Bretton Woods delivers a resort experience that most golf destinations can't touch on non-golf merits alone. The Mount Washington Course is a genuine Donald Ross design, restored in 2022 to original specifications. Owl's Nest adds a modern Nicklaus II complement at a more accessible rate. The window is short -- May through October -- and peak fall weekends book up fast. Stay on-property.
Courses included
The trip experience
The White Mountains doesn't have the volume of a Myrtle Beach or the resort concentration of a Scottsdale, but it has something neither of those markets can offer: architectural range. Within 45 minutes of a base in Lincoln, a group can play a 2016 Nicklaus Design mountain course, a 1915 Donald Ross resort layout restored to its original specs, and a 1914 Donald Ross club course that most captains from outside New England have never priced out. No other region in the Northeast assembles this kind of design history in a single drivable circuit.
"Within 45 minutes of Lincoln, a group can play a 2016 Nicklaus Design, a 1915 Donald Ross resort course, and a 1914 Donald Ross club layout -- no other New England region makes that kind of architectural argument."
Owl's Nest Golf Club in Campton is the trip's modern anchor. Mark Mungeam built the original course in 1998, and Nicklaus Design completed a full redesign in 2016 -- not a renovation but a genuine rerouting that used the site's elevation change to create vistas the original layout never accessed. The result is New Hampshire's only Nicklaus Design course, ranked by Golfweek as the third-best in the state and by GolfPass as the sixth-best Nicklaus-designed course by value in the world among more than 400 Nicklaus layouts. The course plays par 72 at 6,819 yards with a rating of 73.0 and slope of 133. Bentgrass greens. Condition reviews are consistently strong. Tee times are bookable online up to 14 days in advance for non-members and non-resort guests, which means the trip doesn't require staying at the Owl's Nest resort campus to secure the round.
The Omni Mount Washington Resort course is the oldest of the three and the most photographically dramatic. Donald Ross built the layout in 1915 inside the Crawford Notch corridor, using the resort's Bretton Woods property as a canvas for the kind of contoured, risk-reward design he was producing at the peak of his career. Brian Silva restored the course to Ross's original plans in 2008 -- a project that recovered green complexes and routing angles the layout had lost over decades of modification. Golfweek has listed it as the best course you can play in New Hampshire every year since 2009. Resort guests staying at the Omni get preferred access; non-guests can book through GolfNow and should do so early in the season. Playing the course without staying at the Omni is legitimate, but staying on property for at least one night adds an experience layer that changes the trip -- the 1902 hotel, the backdrop of Mount Washington, and the Bretton Woods setting make it something beyond a good round.
Maplewood Golf Club in Bethlehem is 20 minutes east of the Omni and rarely appears in out-of-state research. Alex Findlay laid out the original course around 1895 and Donald Ross redesigned it roughly two decades later -- the same era and the same region as the Omni layout. Ross Forbes updated the routing in 1983 without compromising the core Ross character. The course plays par 72 at 6,167 yards, shorter than both the Omni and Owl's Nest, but the green complexes and the Presidential Range backdrop give it the same atmospheric quality at a fraction of the green fee. A captain who plays the Omni on day one and Maplewood on day two can say the trip included two Donald Ross originals built a year apart in the same mountain corridor by the same architect.
"Maplewood and the Omni are both Donald Ross originals from 1914 and 1915 -- playing them back-to-back is the kind of architectural day trip that gives a White Mountains visit a reason beyond fall foliage."
The Owl's Nest Vineyard Course in Ashland opened in spring 2025 after a full renovation by Robert McNeil of Northeast Golf Company. The course was originally the White Mountain Country Club, a Geoffrey Cornish layout; the McNeil redesign transformed it into the companion course for the Owl's Nest campus, 20 minutes south of the main Nicklaus Design layout on NH-25. At par 70 and 6,277 yards, it plays shorter and more social than the Nicklaus course, and the 10-acre organic vineyard along the third fairway -- the largest in New Hampshire -- turns the post-round stop into something the rest of the circuit can't match. Groups staying at Owl's Nest Resort can combine both courses into a 36-hole day.
Waumbek Golf Club in Jefferson dates to 1895 -- the oldest golf course in New Hampshire. A.H. Fenn added the back nine in 1896, Ralph Barton redesigned the full layout in 1928, and the club closed after 2022, renovated, and reopened with two new holes. It's a public course, par 71, 6,128 yards, with open views of the Presidential Range from Jefferson Hill. For a group building a five-round itinerary, it fits as the arrival-day opener before the main circuit begins.
Lodging splits the trip two ways. Staying at the Omni is the marquee version and puts the group inside a National Historic Landmark with the Donald Ross course as the in-house amenity -- but at full Omni resort pricing. Staying in Lincoln keeps the group 20 minutes from Owl's Nest, 20 minutes from Bethlehem, and 45 from the Omni without the resort overhead. Manchester-Boston Regional Airport is about 90 minutes south and serves most major hubs; Portland, Maine is about two hours east. The season runs May through October, and early October foliage weeks book significantly faster than midsummer.
Side trips & bonus golf
If you have a fifth day, drive north to Bethlehem and play Maplewood Golf Club. It is another Donald Ross design, far less traveled, with a par 6 on the 16th that you will not find anywhere else in the Northeast. The Inn at Maplewood is small and charming, useful for splitting the trip between two properties if the Omni rates are out of range.
