The nine holes at Hooper Golf Course have always been worth fighting for. Renowned golf course architect Tom Doak once wrote that Hooper, in Walpole, N.H., had two of the best opening holes he had ever seen on any golf course.
He was right. They are outstanding holes.
They represent of the charm that Hooper, a nine-hole course dating back to 1927, radiates nearly 100 later to its visitors. It’s no wonder that a group of local investors rallied to save Hooper after it fell into financial peril earlier this century.
The Wayne Stiles design opens with a short par five (which plays as a par four as the 10th hole) plunges the golfer into the property. A downhill tee shot to rolling land that slants hard from right to left leaves golfers aiming right, which has them thinking about the pesky road that cuts through the entire property. And if there happens to be players on the ninth tee, then an added layer of complication arises.