Stonebridge Country Club

Located in Goffstown, New Hampshire, Stonebridge Country Club is one of the state’s most substantial and bold courses designed within the last 30 years. In its history, it has served as the host for one of the state’s premier events, the New Hampshire Open, on a few occasions, and was this year’s (2026) host of the New Hampshire Women’s mid-Amateur Championship.

The golf course can be stretched to over 6800 yards and to a 73.4 rating for the most demanding test but features additional tees for any level of player. The course was designed by Phil Wogan and George Sargeant, who are responsible for many tremendous designs throughout the region over many years, and presents a wide variety of situations throughout the round. Featuring tight landing areas flanked by natural hazards and trees, big changes in elevation both up and downhill, rolling fairways, and bunkers adorned with tall grasses, this is New Hampshire golf as one would want and expect.

From a championship perspective, the first hole presents a clear scoring opportunity. It is the first and only par 5 on the front, and it is under 500 yards from all tees. The fairway of the hole is very links-like and cuts its way through various lines of rough and mounds covered by long natural grasses. A few bunkers guard the left side of the hole, and layups need to avoid the tall grasses on the left as well. Mind the bunker on the right of the green, and a birdie could be within reach here.

To the right of the first green is the second tee. Hole #2 is a straight par 4 moving back down the hill, with tall trees guarding the left and a considerable fairway bunker on the right. A good tee shot here can set up a relatively straightforward approach shot. In tournaments, these open two holes are solid birdie opportunities, and the views are equally wonderful.

The course kicks things up a little bit on the par 4 third. Misses here are far more penal than on the previous two holes, with a miss left bringing the woods, thick grasses, and a bunker into play and a miss right presenting a risk of plunging down the hill to the neighboring fifth hole. The green features a great bunker to the right and tall grasses long left, making the center of the putting surface here ideal for any hole location.

Hole #4 is Stonebridge’s first par 3. Playing from a decently elevated position, the hole features a relatively large green that offers many pin locations. The short and left area features two large bunkers, which are not the worst places to miss. Long on this hole, however, is simply not an option, so it is critical to choose the correct iron with the slope in consideration.

The par 4 fifth hole looks straightforward from the tee, but a second look reveals how difficult it can be if the fairway is not hit. The drastic slope off the right side of the third hole presents itself on the right side of this hole, and many bad lies can be found here. The left side of the hole is completely dead and must be avoided at all costs. Some interesting bunkering can be found as the hole progresses up to the green, which is quite large with a decent slope up front. A miss long with the pin in this front section can present some tricky putting situations.

Noted by many as the course’s signature hole, the sixth hole is the course’s second par 3, and plays considerably longer from the championship tee. The huge green moves diagonally behind the water hazard guarding the front, and depending on the pin location, the hole can be played at so many different yardages during a tournament. Missing short here is of course a lost ball, but behind the green features long grass, slopes, and several pot bunkers. Dialing in the club selection here is paramount.

The front nine of Stonebridge closes with a series of three par 4 holes that demand focus and precision play. Hole #7 is a short par 4 that moves slightly downhill and straight out from the tee and then moves hard to the right over a swamp hazard to a narrow, two tiered green with an enormous slope in front. The tee shot here has more room to work with on the left than it may seem, and it is certainly best to favor this side and hit the ball a decent distance to open up an easy view of the green.

Following the tricky seventh is the nerve-testing eighth, a long downhill par 4 that bends to the left to a green protected by a cross hazard. The left side of the hole must be avoided at all cost to prevent a lost ball, but a large fairway bunker also guards the outside of the dogleg. A flat lie is nowhere to be found here, so even if a superb tee shot is hit, a great deal of focus and stability is required to hit the green, which itself features a noticeable ridge. Every aspect of the game is needed to find a good score here.

The ninth hole is the number four handicap hole on the score card, and with just one look, it is easy to see why. This long uphill par 4 moves from left to right, and two staggered fairway bunkers are lurking to capture a weak fade. Assuming they are navigated safely, the approach includes two additional bunkers short-right and long-left, along with plenty of rough surrounding the green. The bunker on the right has tall grasses lining its front edge, so your approach shot drifts towards this bunker, pray it lands in it and not these grasses.

If you are expecting a gentle handshake to start the back nine, apologies, for this will not be the case. This is the first of three par 5 holes on the back nine, and these are, for most players, true three shot holes.

