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I found heaven and it is known in NJ as “The Golden Hour Experience”
What is it? An hour spent surrounded by a dozen very friendly golden retrievers on a farm environment! No agenda, no pressure, just tail wags, cuddles, and a lot of fur on your clothes. The perfect stress reset is just around the corner for you to enjoy!
The story behind Camp Goldie is a sweet one. Back in 2021, Patrick Marini was looking for a way to cheer up his golden-retriever-obsessed girlfriend (now wife), Erin. He started cold-emailing local breeders, hoping one might let them come visit.
Only one said yes, Susan Boekholt of Ruff Life Goldens.
The three of them hit it off and talked about the idea of building some kind of interactive golden retriever event together. That idea stuck.
Fast forward to 2025: Patrick and Erin had recently lost their own golden, Molly, after 13 years together, and building something around goldens became as much a healing project as a business idea.
At the end of July 2025, Camp Goldie officially launched, blending Patrick and Erin’s own story with Susan’s dogs and breeding program.
Since opening, the camp has routinely been selling out every weekend.
The camp is run by husband-and-wife team Patrick Marini and Erin Masterson. The golden retrievers are supplied by breeder Susan Boekholt of Ruff Life Goldens. Susan and her team are the ones raising and caring for the dogs day to day, and sessions typically feature a rotating cast of familiar faces (and tails).
Th crew includes Bacon, Waffles, Butter, Pancake, Phoebe, Linguine, Journey, Vader, Chloe, Mango, Mazie, and Mikey, among others – each with their own personality bio on the site.
Marini and Masterson have since expanded the golden retriever empire, co-founding Goldie Fest USA, a larger festival-style event held at ShoreTown Ballpark in Lakewood that brings together goldens, their owners, and vendors for a full day of programming.
A Camp Goldie session (branded the “Golden Hour Experience”) runs on a working farm in the Freehold area, with exact directions sent after booking.
Here’s the rundown:
- The reveal: Every session kicks off with the dogs bursting out of the barn together – the moment that’s launched a thousand viral videos.
- Playtime: Depending on the season, guests get roughly 75–90 minutes of running, fetching, cuddling, and photo ops with a minimum of 12 golden retrievers per session.
- Seasonal extras: Summer and fall sessions include a walk down to a lake for splashing and swimming; spring and winter sessions shift indoors to a barn.
- Tickets: $89 per person (everyone attending needs one, even non-participants), released periodically online — no walk-ins.
- Access: The farm has natural, uneven terrain and isn’t fully wheelchair accessible; there’s no direct public transit, so plan on driving or rideshare.
- What to wear: Comfortable clothes you don’t mind getting covered in fur, plus closed-toe shoes.
Because the farm can only host so many people per session and demand is high, tickets tend to move fast once they’re released – signing up for Camp Goldie’s email list is the best way to get advance notice.
They also host events like Paint-a-Pup, Goldens at the farm and glass and Goldens and Golden yoga.
