Tag: Vermont

This Vermont estate with its own private 9-hole golf course has come down $3M in price

A pristine lakefront property that houses a stone mansion and a 9-hole golf course is on the market in Vermont.

A pristine lakefront property that houses a stone mansion and a 9-hole golf course is on the market in Vermont and could prove to bring in one of the biggest residential real estate windfalls in the state’s history.

The property known as Grosse Point sits in the town of Ferrisburgh, about 25 miles south of the state’s biggest city of Burlington.

It went on the market for $26.2 million in 2023, but is now listed for $23 million.

Here’s the property description via the listing on Zillow:

“Grosse Point” in the Lake Champlain Valley is one of the most private and impressive lakefront estates in New England. From its elevated perch on the point, the grand 10,000 square-foot historic stone residence with 345+/- acres of fields and woods overlooks more than 30 miles of Lake Champlain both to the north and south. The estate includes five guesthouses, a 9-hole golf course, a variety of usable barns, and farm manager’s house plus 1.5 miles of lake frontage with three large docks. The majority of the property is covered by a Nature Conservancy Conservation easement. Grosse Point, offered for only the second time in over 100 years, and with its provenance, is clearly one of the most extraordinary estates ever offered in northern New England.

According to a piece in the Wall Street Journal, the sprawling property was the summer home of Cynthia Hoehl and her husband Robert, who was a co-founder of software company IDX Systems Corp.

The entire estate sits on more than 400 acres, and the property tax bill is estimated at around a half-million dollars per year.

Beau Welling begins renovation of No. 1 public-access course in Vermont

Beau Welling looks to add strategic interest to the top public-access course in Vermont.

Stowe Country Club, ranked by Golfweek’s Best as the No. 1 public-access course in Vermont, is slated to undergo a two-year renovation by golf architect Beau Welling.

In the town of Stowe, the course originally opened in 1950 and was expanded in 1962 by William Mitchell. The club plans a growing membership, but public-access opportunities are available through stay-and-play packages at the Lodge at Spruce Creek.

Beau Welling Design has drawn up a comprehensive renovation plan, with work on the front nine having started this month and to be completed this year, then work on the back nine to be completed in 2025. This allows golf to continue with at least nine holes open each year.

Stowe Country Club in Vermont before a Beau Welling-led renovation (Courtesy of Stowe Country Club)

Welling’s plan includes:

  • Renovation of all the greens with an emphasis on creativity and fun.
  • Shaping and regrading of select fairways.
  • A total bunker renovation.
  • All tees, fairways and greens will be re-grassed with bent grass. The roughs will be a mix of Kentucky bluegrass and fescue.
  • While maintaining roughly the same footprint, length will be added to the currently 6,195-yard, par-72 layout.
  • Expand the stretches of fescue throughout the property.
  • Improve drainage and install a new irrigation system.
  • The plan includes a new golf facilities areas, a new practice area, expanded amenities and a future residential community.

“As a design team, we are collaborators at heart, and we are excited to be working alongside Stowe Country Club to breathe new life into one of the best golf courses in the region,” Welling said in a media release announcing the renovation. “This project will make the golf course more approachable for the average player while retaining the precise challenge that members and guests have enjoyed for over 70 years.”

Potential Thunder draft prospect Kyle Filipowski helps Duke collect win over Vermont

Potential Thunder draft prospect Kyle Filipowski helps Duke collect win over Vermont.

The Oklahoma City Thunder could have two 2024 first-round picks in the lottery range. They own the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick and the Utah Jazz’s top-10 protected pick. The former looks more likely to go to OKC than the latter.

As the NCAA Tournament progresses, the top prospects are in the spotlight as they draw national eyes for their postseason performances.

Considering the Thunder will likely have at least one lottery pick, plenty of possible additions via the draft give fans a chance to see how they match up in high-stress situations.

One possibility is Duke center Kyle Filipowski. He finished with three points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals in 37 minutes in No. 4 Duke’s 64-47 win over No. 13 Vermont in the Round of 64 on Friday.

Filipowski has been the offensive hub for Duke this season. The 7-foot center can stretch the floor and pass when needed. He has an NBA-ready frame at 248 pounds, which means he should immediately contribute and not be physically overwhelmed.

