LPGA Sybase Match Play Championship Comes to Hamilton Farm

The top 44 players from the Ladies Professional Golf Association will be participating in the Sybase Match Play Championship at Hamilton Farm Golf Club in Gladstone.  The four-day event starts this Thursday, May 19 and runs to Sunday, May 22.  Practice rounds begin today, with the Pro-Am on Wednesday.  The excitement is building at the club as the tents are raised and television and concession stands go up.  The Golf Channel will broadcast live coverage of the event on Saturday.

2011 is the second year that the Sybase-sponsored tournament is being held at Hamilton Farm.  Players will include Tour favorites Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel and last year’s winner, Sun Young Yoo.  Other notable players are Angela Stanford, Cristie Kerr, Juli Inkster, Karrie Webb and Jiyai Shin.

The Hamilton Farm Golf Club in Gladstone is hosting the event with charity beneficiaries including the Somerset Medical Center, The First Tee and TGA-Premier Junior Golf.

Situated on about 600 acres in the Somerset Hills, the Hamilton Farm Golf Club is sited on the former country estate of James Cox Brady, a New York financier.  Comprised of two distinct courses, The Highlands and The Hickory, Hamilton Farm is known as one of the country’s premier golf clubs and was named a Platinum Club of America. 

If living in a historic and scenic area like Gladstone sounds appealing, contact our Far Hills office for information about local real estate as well as golf facilities, equestrian farms, recreational events and cultural offerings.

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Historic c. 1765 Bernardsville Colonial

Two notable aspects of this home are its vast acreage and its Early American history, making it a rare gem among Bernardsville homes for sale.  A beautifully-maintained fieldstone Colonial built in 1765 is the centerpiece of 30+ acres featuring a guest house, small barn, swimming pool and pool house.  The leafy surroundings are dotted with Koi ponds, foot bridges, a charming gazebo, woodland paths, native plantings and mature trees.

Several additions over the years enhance the original structure while adding well-appointed living space.  The expansive 20-room floor plan includes eight bedrooms, five full and two half baths as well as a three-car garage.  Among the gathering spaces are a great room with coffered ceilings, a four-season sunroom off the large master suite, and a spacious kitchen.  For the homebuyer seeking a serene property that’s close to major highways and amenities, this enchanting and historic Bernardsville Colonial is a superior choice.

Inviting Mendham Commons End Unit

Characterized by classic Colonial facades in an attractive neighborhood setting, residents of Mendham Commons enjoy a carefree townhome lifestyle.  On-site amenities include supervised swimming in indoor/outdoor pools, tennis courts, a playground, and a clubhouse with exercise room and kitchen.  The open space and pond within the community are easily viewed from most rooms in an end unit offering a prime waterside location.  A spacious layout includes three bedrooms, two full baths and a powder room, as well as an attached one-car garage. 

This home’s open layout incorporates a bright and airy living and dining room combination fitted with large windows, glass doors to the patio and deck, dentil moldings.  Lending additional charm is a floor-to-ceiling brick hearth gas fireplace in the living room and sparkling pond views.  Continuing the flow is a sun-filled kitchen, half bath and access to the attached garage.

Upstairs, the master bedroom is designed with a private deck overlooking the scenic pond.  A luxurious master bath provides an oversized vanity and stall shower.  Two more large bedrooms offer water views.  Hardwood flooring is found throughout the home, although some rooms are carpeted.  The basement is currently used for storage but could be converted to future living space.

Mendham Commons in Mendham Borough is close to Interstate 287 and New Jersey Transit’s Morristown train station for commuters as well as the Mendham Golf and Tennis Club and the circa 1774 Ford Mansion (George Washington’s Headquarters) at Morristown National Historical Park.

For more insights about Mendham real estate, call or visit the Mendham Office of Turpin Real Estate at 8 East Main Street in its historic village setting.