The Mount Washington Auto Road is worth doing even if you have driven mountain roads before. The views from the summit look different from 6,288 feet, and the weather shifts fast enough to make a morning round feel like a different day. The Cog Railway is slower but more comfortable for those who do not want to drive the switchbacks.
North Conway is the shopping and dining hub for the region, about 40 minutes east of Bretton Woods. It runs busy on fall weekends. Storyland in Glen is the family detour if anyone brought kids, and Cathedral Ledge offers rock-climbing routes visible from the road. None of this is necessary for a golf trip, but it is available when someone in the group wants a non-golf afternoon.
Is this trip right for your group?
- ✓Book this trip if you want to sleep inside a National Historic Landmark and have that be a genuine part of the experience.
- ✓Book this trip if fall foliage timing is something you plan your calendar around.
- ✓Book this trip if a Donald Ross restoration and a Nicklaus design in the same trip sounds like enough.
- ✓Book this trip if your group is willing to pay resort rates in exchange for not having to manage logistics.
- ✓Book this trip if someone in the group does not play but will be happy with mountain activities, spa, and a 900-foot veranda.
- ✓Book this trip if you are within five hours of Bretton Woods and have never been to the White Mountains.
- ✗Skip this trip if you need more than two strong courses to justify the travel.
- ✗Skip this trip if you are coming from the Mid-Atlantic or South and expect warm weather in May or October, nights get cold.
- ✗Skip this trip if peak resort pricing for a room plus greens fees puts the daily number out of range for your group.
- ✗Skip this trip if you need nightlife; the closest town of any size is a 40-minute drive.
When to go
- Late September through mid-October is peak foliage season across the White Mountains.
- The Omni fills to capacity and rates reflect it; expect 30-40% premium over summer pricing.
- Tee times on the Mount Washington Course are tight; morning slots go first.
- Temperatures at elevation can drop into the 30s overnight, which means cold starts.
- May through August offers the best combination of open tee times and reasonable rates at the Omni.
- Owl's Nest in May runs their early-season rate of $89-$115 with cart depending on day.
- Weather is mild June through August with average highs in the low 70s.
- The resort is less crowded and the veranda is more relaxed without the foliage tourism surge.
- Courses close in November and do not reopen until May at the earliest.
- The Omni operates as a ski resort in winter, with Bretton Woods ski area next door.
- If you are visiting in the off-season, this is a ski trip, not a golf trip.
- Some room rates in winter are competitive with summer golf rates.
What a White Mountains trip costs
| Item | Peak | Shoulder | Off-Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tee fees (2 rounds) | $250-$380 | $180-$290 | $120-$200 |
| Lodging (3 nights, Omni Mt. Washington) | $900-$2,200 | $600-$1,600 | $400-$1,000 |
| Food & drink on property | $280-$520 | $200-$400 | $150-$300 |
| Rental car (3 days) | $140-$250 | $110-$200 | $90-$160 |
| Total (est.) | $1,570–$3,350 | $1,090–$2,490 | $760–$1,660 |
| Item | Peak |
|---|---|
| Tee fees (2 rounds) | $250-$380 |
| Lodging (3 nights, Omni Mt. Washington) | $900-$2,200 |
| Food & drink on property | $280-$520 |
| Rental car (3 days) | $140-$250 |
| Total (est.) | $1,570–$3,350 |
Per-person estimates for a 2-round, 3-night trip (Mount Washington Course + Owl's Nest) staying at the Omni Mount Washington Hotel. Excludes flights. All-in: $1,500-3,200 peak (Sep-Oct foliage), $1,100-2,500 summer shoulder.
How tee times and lodging actually work
- 1Mount Washington CourseBook tee times online up to 60 days in advance. Fall weekends fill within the first week of the booking window opening.
- 2Owl's NestNon-members can book 14 days in advance. Public rate ranges from $89-$149 with cart depending on day and season.
- 3Mount Washington Course green feesExpect $100-$150+ per person depending on the package and season.
- 4Cancellation PolicyBoth courses requires 36-hour notice to avoid a no-show charge equal to the full booking amount.
- 5Groups of 12 or MoreAt Bretton Woods groups need 7-day advance cancellation notice.
Common mistakes
- !Underestimating fall weekend demandPeak foliage weekends in late September and early October sell out months in advance at the Omni. Book early or accept shoulder-season timing.
- !Skipping Owl's NestThe Omni courses are the easy default, but Owl's Nest is ranked higher in the state and plays differently. The 35-minute drive from Bretton Woods is worth it.
- !Ignoring resort feesThe Omni charges a daily resort fee on top of room rates. Factor this into your per-person budget before comparing to other properties.
- !Planning outdoor activities without checking weatherThe Presidential Range generates its own weather. Morning tee times are safer than afternoon rounds in September and October.
- !Not driving to the summitThe Mount Washington Auto Road is 15 minutes from the hotel and provides a view that contextualizes every hole you played below.
What to pack
Sample itinerary
- Day 1Arrive + Mt. Washington CourseCheck in, afternoon Donald Ross Course.
- Day 2Owl's NestMorning Owl's Nest. Afternoon Crawford Notch State Park and Franconia Notch drive.
- Day 3Cog RailwayMorning Mt. Washington Cog Railway (reserve in advance). Afternoon explore Jefferson or the Presidential Range.
- Day 4DepartMorning resort amenities or North Conway shopping district (45 min south). Drive to MHT or PWM.
Where to stay & eat
Know before you book.
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