I enjoy Atkinson. Little gimmicky hard on a few holes but overall like you said good conditions and a fun once a year round for me
Headed up to Sunapee for the week next week. If anyone’s looking for an extra player, let me know.
Going to be in NH at the end of the month. Was looking to play either Montcalm or Owl’s Nest. Any local folks have preferences? Or any hidden gems up that way?
Define that way? In that area, I’d say Montcalm is the hidden gem. Baker Hill is awesome but I can’t help you get on. Hooper is south of there, I’ll let the resident expert on that one discuss in depth. I personally love Mt. Washington, it’s not too much further than Owl’s Nest but all depends on where home base is for you there. Nothings “an easy on, easy off the highway.”
Let us know where you are staying or traveling through and I’m sure one of us will have a great option for you. Enjoy!
Hey thanks for the reply! We are home-basing near Northfield/Tilton and looking to play in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Eyeballing Sunday River for Maine and Fox Run for Vermont. NH is still up for grabs, open to any suggestions though.
Hey so Hooper is close to 90 minutes from where you are staying. Though if doing Montcalm then Hooper is an easy drive down Interstate 91, and about 40 minutes from Fox Run. That would be an epic day of golf and if time can check out the classic New England village of Walpole.
But if looking for hidden gems Hooper is officially verified as a hidden gem by Sugarloaf Social Club, ranked #13 nine hole course in the world in 2020 by Golf Magazine (and we’ve made big improvements since then), and Tom Doak said this about Hooper in his Confidential Guide #3 “I racked my brain trying to think if I’d ever seen a better pair of opening holes and in the moment, anyway, I could think of none.”
That was pretty shameless on my part but give a shoutout if you head this way and would like a playing partner.
Got it. You’ll be in the center of the state, which is good and bad. Lochmere is close to you if you want easy. Last time I played, it’s a fun public course, gets busy in the late morning so will be a slog if you aren’t out by 9ish. Montcalm is an hour or so, Mt Washington a little over 1:15. I haven’t played Owl’s Nest in many years, but word is that they have suped it up pretty good and hold a bunch of tournaments annually for the NH Am circuit.
My advice would be to take @jlbeer8 's advice and get on Hooper if the drive time isn’t an issue (if you’re going to ME and VT from Tilton, it sounds like you can swing it. Or play one of the others and get on Hooper for 9 on your way to/back from VT. I, myself need to remedy the fact I haven’t been out there, I’m on the other end of the state. So I guess my ranked choice for you would be:
- Hooper (combo with VT who doesn’t love more golf)
- Mt Washington- personal bias, but it’s my happy place, views are awesome, old Ross course and should be dialed in July/August
- Montcalm- never played, but always hear great things, quaint but challenging
- Owl’s Nest- don’t know enough about it but would be a pretty easy get for you from Tilton
- Lochmere- Easy to get to, fun mountain public course
Hope this helps. Report back on the trip. Side note, Tilton House of Pizza somehow gets a ton of praise as the best pizza in NH and I am curious as to if this holds up. Love a review of that place if you get there.
Isn’t Canterbury woods like 10 min from Tilton? It’s been years since I’ve been there, but it always looks to be in serviceable shape from 95N