historic building is often used for group meetings, wedding receptions, and other social gatherings. You can find more information about booking Shady Rest in the Recreation Directory (Shady Rest at Scotch Hills Country Club).