Roadgolf: The Architects GC, Phillipsburg NJ

For the past couple of years I've been celebrating birthdays by burning rubber out of the city and playing a round of civilized golf with Ms. L, on a course that's a little more upscale than I'm comfortable with. Last year was New Jersey's Crystal Springs resort; the year before that, Jack Nicklaus' Mansion Ridge in the Hudson Valley. For someone who's never really been too interested in birthday celebrations, this is shaping up to be a real treat and something I actually look forward to.

This year I picked out the somewhat pompously-named Architects club, located on the westernmost edge of New Jersey, right up against the Pennsylvania state line. (To completely escape the reek of the city, you have to drive for at least an hour.)