The city of Concord, New Hampshire, is known for its history and outdoor recreation. But after watching a community an hour to the north recently lose its municipal golf courses, officials in the state’s capital are fighting to add resources to maintain the Granite State’s oldest golf course — Beaver Meadow.
The first nine holes of the storied course were built in 1896, designed by Scottish golf pro named Willie Campbell, who eight times finished in the top 10 at the Open Championship. He handled the job for just $50.
The club was originally private, but members left and formed their own golf club across the Merrimack River. The city took ownership of the course and the second nine was then designed in 1968 by prolific designer Willie Cornish, who had a role in designing 240 layouts in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Among Cornish’s most notable work is the Pines Course at The International in Bolton, Massachusetts; Center Valley (Pennsylvania) Club; and the New Course at Ashburn Golf Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as well as Niagara Falls Country Club, the site of the amateur Porter Cup tournament.
Among the many course-design books that Cornish authored, “The Architects of Golf” was regarded as a landmark reference work. Cornish was a frequent lecturer worldwide on golf course architecture.
The course has become a staple on the new England golf scene, hosting an LPGA Futures/Symetra from 2005 to 2013 as well as the 17th Annual New Hampshire Golf Association Stroke Play Championship in 2016.
Now, however, as the city’s council is looking to construct a new clubhouse on the historic site as part of a $10.3 million bond, pushback is coming from what council member Erle Pierce told the local Concord Monitor is a “vocal minority.”
Those in favor of the move say it will help keep the course viable in the future. While Concord officials are trying to be proactive to maintain the course, one that has turned a small profit in recent years, a case study just an hour to the north could be considered a cautionary tale.
Facing financial pressure, the small town of Bethlehem sold its course in 2020, when Kim and Mark Koprowski purchased the 18-hole course. The pair announced last summer, however, that the facility will now be closed permanently and offers might be considered on real estate investments.
At the time of the sale there were just three municipally owned courses in the state. Now there are two.
For now, there’s no specific talk of selling…
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