Well-Appointed Rolling Hills Home

There is renewed interest in split level-style homes since their innovative floor plans serve to bridge mid-century modern and Colonial styles, making their flowing layouts adaptable to any type of décor.  This delightful five bedroom, three-and-one-half bath residence is located in the desirable Rolling Hills neighborhood of Chatham Township.  Surrounded by over a half-acre of professionally designed gardens and green lawns, it was recently updated with a chef’s kitchen.

Highlights of this ten-room home include a spacious living and dining room combination, a renovated kitchen with breakfast bar, a den, family room and a recreation room in the finished basement.  Among the outstanding interior design features are two fireplaces, nicely-sized rooms and hardwood floors.   In the master bedroom, a private master bath features a steam shower. 

Storage options are easily met in the attached, oversized two-car garage with workshop and partially finished basement.  The beautiful grounds are appointed with a patio, wood fencing, mature trees and verdant landscaping.  Public utilities are in place for sewer and water.

The Rolling Hills neighborhood in Chatham is known for its winding, tree-lined streets and beautifully-maintained homes.  It is centrally located to all that Chatham has to offer.  It is less than a mile from the Noe Pond Club for seasonal swimming, boating and tennis or the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center which schedule nature-related activities all year ‘round.  For more information about this home, or other opportunities in Chatham real estate, contact our Chatham Office at 186 Main Street.

Far Hills Train Station

One of the area’s most-recognized landmarks is the historic Far Hills train station.  Located a short walk up Route 202 from our Far Hills Turpin office, the station provides NJ Transit service to Hoboken, Secaucus Junction or New York’s Penn Station in midtown Manhattan.  Spanish Revival in style, it was built in 1914 and in 1984 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Trains run on the Gladstone Branch of the Morris and Essex line, and the trip to New York City generally takes about an hour and a half, usually involving a transfer in Summit or Newark.  Midtown Direct service is also available from the Far Hills station, reducing the New York-bound ride to about 80 minutes.  Parking on holidays, weekends, or after 9AM on weekdays is free of charge, with a nominal fee at other times.  Permit parking is a good idea for commuters; a six-month permit is available at Far Hills Borough Hall.  Train tickets can be purchased on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

If you arrive early at the station (or if you miss the train), take advantage of The Butler’s Pantry Trackside.  This homey restaurant offers sit-down meals or to-go orders, and is a local favorite.

For more information about Far Hills, whether it’s about commuting times, train schedules or Far Hills real estate, visit the Turpin Office at 21 U.S. Route 202 in the heart of our hometown.

Sundays in the Park with Leonard J. Buck

Spring is in the air, and one of the best places to see how the season is progressing is the Leonard J. Buck Garden in Far Hills.  Stop by the garden on Sunday afternoons in April and May (except for holiday weekends) to join an afternoon Woodland Walk.  You’re likely to spy native wildflowers, colorful flowering trees and shrubs, and springtime perennials.  As the days get warmer, dogwood trees and azalea bushes will come into full bloom.

Tours take place on Sundays at 2PM on April 10, 17 and on May 1, 8 and 15.  There is a $4 fee per person for this informative tour led by a naturalist.

The Leonard J. Buck Garden is one of the premier rock gardens in the eastern United States.  Begun in the late 1930s, the garden has reached a breathtaking point of maturity. It consists of a series of alpine and woodland gardens situated in a 33-acre wooded stream valley.  Named for Mr. Leonard J. Buck, who developed the garden as part of his estate, it was donated to the Somerset County Park Commission by Mrs. Helen Buck in 1976.

The Leonard J. Buck Garden is part of the Somerset County Park Commission.  It is located at 11 Layton Road.  For more information or directions, call 908-234-2677.

Kenilwood is a legendary Bernardsville home which
was originally owned by George B. Post Jr., founder of the Wall Street brokerage firm of Post and
Flagg. Post’s father was the famous architect who designed the New York Stock Exchange and other
landmark buildings. Built in the early part of the 20^th century, Kenilwood is an
excellent example of gothic revival style. The manor house’s façade is fashioned of stone.

