Flying High

Carved out of New Hampshire’s White Mountains, Owl’s Nest Golf Club offers a golfing experience that is both picturesque and pleasurable to players of all levels

By Jeremy Gottlieb

Under most circumstances, the words “multiple personalities” might be met with at least a dollop of skepticism. Not so when considering Owl’s Nest Golf Club, located in the heart of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. True, there exist several characteristics in the course’s makeup. But the connotation is anything but negative.

“Owl’s Nest is a very playable course,” declares Charlie Wheeler, the club’s managing professional. “It’s a feel-good course. It has some scenery unlike any that you’ll see anywhere in the country. And it’s three styles of golf all melded into one. That’s a major selling point.”

The journey to Owl’s Nest from the North Shore may take roughly two hours, but once you enter the White Mountains region and approach exit 28 off I-93, you will begin to understand that the surroundings are worth the drive. As you pass the large wooden owl that greets visitors at the club’s entrance and roll up to the clubhouse area, you will bear witness to some glorious views of Franconia Notch and the back side of Waterville Valley. Step up to the practice range to hit a few balls (at a slight extra cost to the regular greens fees) and not only will you see more panoramic views of the mountains, you will also get a good look at some of the homes and soon-to-be-developed real estate plots on the site, an aspect of Owl’s Nest that is just as prevalent as the golf course.

Owl’s Nest minority owner Tom Mullen, a 40-year veteran of the real estate industry, bought the 700 acres of property in 1995 and began to build the course, as well as develop some of the real estate in 1997. He saw his establishment open in 1998, and then began to sell in 2000. By 2001, he began to build single homes and townhouse-style condos. According to Mullen, real estate sales have doubled every year through 2005.

Currently there are 120 units occupied at Owl’s Nest, with 15 more under construction, six others ready to go and some 400-500 units still left to develop. The single homes average 2,200 square feet while the condos range from 1,500-1,900 square feet with the houses averaging a cost of $500,000-$550,000 and the condos averaging between $300,000-$475,000.

“When I bought the property, it was pretty clear to me why people purchase and what amenities they are looking for,” says Mullen, who owns one-third of Owl’s Nest (the other two-thirds are owned by Walter Lankau, owner and President of Stow Acres Golf Country Club). “What we needed was competitive, quality golf. The land was sitting on an underground aquifer of indefatigable proportions, giving us an abundant source of water. So then, it became pretty clear to me that the course should be the primary amenity to the residents.”

And what an amenity it is. To make the experience enjoyable for all skill levels, Owl’s Nest features five different tee box options colored green (shortest), gold, white, blue and black (longest), which have respective slope ratings of 115, 117, 124, 133 and 136. After choosing the most reasonable tee box, players will get to experience the multiple personalities of Owl’s Nest right from the start with the first hole, a traditional, links-style hole, and the second, a high, elevated tee that almost feels like one can reach out and touch the surrounding mountain tops. The grounds flatten out from the second fairway, as players move into the meadow-style lower fields. The majority of the rest of the front side remains in a low land area before the ninth, an uphill, dogleg right par 5, which is a slight climb back to a mid-level elevation.

“Our biggest challenge was trying to fit the golf layout into what was already on the site, which was the housing development,” said the course’s architect Mark Mungeam, of the Uxbridge-based firm Cornish, Silva & Mungeam, who has designed 25 courses including The Meadow at Peabody. “Once we fit it in, we had to ask ourselves, ‘How do you manage to make the course playable with all of this terrain?’ There is over 200 feet of elevation change at Owl’s Nest. How do you end up with good holes without too many excessive climbs?”

The majority of the elevation changes described by Mungeam occur on the backside, specifically beginning on No. 11. After finishing the 10th, players must cross the street and start going up to reach the 11th tee, starting the portion of the course termed by Wheeler as “mountainous golf.” If you’re planning on walking Owl’s Nest, make sure you wear shoes well-suited for hoofing as there will be more ups and downs, literally, than in your average round. Players may not notice the changes in elevation on No. 11 and No. 12, but once No. 13 is reached, the terrain becomes truly rugged.

At the 14th, one of Owl’s nest two signature holes, the visual splendor of the area is at its crest. Players will get a 225-degree, panoramic view of the entire region from the elevated tee of this par 3. Once getting off the green, the terrain on the 15th, a shortish par 4, is decidedly uphill, before players will again be looking down from the 16th tee.

“My favorite hole on the course is probably the 15th,” says Wheeler. “You can play it so many different ways and make so many different scores. The green is elevated, there are big pot bunkers in front and you can go driver off the tee or hit 7-iron and 7-iron. There’s a dramatic upslope and it’s got the trickiest green on the course. It’s really great.”

Owl’s Nest’s second signature hole is the 17th, described on the scorecard as “as good as it ever gets.” The same views that can be seen at the 14th tee are available all along No. 17, a par 5 with a green that even duffers have a chance at reaching in two. At No. 18, as players make their way home, it’s back to flatter ground and the links-style holes that are common on the front.

“What makes it so beautiful is the upkeep,” said superintendent John Gabbeitt, who took over his position last Labor Day. “Obviously, we have things to improve. I want to work more with the definition of the course, try to get a more defined level of rough between the fairway and the primary rough. We want to do that as soon as possible. The greens are looking good so far and will probably stay as they are.”

Owl’s Nest continues to grow. In addition to the homes yet to be built, a large, empty plot is currently being groomed to hold nine more holes, two of which are already under construction. Mullen will be hard-pressed to improve upon what’s already there, but given the current look of Owl’s Nest, it wouldn’t be a surprise.

“I tell people that if they want splendid golf in a spectacular setting, it doesn’t get much better than here,” Mullen says. “With the mountain holes, the links holes and the holes along the water, you get a diverse personality that’s rare to see in one single course. I’m finding that a lot of people find the environment here to be ideal. Owl’s Nest has become their home – their new nest.”