Golf Course Review-Farm Resort & Golf Course

Route 100, Morrisville tel. 888-3525
Located on Route 100, six miles north of Stowe

At first glance, the Farm Resort appears to be your run of the mill, rural nine-hole golf course - a casual hang-out for hackers and beginners. A power line cuts directly across the front of the first tee, but the rolling terrain looks broad and expansive - big for a nine-holer. A look at the score card reveals that the course is over 3,000 yards long and has a par of 36. By the time a golfer reaches the first green he realizes that this course is more than a bit different than the average half-loop. The contours and bunkers display some very sophisticated characteristics. It becomes apparent that the greens and fairways are nested into the rolling terrain in some interesting ways.

It turns out that The Farm Resort was originally designed as an eighteen-hole, par 3 course by the noted New England course architect, Geoffrey Cornish, the designer of Killington, Stratton, Quechee and Manchester. This course went out of business for a period of time and was later reopened in the present par 36, nine-hole configuration. Greens had been removed and fairways extended to create the new layout. Many of the original Cornish elements were retained to challenge golfers in interesting and beautiful ways. There are some very serious greenside bunkers and a number of attractively contoured greens. Several artfully designed ponds embellish four of the holes.

The conversion to nine holes did leave some very desirable aspects intact, but it also created some awkward transitions. The fact that the fairways were not originally planned in conjunction with the greens is apparent in several locations. Target marker flags are necessary to direct the golfers' shots in directions that would not be logically apparent without this means of assistance. Fairways don't always roll and curve the way they are supposed to and "flow" is not quite all that it might be. Golfers playing on adjoining fairways can be distracting.

The conditions at The Farm Resort are not set up for low-handicappers. The fairways and greens are thickly carpeted with plush grasses, but everywhere there is a noticeable lack of smoothness. Greens, tees and fairways are all uneven and choppy. Putting is not a refined art at The Farm Resort. It is as though the entire layout needs to be thoroughly flattened with a heavy roller. The large practice green is one of the bumpiest we've ever encountered.

In damp weather the inherent drainage patterns make for very soft playing conditions. Balls plug everywhere. The thick grasses just add to this problem. During our last visit one large bunker was almost completely devoid of sand. Deep trenches had been etched in it by heavy rains.

With a bit more work The Farm Resort could become a first class, nine-hole golf course - perhaps the best in the state. There is a lot of good stuff here. This course provides a substantial amount of enjoyable golf at low prices. The views are pleasant. This is fun golf - the terrain is interesting enough to entertain all comers.

The clubhouse is very modest and amenities are minimal. There is a full-sized driving range adjacent to the course.

Length is 6038 yds. (3019 x 2), slope is 111 and rating is 68.8. Prices are low.