The public can play the stellar Jack Nicklaus design at Vermont National Country Club in South Burlington with a three-day advanced notice. (Courtesy of vermontnational.com)

Destination Guide: Golf in Vermont

The two most acclaimed golf courses in Vermont open for public play would have to be Green Mountain National Golf Club and Vermont National Country Club. Green Mountain in Killington is one of the most beautiful and challenging golf courses in the state and received a 4 ½ star rating by Golf Digest. Vermont National, designed by Jack Nicklaus is a semi-private club, and non-members can play if they call three days in advance.

Where are the best golf resorts in Vermont?

The two best resorts that feature golf in Vermont would have to be the Equinox Manchester and Woodstock Inn and Resort.

In the postcard-perfect town of Manchester, the Equinox Resort offers an outstanding menu of pleasurable activities that includes a crack at the Rees Jones-redesign of an Emmett Devereaux jewel in the shadow of the Taconic mountains. The Marsh Tavern, now one of the hotel's dining rooms, dates from 1769, and the Equinox Hotel welcomed Mary Todd Lincoln, the First Lady, for a visit in 1863.

A little further north is the quaint town of Woodstock, and once again, a traditional country inn occupies the prime space on the village green. The Woodstock Inn dates from its start as the town tavern in 1792, but became one of the region's finest resorts in the late 1960s when it was purchased and renovated by Laurence Rockefeller, who turned it into the 144-room beauty it is today. Rockefeller also bought a nearby ski area and the Woodstock Country Club, just a mile or so outside town. Robert Trent Jones renovated what had been the first golf course in Vermont, built in 1895. Again, the course occupies a gentle valley traversed by a narrow stream, and the holes cut back and forth across the water.

What can I expect from Vermont resorts?

Vermont knows its charm is in its small, old mountain towns, not mega resorts. You won't find any New Age multi-course resort with designs from Fazio, Dye, etc. That isn't to say Vermont doesn't have its share if design credits (including Nicklaus, Trent Jones and Rees Jones). A Vermont vacation is intended to be a cozy weekend in the mountains somewhere not much bigger than Grandma's house, not Myrtle Beach. That said, they've perfected what they do.

What is Vermont's climate like?

The northern part of the state near Canada is generally five degrees cooler than the southern land. The rainiest months are March through May, receiving nearly four inches of rainfall. Summers are dryer, lasting into September with highs in the low 70s.

What is Vermont's topography like?

Vermont is the second largest state in New England after Maine. Dominating the state's geography are the Green Mountains, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world.

Some 223 mountains over 2,000 feet in elevation, rise above fertile valleys that support an extensive dairy industry. The nation's sixth largest lake, Lake Champlain, runs along the state's western border. As mountain ranges go, the Green Mountains are very old, and have been sculpted to their present form during several ice ages. Granite, marble, slate asbestos and talc have all been mined from the range.

Where can I find phone numbers, locations and other information on all Vermont golf courses?

WorldGolf.com maintains a comprehensive guide to all of the golf courses in Vermont.

Vermont transportation

Burlington International Airport is Vermont's largest, providing non-stop service to as far as Detroit and Cincinnati, as well as most airports in New England. Rutland State Airport operates the Continental Connection, which provides two flights a day to Logan Airport in Boston on weekdays. There are also over a dozen small state airports in Vermont. Dorval International Airport is the closest large airport to Burlington is in Montreal, two hours away.

By train, the "Vermonter" provides daily service between Washington, D.C., New York and St. Albands, making nine stops along the length of Vermont.

The two main interstates in Vermont are I-89 which extends from the Quebec border through St. Albans southeast into New Hampshire''s Concord and Portsmouth. I-91 extends mostly along the Vermont/New Hampshire border north to Newport.

July 15, 2003