Hooper at Hooper Golf Club

Hooper Golf Club sits in the Connecticut River Valley town of Walpole, New Hampshire, a course designed by the prolific New England partnership of Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek in 1927. Stiles and Van Kleek created dozens of courses across the region during the 1920s and 1930s, working with natural terrain to produce layouts that remain playable and engaging nearly a century later. The Hooper routing reflects their characteristic approach: modest earthmoving, strategic use of existing landforms, and green complexes that reward thoughtful approach play.

The course occupies rolling terrain typical of southwestern New Hampshire, with elevation changes that provide variety without severe climbs. The design incorporates mature trees that frame holes and define playing corridors, while the Connecticut River Valley setting offers views of the surrounding hills. The layout measures relatively short by contemporary standards but emphasizes accuracy and course management over pure distance, a hallmark of Golden Age designs intended for year-round club play.

Hooper Golf Club operates as a semi-private facility, welcoming both members and daily-fee players. The club maintains the traditional character of a small-town New England golf course, where the game proceeds at a relaxed pace and the clubhouse serves as a gathering place for the local golfing community. The Stiles and Van Kleek design remains largely intact, offering a window into the strategic principles and aesthetic sensibilities that shaped American golf course architecture in the decades before World War II.