In his second year at Duke, he’s averaged 17.1 points on 51% shooting, 8.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 blocks. He’s shot 35% from 3 on 3.2 attempts. The 20-year-old has led Duke to a 24-8 record and the No. 4 seed in the South Region.

The Thunder could hope to add Filipowski to add some serious size at their center spot. He could start alongside Holmgren for jumbo lineups. He’s also versatile enough to fit with OKC.

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Biking and skiing adventures await at Vermont’s Madbush Falls

You’ll be riding high.

Avid and aspiring mountain bikers will be stoked to hear about Madbush Falls, a new bike and ski-centered basecamp that opened this summer in Vermont’s Green Mountains. The 20-acre property has all a mountain or gravel biker needs, with a world-class trail network, 75-seat restaurant, bar, bike and ski shop, guiding center, and 20-room lodge. Oh, and a waterfall and swimming hole. Come winter, biking gives way to skiing. You might never want to leave.

Madbush is the brainchild of long-time Vermonter Jonny Adler, who dreamed of starting a Vermont biking hub. He wanted to share Vermont’s loamy dirt, warm pastures, ridgelines, gravel roads, and cool shaded woods with other enthusiasts. In November 2021, he closed a deal on the old Madbush Alpine Chalet. While the 1950s-era motel had been vacant for 20 years, the property had potential with a river running through it and a 30-foot waterfall. And it’s only about 40 miles from Burlington.

Aerial view of a biking resort surrounded by forest.
Photo courtesy of Madbush Falls

The finished basecamp is a truly Vermont collaboration. The property’s woodwork, metalwork, landscaping, art, and interior design feature Vermont materials and are crafted by Vermonters. The bike trails are community-built and maintained by Mad River Riders, a founding chapter of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association.

A biker biking through a forest.
Photo courtesy of Madbush Falls

Guests can bring their own bikes or rent one from the bike shop. Certified guide-instructors from Stowe Mountain Bike Academy can recommend routes ranging from 2.5 to 5.5 hours. Intermediate and advanced riders will find jumps and technical challenges. If you want more variety in your vacation, the Blueberry Lake route lets you combine a ride with a swim, picnic, and SUP.

People swimming and jumping in a pond near a waterfall.
Photo courtesy of Madbush Falls

“Here at Madbush Falls, we’ve thought through everything you need to power your riding adventure,” Adler explains in a welcoming message on Madbush’s website. “Above all else, Madbush Falls is a magical place,” he says. “Its energy is real.”

A hotel room with an orange and white bed, wood accents, and a loft with a blue fence railing.
Photo courtesy of Madbush Falls

Catastrophic flooding is sweeping through Vermont and golf courses are taking a beating

Forecasters aren’t mincing words, comparing the possible effects to tropical storm Irene that in 2011.

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Vermont is in the midst of a storm that could deal “catastrophic flooding” — and golf courses are feeling the wrath.

Forecasters aren’t mincing words, comparing the possible effects to tropical storm Irene that in 2011 dumped 11 inches of rain, caused hundreds of millions in damages and claimed seven lives.

Marlon Verasamy, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Burlington office, said the reason for the austere tone is because they want Vermonters to take this storm seriously.

By 9 a.m. on Monday some parts of southern Vermont had received 5 inches of rain over the previous day and night. A swift water rescue was deployed to bring 10 people out of a flooded campground and Ludlow was completely shut down due to widespread flooding over many of its roadways.

While much of southern Vermont and some of the eastern parts of the state already had significant impacts by Monday morning, the large-scale system was expected to move northward bringing more rain and flooding to Chittenden County into the afternoon.

That led Weather Channel meteorologist Jim Cantore to tweet about The Quechee Club’s Lakeland Course, which features water on 17 holes. It was under deluge on Monday. The same course was damaged by Hurricane Irene in 2011.

In eastern Chittenden, east of the Browns River and including parts of Essex and Richmond, a flash flood warning was in effect until 1:15 p.m. In that area 2 to 3 inches of rain was expected to fall during the day, with 1 to 2 more inches overnight.

In western Chittenden County, a flood watch was in effect until 8 p.m. This area was expected to receive between 1 and 2 inches of rain during the day, and the same overnight.

