Tavistock

“A town for golf? That’s all?” you might ask, eyebrows raised as we stand here before the seemingly unassuming entrance to Tavistock Country Club. You see, my friends, Tavistock is not your average town. In a state known for its bustling cities and charming suburbs, Tavistock stands apart, a testament to the enduring allure of a good game of golf. Tucked away in the heart of Camden County, New Jersey, it’s a place where manicured greens and the rhythmic thwack of golf balls define the very rhythm of life. Now, you might be surprised to learn that this entire borough, all quarter-square-mile of it, is practically synonymous with the Tavistock Country Club. It boasts a population that could fit comfortably in a golf cart, a mere nine residents according to the last census. The story goes that Tavistock owes its very existence to the sport. Back in 1921, when the air crackled with the spirit of the Jazz Age and the shadow of Prohibition loomed large, a group of golf enthusiasts from nearby Haddonfield found themselves yearning for a place to tee off, even on Sundays. Haddonfield, you see, was a “dry” borough with blue laws that frowned upon such leisurely pursuits on the Sabbath. So, with a glint in their eyes and a shared passion for the game, they set their sights on a sprawling 180-acre farmland just south of Haddonfield’s borders. And thus, Tavistock was born, a haven for golf enthusiasts seeking a swing at their leisure. Even today, over a century later, Tavistock remains a peculiar and fascinating anomaly, a testament to the power of sport to shape the very fabric of a community.