Manchester Country Club originated in 1921 when a group of members from nearby Intervale Country Club seceded to create a new 18-hole facility. Club documents state that both Walter Stiles and Donald Ross sought the commission; Ross was selected and “participated in the selection of the land, the design and construction of the golf course.” Construction concluded in the summer of 1923, and the official opening on August 1 featured an exhibition by Francis Ouimet and Jesse Guilford. Club materials further assert that Manchester was among the courses Ross personally visited prior to opening.
The course opened for member play in 1923 and soon became a frequent championship venue. The club endured a bankruptcy in 1945, with ownership passing to the “Manchester Associates,” who leased the property back to the membership for 50 years; the members reacquired the club in 2002. In 2008 the Board engaged Troon for management services, and in 2013 the club completed an $8 million clubhouse project that added a new golf house, pro shop, cart storage, and indoor simulator/training areas. A 2015 renovation created “The Attic,” a 3,250-square-foot performance and entertainment space. Course restoration work under architect Ron Forse was initiated by master plan in 2006, with field work staged beginning in 2016 and continuing through the late 2010s and early 2020s.
Recent competitive highlights include the New Hampshire Open’s return in 2017 (its first Manchester staging since 1969) and another playing in 2021, along with the 99th New England PGA Section Championship in 2019.
Unique design characteristics
Manchester’s routing occupies a modest-sized (c.116-acre) property where play moves briskly from green to tee, and water meaningfully influences a cluster of holes; one detailed course profile notes water in play on eight holes. This compactness and the presence of natural water corridors shape the rhythm of the round more than elevation change does.
Several individual holes illustrate the Ross work as it survives today and as selectively restored. The short par-4 6th, frequently singled out by reviewers, rewards position from the tee rather than brute length, setting up a delicate approach to a green that plays best from one side of the fairway. The long par-5 11th—stroke index 1 on the card—demands two precise shots before a testing third, a sequence that has stayed central to the course’s challenge since the earliest scorecards. The par-4 17th adds strategic tension with a creek crossing the fairway as it approaches the green, forcing players to decide between lay-up placement or bold carry on the second.
More broadly, the club and its management report that recent work has “revived key Ross features—including cross bunkers and fescue mounds”—and outside documentation from the architect confirms a bunker restoration and reinstatement program (including use of ground-penetrating radar to locate lost hazards). The effect today is a clearer presentation of diagonal and cross-hazard lines, especially where center-line or near-center-line bunkers had been softened or removed during the mid-century decades.
The par-3s form a diverse set by yardage—current card distances of 214 (3rd), 200 (5th), 158 (13th), and 221 (16th)—and the club undertook targeted renovation of the signature 13th hole in 2022 as part of its centennial preparations. In the absence of original Ross grading plans, these one-shotters nevertheless provide the best surviving cross-section of the course’s present green-site variety at shorter lengths.
Historical significance
Within Ross’s New England portfolio, Manchester is significant as a 1923 opening that—per the club’s record—he personally inspected, something not always possible across his large workload. In the state context, the course has been a recurring stage for the New Hampshire Open (with counts differing by source) and other state and sectional events. Of particular note, Bobby Locke—later a four-time Open Champion—won the New Hampshire Open at Manchester in 1959, a marker of the course’s mid-century tournament relevance.
Rankings vary by outlet and year, but the club notes consistent placement among New Hampshire’s top courses and has promoted its restoration trajectory as a driver of reputation. Independent confirmation of ranking movements would require a longitudinal review of state lists by Golf Digest, Golfweek, and regional publications.
Current condition / integrity
Routing integrity appears strong: the club’s restoration narrative emphasizes recovering Ross-era features rather than wholesale re-routing, and no sources consulted indicate large-scale corridor shifts. The Forse master plan, adopted in 2006, framed a long-range approach that by 2016–2019 focused on re-establishing hazard placements, recapturing greenside interest, and adjusting mowing lines—work documented anecdotally in 2019 imagery and architect commentary. Club communications also highlight agronomic and infrastructure upgrades (new agronomy facility in 2021) that sustain turf performance on the restored features. A focused project on the 13th hole in 2022 refined that green-site for the centennial year.
In parallel with course work, the 2013 clubhouse overhaul modernized member amenities and created a separate golf house with simulator/training space, while in 2015 the “Attic” performance studio expanded off-season practice capacity. These improvements influence the contemporary playing and preparation experience without intruding on the Ross routing.
Sources & Notes
Manchester Country Club, “Historic Timeline” (club history page with timeline entries for 1921, 1923, 1945, 2002, 2008, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022).
Manchester Country Club, “The Forse Plan” (club page describing the 2006 master plan and restoration intent).
Troon press release, “Manchester Country Club Closes 99th Season and Embarks on Centennial” (Jan. 10, 2023), confirming 1923 opening exhibition and present governance/management.
Top100GolfCourses.com, “Manchester Country Club (NH)” profile—property size (~116 acres), water affecting eight holes, hole-specific notes (6th, 11th, 17th), and New Hampshire Open history including Bobby Locke’s 1959 win.
WMUR-TV, “Manchester Country Club to host NH Open” (July 2017), confirming 2017 hosting and noting prior 1969 Manchester staging.
New England PGA, 2019 NEPGA Championship Player Packet, noting Ross 1923 design and Manchester as a rare, historic par-71.
Forse Design, “Client List” (entry for Manchester CC—Master Plan/Restoration).
Ron Forse Instagram post (April 19, 2019) documenting bunker restoration/reinstatement and use of ground-penetrating radar at Manchester CC. (Visual evidence; details would be confirmed by plan sheets.)
Club & Resort Business, “From the Inside” (May 12, 2016), describing the creation of “The Attic” performance/entertainment space in February 2015.
Uncertainties & items needing primary verification
Ross’s on-site presence and supervision: The club asserts that Ross participated in land selection, design and construction, and that he viewed the course before opening. Primary corroboration was not available for this report.