For Monday in Chittenden County, localized flooding and ponding on roadways was expected. Verasamy said the National Weather Service was keeping a particular eye on the Winooski River which was beginning to rise and expected to hit flood stage, cresting at moderate flood stage by mid-day Tuesday. So while roads and homes were expected to be affected on Monday, the rivers overflowing their banks was the big concern for Tuesday.

Parts of the county could receive 6 inches of rain over the course of a couple days. As the region has had a good amount of rainfall recently, a higher water table means the flooding risk is greater and more widespread.

Contact reporter April Barton at abarton@freepressmedia.com or 802-660-1854. Follow her on Twitter @aprildbarton.

Golfweek’s Best 2022: Top public and private courses in Vermont

Check out the top public and private golf courses in Vermont.

Vermont isn’t a golf powerhouse with hundreds of courses on offer – the whole state has fewer than 100 layouts. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some worthwhile courses among Vermont’s offerings.

Golfweek’s Best offers many lists of course rankings, with that of top public-access courses in each state among the most popular. All the courses on this list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time.

Also popular are the Golfweek’s Best rankings of top private courses in each state, and that list for Vermont’s private offerings is likewise included below.

MORE: Best Modern | Best Classic | Top 200 Resort | Top 200 Residential | Top 100 Best You Can Play

(m): Modern course, built in or after 1960
(c): Classic course, built before 1960

Note: If there is a number in the parenthesis with the m or c, that indicates where that course ranks among Golfweek’s Best top 200 modern or classic courses. 

* New to or returning to list

See why Vermont has the country’s most gorgeous fall foliage

Fall in love with the colorful leaves.

Now that the Autumn Equinox has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s time to embrace the oncoming fall foliage. As vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges begin gracing trees across the United States, dedicated leaf-peepers will start traveling to find the country’s best autumn leaves. While many states enjoy spectacular fall scenery, one state in particular is known for its out-of-this-world seasonal landscapes. Vermont, that charming little East Coast state between New York and New Hampshire, earns its popularity as a top leaf-peeping spot by offering incomparable views. While countless online travel guides celebrate Vermont’s fall foliage, people who have never visited the state may wonder what all the excitement is about. Wonder no more with this gallery that shows off some of Vermont’s most dazzling fall color.

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These nine states have never hosted a PGA Tour event

There are still nine states that are still hoping their day in the sun is still to come.

This week the PGA Tour visits the First State for the time.

Wilmington Country Club will play host, marking the PGA Tour’s first-ever event in the state of Delaware and the 10th different venue to host the BMW Championship since the inception of the FedEx Cup in 2007.

“You’ve got to hit it as far as you can and hit a lot of fairways,” advised BMW defending champion and reigning FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay.

Delaware becomes the 41st state in the union to host a Tour event, but that means there are still nine states that are still hoping their day in the sun is still to come.

Maine is one of the nine remaining states that have never hosted a Tour event. Professional golf has been absent from northeast New England, five states within the Mountain Time Zone and Alaska. Some states barely avoided making the list. Nebraska was spared solely by the 1933 Nebraska Open, Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene hosted the 1992 Merrill Lynch Shootout and Arkansas made headlines with the Arlington Hotel Open from 1955-63.

Some of these states have hosted Nationwide, Champions and LPGA events, but the locals are waiting patiently for Rory, Tiger and Jordan to grace them with their presence.

Here’s a list of some of the golf courses that could potentially host the stars of the PGA Tour someday. (Special thanks to longtime Golfweek reader and journalist Peter Kollmann, who helped with the research.)

Arkansas vs Vermont Prediction, Game Preview: NCAA Tournament First Round

Arkansas vs Vermont prediction, NCAA Tournament First Round game preview, how to watch, lines, and why each team might – or might not – win on Thursday

Arkansas vs Vermont: NCAA Tournament First Round prediction and college basketball game preview.

Arkansas vs Vermont Game Preview, NCAA Tournament First Round How To Watch

Date: Thursday, March 17
Game Time: 9:20 pm
Venue: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
How To Watch: TNT
Records: Arkansas (4 seed, 25-8)
Vermont (13 seed, 28-5)
Region: West

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– NCAA Tournament Schedule, Predictions, Game Previews