Gerry-Jo Cranmer in the Bernardsville Office was involved in the sale of Kenilwood in the 1990s when it was owned by heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson.

The high-profile sale also came with a high price tag, as The New York Times explained in an article from 1994. “When Mr. Tyson bought the mansion, on Memorial Day 1988, many in this part of New Jersey’s hunt country said he had paid too much, especially for the two lots that bracketed the Bernardsville estate. He paid a little over $4 million for the house on 14 acres and $950,000 for each of the two five-acre lots. At the time, similar lots were going for $650,000, according to Jack Turpin of Turpin Real Estate in Far Hills, N.J.” Gerry-Jo Cranmer says the selling price was the highest price of the year for an off-water property in the tri-state region that year.

Tyson added a tennis court where Martina Navratilova reportedly played at least once. The 18,000
square foot mansion was set on 14 acres. He lived there for two years.

Selling Kenilwood didn’t come without an element of danger, according to Gerry-Jo Cranmer. “Mike Tyson’s sometimes vicious dogs were in residence when I was selling the house (Mike was not) and the caretaker was often not there when I had to show it. So I always went armed with meaty bones to throw to them so that I could distract them and be able to show the house.”

Little Brook Farm is a charming and picturesque piece of New Jersey real estate set amid 28 acres on the Bernardsville Mountain.  A long, private drive passing by a spring-fed stream and lush valley enters the property leading to the main residence, a circa 1840 Dutch farmhouse with additions made in 1935.  The setting exudes the romance and charm reminiscent of the English countryside with pastures, woodland, ponds, stone walls, formal lawns and gardens.

Selling agent, Gerry Jo Cramner remembers the sequence of events leading to that Bernardsville home for sale:

“It was not on the market at the time that I sold it, but I knew that my buyers would love it.  I had been working with them for some time and had gotten to know their taste very well.  A Turpin colleague of mine had sold it to the people living in it, so I asked him to approach them about selling it.  They set a price and let me show it to my buyers, who immediately fell in love with it, bought it and were then married there in the rose garden.”

Dr. Frank Babbott, president of Long Island College of Medicine, built the home for his wife and five children and lived there from 1934 to 1961.  The additions and renovations he made were incorporated into the original stone farmhouse and created a unique building encompassing seven levels and 20 rooms.  In 1964, Dr. Babbott donated the main house, outbuildings and 28 acres of Little Brook Farm to Drew University.  He handed the keys to Drew’s president with the hope that the estate “would go on bringing beauty and happiness to others.”  Drew used the property as a retreat and conference center until it was returned to private ownership in 1993.

The stone and frame house with custom made clay tile roof features original architectural details like oak floors and beamed ceilings. In addition to the grand main home, this rambling estate includes a two-bedroom cottage, a barn with a one-bedroom apartment and loft, a two-bay garage/wagon shed and a second large barn.  A stone summer house, root cellar, poultry barn and sheep barn are also found on the property, as well as a pool with pool house.

For more information about Little Brook Farm, refer to New Jersey Country Houses: The Somerset Hills, Volume 2.

Grand Country Estate Home

It would be hard to imagine a more perfect Colonial estate than this 10-plus acre property on the Bernardsville Mountain.  Originally built in the 1700s, its sun-filled rooms brim with charm and sophistication.  The enchanting grounds include a long drive marked by stone pillars, sweeping green lawns, perennial gardens, rustic stone walls and a picturesque pond. 

The main house has been meticulously cared for and extensively renovated through the years, resulting in a bright, fresh interior graced with timeless design elements.  An open floor plan of six bedrooms and six full baths also includes elegant spaces for entertaining, an updated chef’s kitchen, plus a newer addition featuring a family room and home office.  Outbuildings include a three-car garage.

As one of the earliest homes on the Bernardsville Mountain, this estate is a rare offering in a coveted part of the state.  For more information about Bernardsville homes for sale, contact our Bernardsville Office.