The tee shot on Hole #10 is one of the most intimidating on the course. The landing area for a successful tee shot is made very small by a cross hazard, a large bunker and rows of trees through the dogleg, and thick woods that run up the entire right side. The hole continues to sweep uphill and to the right beautifully, with more bunkers and trees being encountered along the way. The green of this hole is one of the most complex on the golf course, with multiple different sections with tricky slopes. Numerous pin locations are possible here, making it a near perfect tournament green.

Hole #11 is a short par 4 around the 350 yard range from the back tee. There are two places that you simply cannot go on this hole: right off the tee, and long of the green. Well right off the fairway off the tee is a shot lost into a thick section of woods, and long of this green drops off significantly down a very steep slope. Ensure these elements are properly considered, and a par or birdie here is in reach.

The next hole is also a shorter par 4 that moves up a slight hill, and then down to the green, which cannot be seen from the tee. The green is the primary defense of this hole, and it is positioned with thick woods immediately behind it and with a complex cross bunker at its front. Making matters more interesting, the green is narrow from front to back and is significantly domed. It is a tremendous example of how to make a short par 4 incredibly interesting with the green and available slopes of the land.

The next par 3 on the course is the 13^th hole. This is a strong and tough golf hole, especially from the back tee, requiring a carry of two hazards too a narrow green 210 yards away. The best place to miss here is right up front or in the left side bunker, as far right is a lost ball into the woods, and the bunker on the right is also quite narrow and can present some very difficult lies to hit from. Walking off this hole with a score of three, or even four, can be one of the most satisfying feelings found on the course.

Hole #14 is the second of the three par 5 holes on the Stonebridge back nine, and it is perhaps the most striking hole on the course. At 560 yards from the championship tee, it is a stunning hole that plunges straight downhill and is tightly enclosed by the surrounding New Hampshire forest. Many sloped and difficult lies can be found on the journey to the green, so the physical demands of the hole can be quite interesting. The green is somewhat narrow and missing anywhere but short can leave some very difficult recovery scenarios. The view of the mountains from this hole can serve as a soothing visual.

The par 4 15^th hole continues to demand more focus coming off the 14^th. The elevated tee shot requires a carry of a small pond in front of the fairway, and the hole then moves quickly to the left for a stunning approach over a hazard to a two tiered green. This hole features one of Stonebridge’s signature greenside bunkers protected by thick grasses on its front edge. Missing left risks landing in this grass and not the bunker, providing full incentive to hit this green or miss just up front or to the right.

The final par 3 hole is encountered on Hole #16. While seemingly straightforward, this hole places a decent premium on hitting the green. The slopes, rough, and bunkers surrounding the green are all quite difficult to get up-and-down from, and from a mental perspective, an easy par here will be useful to preserve the focus needed for the final two holes.

Stonebridge’s back nine, like the front, finishes with two of the most challenging holes on the golf course. The first of these is the 17^th, a tremendous par 5 that plays about the same length as the 14^th hole and runs straight back up the same hill that the 14^th runs down. In fact, the 14^th hole is on the other side of the trees that line the left side of the 17^th.

The hole plays decently narrow as it progresses up the hill and is occasionally pinched in even further by rough on the left, and a large fairway bunker on the right. As the player gets closer to the green, the changes in elevation quickly accelerate up to the putting surface, which plays out the right of the last section of the hole with a large collection of bunkers to the left. Playing the hole up the left side ensures avoiding most hazards, presents the best view of the green, and can assure a great score ahead of the finishing hole.

The course asks for one final stretch of focus with the difficult 18^th hole. This par 4 features a similar template to the 15^th hole, which asks the player for a long, straight tee shot that presents a view of the green positioned nearly perpendicular to the fairway. Like the 15^th, the ball must be carried far enough beyond a thick section of trees to see the green completely, but the carry here at the 18^th is even more demanding, as the hazard extends right up to the putting surface. The brilliance of the hole is this huge final ask of the player: can you hit one final, and exceptional, iron shot to close out the day. It is a thrilling end to a tremendous round.

Stonebridge Country Club has established itself well amongst some of New Hampshire’s finest courses that the public can play. The course will be celebrating its 30^th anniversary in the next season, with hopefully more state championships in its future. It is an amazing example of how more modern course architecture can still respect the environment and land a course occupies. You are never guessing that you are in New England when playing Stonebridge, and that is the way it should be.