EASTON, Massachusetts – Stonehill College in Easton has entered an agreement to buy the Easton Country Club and have it open for both public and college use.
The 150-acre course will host the Stonehill women’s golf team and, starting in the 2027-’28 season, the new men’s team. The school moved its athletics program to Division I in 2022, joining the Northeast Conference.
The school said it remains committed to public access, including golf league play and events.
Stonehill announced its purchase agreement for the site on March 5 and said it would also explore opportunities to eventually expand the facility’s services. The club’s general manager, Mark Lombardi, will remain on to oversee operations, the college said.
Father John Denning, Stonehill’s president, called the planned purchase “a natural and meaningful extension of Stonehill’s mission.”
“Stonehill College has entered an agreement to purchase Easton Country Club, a 150-acre golf course located at 265 Purchase Street in Easton, Massachusetts. This acquisition aligns with priorities outlined in Stonehill 2030: Building Together, the institution’s five-year strategic plan, by reinforcing its commitment to holistic student growth.
Easton Country Club will remain a semi-private venue, offering a vibrant destination for Stonehill students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as the local golfing community. General Manager Mark Lombardi, an experienced golf and hospitality management professional, will continue overseeing the club’s daily operations. Additionally, Stonehill remains committed to public access, league play, events and existing club programming. In the years ahead, the College will assess opportunities to build upon the facility’s services.”
Stonehill and the Easton Country Club are about three miles apart. The 150-acre, par-71 course is assessed at roughly $2.5 million. According to Providence Business News, the property was sold to Stonehill for $6.5 million.
“It will help increase our capacity to enrich the experiences of all students across academics, athletics, recreation and community engagement,” he said in a statement. “As we undertake this exciting initiative, we are committed to stewarding this land in ways that benefit not only our campus community but also our neighbors in Easton and surrounding cities and towns.”
Easton Country Club is one of two courses in Easton, along with the adjacent nine-hole Pine Oaks Golf Course.
Easton Country Club was once a parcel of land where cows grazed. In 1945 the Lombardi family purchased land and started a dairy farm. In 1961 they wanted to explore a new business and began construction of a nine-hole golf course that was opened for play the following year.
The Lombardi family’s nine-hole course developed a loyal following. So, the family purchased additional farm land, moving a few more cows to greener pastures. When nine more holes were developed Easton Country Club soon blossomed into one of the South Shore’s more popular 18-hole semi-private courses.
The Lombardi family has been shopping for a buyer for a few years and in 2024 announced that they were selling the property to Toll Brothers who were going to develop it into a retirement community. That deal fell threw.
https://www.eastoncountryclub.com/
