Burlington Country Club / Waubanakee Golf Club

Burlington Country Club Established in 1924, the Burlington Country Club opened for play in 1926 on the 150-acre Fairholt estate purchased from publisher Henry Holt. The club hired Scottish-born Donald J. Ross to design Chittenden County’s first 18-hole golf course. Active in the first half of the 20th century, Ross is revered as a major force in the history of American golf course architecture. He created challenging courses using naturalness, turtleback and punchbowl greens, strategically placed bunkers, and a routing that maximized walkability. These elements were executed at BCC, the only golf course in Vermont designed by Ross. Since its founding, BCC has hosted numerous competitions, including the Vermont Men’s and Women’s Amateur Tournaments. (continued) Waubanakee Golf Club (continued) Waubanakee Golf Club was organized in 1897 and established links along South Prospect St on the estates of LeGrand Cannon and Henry Holt. It later moved to leased land on Shelburne St in South Burlington. Scotsman James E. Betts, chair of the Greens Committee, laid out a nine-hole course described as “naturally sporty and well-turfed with undulating greens and lake views.” Growing membership enabled the Club to purchase the land in 1901. With the opening of the 18-hole Burlington Country Club, play at the Waubanakee Club declined and the land was sold in 1926. The New Waubanakee Golf Club was formed in 1930, active until 1946 when the site was redeveloped. The clubhouse, the last remnant of the Club, was demolished in the 1980s.