The Sunday River Golf Club is a Robert Trent Jones Jr. course threaded through the same mountain Sunday River ski resort owns — which means in summer the lifts are quiet, the rates are lower than peak ski season, and the view you get from the tee boxes is the view a skier pays more for in January. Bethel is the base town. Here are five rentals sized for golf groups, golf couples, and golf-plus-family weekends.
The Bottom Line: Bethel in summer is an underrated golf town — Sunday River Golf Club is one of the best mountain courses in the East, and there’s a full portfolio of condos and houses within ten minutes. Five picks below.
Why Golf in Bethel
Three reasons. The course. RTJ Jr. design through mountain terrain, five tees per hole, and conditioning that has held up to national ranking recognition. The summer rate card. Bethel’s summer lodging rates are a fraction of winter peaks. The schedule flexibility. You can play 18 in the morning, hike Grafton Notch in the afternoon, and still get dinner in town.
What Makes a Great Golf-Trip Rental
Sleep-to-bathroom ratio — golf weekends attract groups, and morning tee times don’t wait for the shared bathroom queue. A deck for an afternoon beer. Bourbon-worthy kitchen/bar area for the evening wind-down. Within 15 minutes of the course — enough to not be on top of it, close enough to not make tee times stressful.
Five Picks for a Sunday River Golf Trip
1. Ninth Peak Spa and Golf Retreat
- Best for: couples or small groups who want spa + golf as one package
Price tier: $$$
Designed for exactly this trip — the spa amenities mean tight backs after 18 holes get fixed the same day, and the property is sized for couples who golf.
- Spa on-property
- Minutes to the Sunday River course
- Couples-first setup
2. The Epic Sunday River Getaway
- Best for: full golf-group weekends
Price tier: $$$
A golf group needs what a ski group needs — enough bedrooms, a real kitchen, and a big common space. The Epic checks all three and is minutes from the course.
- Full-group capacity
- Minutes to the course
- Built for gathering
3. Highland House — Private Retreat by Sunday River
- Best for: two-couple or small-group golf trips
Price tier: $$$
A quieter pick — four guys (or two couples) who want to play, eat a proper dinner, and sleep. Private setting, no neighbors on top of you.
- Private and quiet
- Near the course
- Four-season appeal
4. Whitecap 120 — Multi-home Estate at Sunday River
- Best for: big groups who want separate households
Price tier: $$$$
For the annual 12-man golf weekend where half the group wants to stay up playing cards and half wants to be asleep by 10, the multi-home estate is the answer.
- Multi-home footprint
- Handles 10+ cleanly
- Near Sunday River course
5. Epic Group Getaway — Outdoor Kitchen + Saltwater Pool
- Best for: golf weekends with a couples/family mix
Price tier: $$$$
A saltwater pool and outdoor kitchen make a summer golf weekend in the mountains feel like a resort stay. Play in the morning, swim in the afternoon, grill at night.
- Saltwater pool
- Outdoor kitchen
- Full-group size
Plan Your Trip
Course to book: Sunday River Golf Club.
Best months: June through early October. Early September is the sweet spot — no summer crowds, course conditions peak.
Other courses in range: Bethel Inn Golf Course is 10 minutes away; good for a second round at a different feel.
Apres-golf in town: Sunday River Brewing, Brian’s, or the lodge.
Keep planning: explore Sunday River skiing, Sugarloaf skiing, or White Mountains.
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