A private Catholic college has purchased a golf course in southern Massachusetts with an eye toward expansion.

Stonehill College agreed to purchase Easton Country Club in Easton for an undisclosed amount, according to the school. The acquisition aligns with the school's five-year strategic plan.

The 150-acre property at 265 Purchase St. was last assessed at roughly $3.9M.

The Catholic liberal arts school plans to use the purchase to expand its "academic and professional development opportunities for all students." It will also benefit the school's athletics department by giving the women's golf team a new home base and helping to launch a men's golf program.

The golf course will remain a semiprivate venue and continue to be managed by its general manager, Mark Lombardi.

"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," Stonehill College President Rev. John Denning said in a statement.

The expansion is another step in the school's plans to upgrade its athletic facilities and grow its campus.

In May, the college announced it was fundraising to support construction of a $65M, 120K SF ice hockey and basketball arena named the Tom and Kathleen Bogan Arena. It will be built on the campus' west side.

In 2023, Stonehill acquired Moreau Hall, a former elementary school, at 360 Washington St. in Easton for $2.3M. The college plans to renovate the space for a variety of uses.

The college is based in Easton on 387 acres, 22 miles outside of Boston. It has over 2,400 full-time students on campus.

Stonehill College's expansion comes as many other small liberal arts colleges in New England are struggling to stay afloat. In the past decade, more than 30 regional colleges offering four-year degrees have closed or merged, according to the New England Commission of Higher Education, including Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy in May 2025.

But the pain of some small colleges is the gain of others. Stonehill College has increased its student body by just over 11% in the last decade to 2,543 undergraduate and graduate students. The school also completed the process to move from Division II to Division I sports in 2025. It did so partly as a strategy to burnish its brand and attract more students.