Manchester Country Club

Overview: Manchester Country Club is a Donald Ross parkland course in Bedford, New Hampshire, where mature woodland, rolling ground and a carefully shaped sequence of holes create a traditional New England test. Ross participated in the land selection, design and construction, and the course retains the natural movement that made the site attractive in the first place. Its par 71 routing is more about angles, green approaches and changing lies than about artificial spectacle. The result is a historic course with enough elevation and variety to reward thoughtful positioning throughout the round.

History: Manchester grew from the neighboring nine-hole Intervale Country Club. In 1921, golfers from Intervale raised subscriptions to create a new 18-hole club, and Donald Ross won the design competition over Walter Stiles. Construction was completed under Ross’s direction, and the official opening took place on August 1, 1923, with Francis Ouimet and Jesse Guilford taking part in the ceremonial competition. The club later passed through financial difficulty, but a 2002 reacquisition and a restoration program led by Ron Forse from 2006 onward focused on recovering Ross’s original intent while updating the course for modern play.

Did You Know? Manchester is one of the relatively few Ross courses that the architect actually saw before it opened, because he was involved in the land choice, construction and final preparation. The club’s restoration story is also ongoing rather than merely commemorative: Forse’s plan began work in 2016, and the signature 13th hole was renovated ahead of the club’s centennial year.