Ekwanok Country Club

While a lot of golf in Vermont conjures tight, tree-lined holes snaking through mountainous terrain, Ekwanok Country Club is a more expansive setting in a gently rolling valley at the base of Mt. Equinox. The generous fairways framed by fescue encourage a lot of drivers, and the main defense against scoring are greens with ample interior movement. The conditioning is usually near impeccable, and when they’re fast, they command full attention. The par-5 seventh hole, which requires a blind second shot over a hill, has never been reached in two and might be the most famous hole in Vermont. Designed by Walter J. Travis and John Duncan Dunn in 1899, Geoffrey Cornish made changes in the 1960s and the most recent work was by Bruce Hepner. Also noteworthy, the club supports the lone caddie program in the state, and this reverence for tradition combined with a tranquil setting (think white birches and panoramic green forest) make it the sort of place where your blood pressure drops the moment you arrive on property. --Max Adler