WELCOME TO THE MERRIMACK VALLEY GOLF CLUB

Enjoy the Good Life with Merrimack Golf Club

About MVGC History

Overlooking 150 acres of a neatly manicured 18-hole golf course, pristine ponds and the undulating woody hills of southern New Hampshire, the Merrimack Valley Golf Club offers a breathtaking setting that can’t be missed. How did we get here? Well, we go back a long time. To 1906 in fact. This is the year legendary golf course architect, Donald Ross, designed our golf course – only the second one he had created in New England up to that point. Over the decades, we have been known as a local, affordable place to play a round of golf amidst a beautiful natural setting.

But by 2008, our golf course needed an overhaul to address drainage, functionality and aesthetics issues. For that, we commissioned Golf Digest award winner George F. Sargent, Jr., a legacy Donald Ross designer, to create a par-70 course with an excellent mix of holes that are challenging but fair. Today, we still have the same gorgeous views, stunning sunsets and rolling greens that we did more than a century ago.

A History of Local Pride

Owned by the Kattar Family since 1971, Merrimack Valley Golf Club has been a landmark in Methuen and beyond for longer than anyone can remember. It’s this sense of history and community pride that has dubbed this course “the gem of the Merrimack Valley.” As a hot spot for high-caliber golf, distinguished dining, memorable functions, nightly entertainment, and good, simple fun, Merrimack Valley Golf Club brings people together.

Punctuated by wide-open vistas and spectacular views reminiscent of a classic links course, our distinguished course boasts a variety of features that are scaled for the enjoyment of duffers and pros alike. Home to league play and tournaments, charity events and, of course, friends and families out for a good time, our semi-private club offers both membership and daily play options for singles and families.

Our goal has always been to create experiences indicative of premium golf courses yet without the premium price. The result? No initiation fees and no monthly dues. Come with some friends, join a league, hold a teambuilding event, or take part in a fundraiser. We welcome it all.

Beyond Golf

Of course, we understand that not everyone plays golf, which is why we pride ourselves on being a social outlet for families, singles and couples who just want to get together, have a drink, and enjoy good food. We welcome non-members to dine in the Sandtrap Bar and Grille, serving up premier Lebanese and American cuisine. We also welcome you on Thursday and Friday nights for live music or Arabic Night on Saturdays on selected dates. Check out our Events page.

And if you have a special event coming up, such as a wedding, shower, retirement party, birthday party or corporate dinner, we have a variety of function halls and ballrooms for you to choose from.

Whatever you come for, rest easy knowing you’ll have a great time in our relaxed atmosphere. The Merrimack Valley Golf Club’s natural beauty, superior course, and action-packed clubhouse are meant to be enjoyed on many levels. From our humble beginnings at the turn of the last century to our modern amenities and features, we invite you to visit our “Gem of the Merrimack Valley.”

1906 - Merrimack Valley Golf Course

1906: Scotland-born Donald Ross, legendary golf course architect, designed the layout for the Merrimack Valley Golf Club – the second one he had created in New England at that time. He went on to design 400 courses between then and 1948, laying an important foundation for America’s golf industry. 

1971 - Kattar Family ownes MVGC

1971: The Kattar Family took over ownership of the Merrimack Golf Club, purchasing the parcel of land at auction.

2008 - MVGC is reconstructed

2008: Golf Digest award winner George F. Sargent, Jr., a legacy Donald Ross designer, was commissioned to give the course a much-needed facelift. The key issue was to address major drainage problems on several holes; however, the course was also losing its signature Ross look and feel, with deteriorated course features, sunken greens, blind shots, worn-out tees and nondescript bunkers.

2008-present: Transition to a premier public course. The redesign breathed new life into the Merrimack Golf Club, making it a choice destination for golfers of all abilities thanks to its innovative approach. Part of the 2008 redesign was to incorporate a new clubhouse, which now offers amazing deck and patio views from 14 out of the 18 holes. The Sandtrap Bar and Grille has become more than just a quick watering hole and has evolved into a golfer- and family-friendly dining spot encouraging people to linger and catch up with friends. Four function halls round out the amenities with the ability to host anywhere from a few guests to 200+ guests in luxurious style.

Merrimack Valley Golf Club - George T. and Phyllis Kattar who purchased the Merrimack Valley Golf Club in 1971

A Tribute to George T. and Phyllis Kattar

Paying homage to the legendary couple that started it all…

The Merrimack Valley Golf Club has been a landmark in Methuen since 1906, but the modern era of this distinguished course began in 1971. At a time when disco was just making its way onto the scene, political tensions were rising, rights movements were in full swing, and traditional family roles were being challenged yet again, a young couple embarked on a life-altering journey they never realized would take them this far.

The early 1970s set the stage for George T. Kattar and his wife Phyllis to take a chance on a dream. They decided to purchase a golf course right in the middle of Methuen – by all accounts one that was cherished in the community but that had no doubt fallen on some hard times lately. The course was overdue for some TLC and dedicated ownership to breathe new life into it.

Over the years, it was obvious more had to be done in order to bring Merrimack Valley Golf Club up to par with others in the area. It was definitely in need of a facelift, and the Kattars were the ones to reinvent it. 2008 saw the birth of a premier public golf course that benefited from structural, drainage and aesthetic alterations in order to transition to a premier local course.

Today, Merrimack Valley Golf Club is what it is because of one couple, one local legend that always had faith in this little gem of the Merrimack Valley. George T. and Phyllis Kattar started a family legacy nearly 50 years ago – one that has withstood the test of time, improved the local community setting, and put Methuen on the map as a golfing force to be reckoned with.

The legacy still lives on today, as the Kattar’s children and extended family and friends continue to work hard at making the Merrimack Valley Golf Club a respected name in the industry. In the beginning, the goal was to create a place where people could come together to have fun. The family has never lost focus of that mantra.

 

Shots for Soldiers

Merrimack Valley Golf Club Honors Veterans

by Scott Shurtleft - photo by Kevin Harkins

For most of us, true appreciation and acknowledgment of our military is limited to occasions such as Veterans Day and the times their perils come into view on the nightly news.

But for members of the Merrimack Valley Golf Club, honoring veterans is at the center of their game.  Set near the tee for the 17th hole, a new memorial serves as a permanent reminder of veterans from all services and eras. The understated, year-old memorial is borderd by small mounds of lush fescue. The centerpiece is a simple array of senven flag poles. The middle and tallet pole bears the Stars and Stripes, flanked on either side by the banner of each U.S. military service and the black MIA/POW flag.

Designed by world renowned golf course designer George Sargent, the space is a quite respite from the busy links. From the slightly elevated memorial, visitors have a panoramic view of the course and nearby Methuen. Kevin Kattar, who owns the club with his family, wanted to commemorate the service and sacrifice fo veterans. Many of the club's members are veterans, including Jim Moran of Lawrence, who served in the Air Force.

"Its' a great thing that Kevin has done here. It makes me proud to be a veteran," Moran says. Kattar held a golf tournament to help raise money for the project. He says it sold out immediately. But that's par for the course when supporting vets is concerned.


MVGC Sunset Veteran's tribute

Address

210 Howe Street
Methuen, MA 01844


Contacts

Email: hello@merrimackvalleygolfclub.com
Pro Shop: (978) 683.7771 X3
Sandtrap: (978) 683.7771 X14
Sales Office: (978) 683.7771 X19

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At Merrimack Valley Golf Club, the golf is great, life is good and there is always a reason to celebrate.

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