This Tiny Little Town In NJ of 11 Residents Joining Another

For 18 years I lived in the little town of Pine Hill New Jersey.  The Borough of Pine Hill, population about 11,000 (one less after I moved out in 2018) is nestled in the eastern portion of Camden County, about 10 miles west of the start of the Atlantic City Expressway.

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My house was located on Country Club Road.  The neighborhood backed up to the city line of our neighboring Pine Valley.  A city so small it really consisted of just a private golf course.  Not the smallest in New Jersey but pretty close with a population of just 11!

Like every town, Pine Hill has its history.

Created in 1929, the locals will tell you that legendary gangster Al Capone picked the area in 1927 as a hideout from the law. 

He lived in a house on (12f) New Freedom Road for a few years before his next residence.  It wasn’t long after when Capone became an inmate at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia.

South Jersey’s first ski resort opened in Pine Hill on December 1, 1965.  Ski Mountain did not have an impressive elevation compared to those in the Poconos, but its 217-foot drop offered a nice view of the Philadelphia skyline.

This place offered an alternative to long weekends in the mountains.  Locals could ski close to home.  Beginners could elevate their skills.

Eventually, a water park was also added making it a year-round destination, which was renamed Action Mountain.

By 1986, they went into bankruptcy.  By the late 1990’s Pine Hill Golf course was built on the site, which subsequently was then acquired by the Trump Organization in 2009 and renamed Trump National Golf Club, Philadelphia.

Pine Valley New Jersey, is the home of the number one ranked golf course in Golf Magazine’s Top 100 courses in the US and the World in 2021, 2015, 2019, and 2020.  It is a private club.  Non-members can only play a round if they are invited by existing members and are accompanied by those members.

Once a year the club allows public spectators for one day, to watch the annual Crump Cup.  Named after its founder George Arthur Crump, the tournament has been a popular invitation-only competition for amateur golfers since 1922.  The 4-day event is traditionally held in September and this year the final round was held this past Sunday, September 19, 2021.

The tournament is not the only thing making headlines in this small community.  Pine Hill and Pine Valley are planning on merging municipalities.

Due to "fiscal and operational efficiencies and land use compatibility," both boroughs will be laying the groundwork to merge by year's end.  In last year's general election the question of  “shared services or consolidation opportunities.” was posed to voters, to which the Pine Valley community voted overwhelmingly to approve.

While the Pine Valley commissioners have scheduled a final vote tomorrow September 21, 2021, Pine Hill has their vote on the docket next month.

I enjoyed my years in Pine Hill  It was a great place to live.  Great neighbors and easy ride to Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore, including Atlantic City.