Concord's own golf course is above par

Some sites may tell you that America's oldest public course is Concord’s Beaver Meadow. That is not exactly true… Chicago Golf Club is considered the oldest public 18-hole course in North America. But it is one of the oldest in the Granite State. And, Beaver Meadow started as a private course built so a few locals could play golf… here is the story…

American public golf clubs created before the turn of the 20th century are a pretty rare breed. Golf was far from the sport of everyone in the 19thcentury, but one of the oldest is right here in Concord, NH. Beaver Meadow Golf Course opened for play in 1896, two years after the founding of the US Golf Association. And, it has seen a century-plus of missed putts and moments of glory, from wood to composite clubs from knickers to giant-headed drivers.

Today, the 18-hole Beaver Meadow course features 6,356 yards of golf with the longest tees for a par of 72. We are told the course rating is 70.8 and it has a slope rating of 127. 

In  1895, a few locals started playing golf in fields just east of Maple Grove Cemetery.  They hired Scottish pro Willie Campbell to build a 9-hole course in 1896 on the site by the River. By 1930, the private club moved across the Merrimack River to become the Concord Country Club.  So, the City of Concord voted to take on the old course. In the 1950s it turned out that the land was owned by a local utility, and the resolution came with new land for more holes. By 1968, Beaver Meadowhad expanded to 18 holes, after designer Geoffrey Cornish oversaw a re-think and the addition of 9 holes.  By 1975, Beaver Meadow Golf Course hosted its first State men’s amateur tournament.

 Today Beaver Meadow Golf Course is one of the best walking courses in the State; with afull service Pro Shop, bar and eatery and even golf simulator. So, take a swing andsome gold history and check out the green greens of this classic and fun golf course.

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