Jon Cavalier
Overview
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
About
Awards
Ranking history:
Best in State: Top 5 in state since 1977, ranked first from 1985-'87, 1991-current.
Current ranking: First.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“One of the strongest and best conditioned courses in Vermont. If you get the invitation, make sure you go. One of the very few legit four star courses in northern New England."
Read More2024
Review
“Ekwanok is Vermont's best golf course by a large sap bucket, as it is one of America's greatest under-the-radar golf days, especially in September and October. It's a perfect blend of quiet, church steeples, forest smells that could be bottled and sold, rolling mountains you only dream about, and oh yeah, one of the most historic golf courses in the country. If this isn't one of the best golf experiences in the Northeast, maybe you should hang up the sticks!"
Read More2024
Review
“one of a kind course"
Read More2024
Review
“Ekwanok Country Club is a lovely Walter Travis designed golf course that exudes its New England location. The course uses the variety of the character of the land quite well to maintain great variety and balance. The course's greens are particularly challenging and offer a wide range of shot options on the approach and around the green. The aesthetics of the course in a valley below Equinox Mountain are stunning."
Read More2024
Review
“Ekwanok is a charming, fun and challenging golf course. The incredible Walter Travis greens and surrounds make up for its relatively short length, and force golfers to think carefully about approach shots and control the golf balls. The conditions are great, including fast and true greens. The routing makes great use of the entire property and all of its interesting features."
Read More2024
Review
“This is a really fun place to play. A very good golf course, generally in good condition, in a superb setting. Very nice staff too."
Read More2023
Review
“Ekwanok is a fine classic design in a beautiful setting."
Read More2023
Review
“A charming club with a golf course you could play every day. The terrain is has good movement, particularly when you get away from the clubhouse to the eastern portion of the property. The parallel holes that gop up and down the hill from/to the clubhouse have a stream that comes into play on three of them and adds interest to holes that could have felt more repetitive. Fairway bunkering is very well thought out and adds strategic interest and shot values. The mountain backdrops made for very pleasing aesthetics, particular during the fall with bright colors from changing leaves. Only two par fives on the course and both play toward the north--a small knock on layout design. Greens had good contour and rolled true and fast."
Read More2023
Review
“Best golf course in Vermont, bar none! ECC is located in an unparalleled mountain-meadow setting, and may be the most scenic October play on the planet. Add in stout par fours, quirky old-world features, and one of golf's greatest histories, and you have a comprehensive golf experience that ranks in America's highest echelon."
Read More2022
Review
“This is a golf course that is not lacking in any category. The 11th hole, a newer par three seems a little out of place compared to the other holes. Very strong opening holes. Fairway bunkers are very well placed, rewarding good drives but penalizing wayward ones. Greens allow for running ball up or keeping the ball below the hole which is important. Most of the greens slope back to front and are very quick. Quintessential New England golf with wonderful views and a beautiful but understated clubhouse."
Read More2022
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