Stratton Resort: Forget the skis, bring the sticks

Nearly every course in Vermont brings golfers in touch with nature, but the Stratton layout seems to do this particularly well. There are long-distance views, but sometimes the more interesting scenery is close-by. Trees are everywhere, and the hills will be tough on your game but easy on your eyes. And while the 621-yard, par-5 fifth hole gets its share of visitors, so does Stratton Golf School, one of the oldest in the nation.

Move over, Vanderbilt! Newport new haven for common man

Walking around Newport, R.I., you can smell old money and get the impression you need several million dollars to just be in the city. Looks can be deceiving, as Newport has several courses in the surrounding area that will gladly take the common man's tee time. "Newport's not just a place to sit by the water. You can go to the local theater, get a great meal, play some tough courses," said local Judy Cournoyer..

On the Spot

The great Green Golf swindle

Golf is trying to take a page from the Whole Foods playbook and convince us golfers that "earth-friendly courses" with worse conditions and higher green fees are the noble, righteous play.

Michelle Wie mania defies tradition in Newport, R.I.

They're talking golf in posh Newport, R.I. but it isn't the normal have-you-played-there, did-you-see-what-Tiger-Woods-did chat of the idle rich. No, with the U.S. Women's Open coming to town in June 2006, they're talking women's golf - about a 15-year-old Asian-American golfer to be exact. When this is the talk of Newport, a town as old money as tobacco plantations, you know the Michelle Wie mystique has hit overdrive, writes West Coast Bureau Chief Chris Baldwin.

Maine gives U.S. golfers a four-corner bingo

Maine might not look very big on a map, but with a population of only 1.2 million, there's room for golfers, fishermen, and moose alike to roam free. In the summer, the population doubles as tourists flock to the woods, beaches, and lakes, but you'd still be hard pressed to ever call it "crowded." And with over 20 courses within 45 minutes of Portland, you aren't likely to find a crowded course, either.

Also: Maine destination guide

Split personality golf courses abound in New England

While North Conway Country Club and Lake Kezar Country Club are separated by only 20 miles, but the courses are light years apart in terms of style and vintage. Featuring the incredible New England scenery is just part of the charm of these two courses, as modern golfers will be thrown back in time to experience designs from top names like Donald Ross and Ralph Barton and some holes too quirky too be attempted today.

Short on yardage, long on trouble Woodstock CC is fun, but a ball-eater

Woodstock Country Club, a favorite Vermont resort for more than a century, may be a cramped course but it’s distinctly vexing too, throwing up surprises at even top-flight players. What makes this tiny terror so tough? Partly, modern golf equipment, writes Kiel Christianson. The course was built for resort players in the persimmon age. As such, accuracy is like gold here. And to shoot low, you’ll need as much accuracy as the Rockefellers have gold.

Also: Hickory Ridge saves best for last

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