September 2026 – I originally played Green Mountain National back in 2008. I used to have GMN ranked in my top 100 but that was about 500 golf courses ago and since then it has moved back, not because it wasn’t good, just because I have played so many really good courses after it. Today GMN sits at 241. Played it again just last week and it reminded me why I liked this course so much then.
Unfortunately if I did take pictures here almost 20 years ago, those pictures were lost in a computer crash along with the scrapbook page. So, was glad to get back and take some pix (though am certain I only took about nine or ten) and create the blog review page and the scrapbook page.
We played GMN in a pretty decent rain which would gradually let up. It was cart path only so it made for a long walk. However, conditions were still good and since we knew we wouldn’t get any roll, we played the 5,800 yard-tees (68.8/126). My entire round here and at West Bolton the day before would continue to be impacted by heavy drinking both the night before and during the round. In fact I sent the following “Before and After” photo of my liver to the boys after this trip (which was on the heels of a month that featured a high school buddy of mine being down in the Philly area at my place for a few days, a shore trip with another high school buddy, our annual trip this time to the Canadian Rockies with a college buddy and my yearly golf crew, and another trip to Northern New England for my nephew’s 21st birthday).
So I originally sent them a similar stock image of the above with a watermark. I was going to post that as I’m not looking to make money on this site and I just borrow shit from across the web but then I figured I would just do it myself on Chat GPT. Holy shit, I am not sure how stock imagery will even be a thing anymore. Wait until you see the routing map for GMN! I took my usual Google Maps image with numbers I laid on top and asked Chat GPT to clean it up and make it an illustration. It’s really good and I’ll mention the flaws later that if I really wanted to spend the time, I’d clean up.
Best in Vermont
So far this year, I’ve played four new Vermont courses bringing my total to 11. If I take out states (provinces/countries) where I’ve played less than a half dozen courses, Vermont ranks sixth in overall course quality. That’s behind only the UK, Wisconsin, Oregon, Mexico and Alberta. That’s good company. Now I am a fan of mountain golf courses, so my VT ranking is higher than most. In fact, my high school buddy who was up at my place and did his share of damage to my liver, said he hates mountain golf. I guess that’s why there’s chocolate and vanilla, right? He also noted that instead of hitting the bar for bloodies and screwies before our round, what would happen if we actually warmed up on the range? Pshaw to that! Hence my sucky golf and spotty liver.
Anyway, I figure I would rank the VT courses I’ve played. Note, I was supposed to play Ekwanok earlier this year and my host had to cancel at the last minute and was promised a return trip. And I’ve never played Dorset Field. These are Golf Digest’s number one and two courses in VT.
- The Quechee Club: Highland Course – Quechee, VT – Private but a stay at the Woodstock or Quechee Inns (or a stay at a Quechee Lakes Land Owners property can get you access).
- Spruce Peak at Stowe: Mountain Course – Stowe, VT – Private but a stay at a Stowe property can get you access.
- Country Club of Vermont – Waterbury Center, VT – Private.
- Stowe Country Club – Stowe, VT – Private – See above.
- Green Mountain National Golf Course – Killington, VT – Public
- Stratton Mountain Golf Course (Mountain/Forest) – Stratton Mountain, VT – Public
- The Golf Club at Equinox – Manchester Village, VT – Public
- The Quechee Club: Lakeland Course – Quechee, VT – Private. See above.
- Rutland Country Club – Rutland, VT – Private but we had no problem getting on.
- Sugarbush Golf Club – Warren, VT – Public
- West Bolton Golf Course – Jericho, VT – Public
Even West Bolton sitting last, was not that bad at all and exceeded our expectations (which someone told us, “Well, it’s eighteen holes.”) Hardly a ringing endorsement!
To the course.
Here was what I plugged into Chat GPT to create the above…
Pretty amazing isn’t it? Anyway, the errors on the Chat GPT version are: #11 has the green depicted as a tee box and #12 is going in the wrong direction. I tried one swing at cleaning up but it made it worse so just used this version.
The clubhouse is pretty unassuming. Had a nice bar area that we hung in for a few cocktails. We tried the hot dogs at the turn. Decent. Now keep in mind I missed nearly half of the holes so will pull a super short description of the holes from Google AI and add photos where I have them.
Hole #1: Longest hole on the course, a sweeping par-5 measuring 513 yards from the back tees but just 443 from the whites.
Hole #2: A tricky blind tee shot with water right and a carry over a pond to the green. I know I was ball in the pocket after a bad drive lost right. Two into the water on my drop. And then the dreaded sleever as I would put another one in.
Hole #3: A strong 402-yard par-4 where a creek threatens about 50 yards short of the green.
Hole #4: A challenging 439-yard par-4 (391 yards from the whites) playing as the number-one handicap hole. I would double with a stroke on my way to a craptastical 49 on the front. A generous 49.
Hole #5: The first of the par threes. 183 yards with a really tough bunker to the front and right of the green Almost a 60-yard difference from the back tees to the whites. The water left really shouldn’t come into play.
Hole #6: A memorable par-5 featuring a split fairway that demands strategy based on pin position.
Hole #7: A scenic 151-yard par-3 (124 yards from the whites) featuring a prominent ridge right through the middle of the putting surface. Finally a par!
Hole #8: An elevated tee to a doglegging left fairway. Be careful that you don’t accidentally play #8 on your way to #3 as this comes up first and we just about teed off before looking at the sign.
Hole #9 : The final hole on the front plays uphill/sloping, leading into the highest points of the property with panoramic mountain views. The #3 handicap at 399 yards from the whites.
Hole #10: The back starts off with an elevated tee, pictured above from the back tees. The rain had stopped by here for us and I would do much better on the back starting with a bogey five/net four on the #2 handicap 10th hole (423 from the back tees/372 from the whites).
Hole #11: Plays tight especially with the sand to the left. However it plays nicely to my fade. Just 319 yards from the whites.
Hole #12: A dogleg 394-yard par-4 (375 from the whites) highlighted by a deep, three-tiered green.
Hole #13: A 173-yard downhill par three (131 from the whites) with a creek up front. I was on a pretty good bogey train right here.
Hole #14: Another shortish par four (356 yards/317 from the whites) with a sharp dog leg left on the approach. Approach is also downhill, cutting off additional yards as long as you can clear the corner on the drive.
Hole #15: A sweeping dogleg-right par-5 that anchors the strong collection of three-shot holes on the back. From the whites, it is ridiculously short – just 390 yards. Keep left off the tee. Six iron along the left and try to avoid the bunker (I didn’t). Short approach that I got a GIR and two putt par.
Hole #16: Another short par four, this one just 313 yards from the whites (374 from the back tees).
Hole #17: A picturesque 204-yard downhill par-3 with all hazards clearly visible from the tee box. It was so picturesque, I forgot to take a picture.
Hole #18: A mid-length par four closer – 394 from the back and 360 from the whites. There’s a creek fronting the green on the approach but it’s a little misleading as there is room between the creek and stone wall fronting the trap directly in front of the green. That’s where I was and hit my chip of the day over the wall, way up and just five feet shy of the pin. And yes I would miss the putt.
If you’re putting together a central VT trip, definitely add Green Mountain to the rotation. It’s a really good public course. Killington (I hear) is a bit of a step down. Rutland is ranked but I put GMN above it. Your pro or a modicum of work should get you and your buddies on there. And you’re not too far from Quechee where I would set up camp and play the two courses there.
