Drive the Greens: Woodchuck Golf

WAITSFIELD, Vt. (WCAX) – Woodchuck Golf in Waitsfield has tee containers and pins identical to every other golf course. But when you get there, you’ll quickly notice that this received’t be your common spherical.

No clubhouse and no driving vary, Woodchuck is a six-hole course in Spencer Potter’s yard. He maintains it himself, however lately added a few helpers within the type of robotic lawnmowers.

“The robots are out working. They do the fairways for me and the rough,” Potter mentioned. “I still have to do the greens and the approach by hand.

You need a tee time to play, and there are clubs there if you don’t have your own. In lieu of greens fees, Potter accepts donations to a local food shelf.

“The players have been extraordinarily generous. This is a little six-hole course and I’m amazed that the donations and the food shelf is very, very pleased with what’s going on.”

Don’t let the quick distances idiot you. Uneven lies and obstacles aplenty, Woodchuck is hard. In 22 years, solely two gamers have completed their six-hole spherical under-par.

“If you make your shot, you get rewarded, but there’s no forgiveness,” Potter mentioned. “You get punished if you don’t make your shot. And this course makes you make choices.”

The second gap is the toughest, however Potter says the primary one over the pond and onto a small, elevated inexperienced is the signature gap. It remains to be ready to award its first hole-in-one.

Potter nonetheless works as a tax assessor, whereas maintaining his course in enjoying form. He’s hosted gamers from as close by as native center schoolers to distant as Australia. Players starting from small teams to household reunions come by, too. Two a long time and counting welcoming folks to his house for a six difficult holes of enjoyable.

“Sometimes it’s not pristine or whatever, but it’s always the best I can do. Whatever it is, it’s the best I can do. And that kind of keeps me going,” he mentioned.