At Dartmouth there exists a haven for students who want to play a real game of golf.
The College-owned Hanover Country Club -- located across from Occum Pond and host to the "freshman" sledding hill -- is a beautiful, well-kept 18-hole course with devoted members from both the surrounding community and Dartmouth.
Dartmouth Golf Coach and Hanover Country Club Golf Professional William Johnson described the course as a "lush New England antique" and the club as "fun and friendly."
About 400 students are members of the club, Johnson said, with another 375 local members.
Member Jonathan Sturgis '98 said he plays at the Country Club for about four hours three times a week.
"The course itself is a pretty nice course for a school campus," he said. "Some of the fairways are hacked up, and that's not great, but it is pretty tough and fun to play."
A full round on the course will take three to four hours. Golfers begin near the Country Club's clubhouse and travel as far down as the Hanover fire station on Lyme Road before doubling back for the finish.
Assistant Professional Tom Fletcher said the hardest hole is probably the ninth, because it crosses over a water hazard. He said the short fourth hole is the easiest on the course.
"The course is very difficult," clubhouse employee Soozie Schad said. "We encourage beginners to use the practice holes off Route 10."
The practice area has no regular tee-time. To register practice time, all one needs to do is check-in at the clubhouse before heading over to the holes, Johnson said.
The practice area is very helpful for those learning to play, George Pasvankas '98 said.
"I think that it is excellent that there are holes for people to learn on for free and improve their game without worrying about their level of play or the people playing around them," he added.
The Country Club, founded in 1899, is the oldest college golf course in America, although Yale University owns an older university golf course. The clubhouse, an old barn which was originally located across Occum Pond, was moved in 1915 to its current location, across from the DOC House, Johnson said.
A number of special events are held throughout the summery months at the course, from private parties to state tournaments.
"We are hosting the Nike [Golf] Camp this week and club tournaments and state tournaments that vary from year to year," Johnson said.
The Dartmouth men's and women's golf teams also play at the course and host their own invitational tournaments there, Johnson said.
Season passes for the golf course cost $110 in the spring and fall and $195 in the summer. Individual rounds cost $14 for Dartmouth students, with club rentals priced at $10. For lazy students, a motorized cart will cost another $14 per person.
