New owners can often be the catalyst that reawakens a languishing resort. That certainly has happened in the case of Sugarbush, which was purchased by a group of local investors bent on reinvigorating the resort, winter and summer. Fortuitously, Michael Smookler, who ran the junior programs at the Health & Racquet Club back in 1993, came back to Vermont to show his wife where he used to work and ended up living there. Taking up the helm at Health & Racquet, he sought first to beef up the offerings for local members and then expanded, bringing an energy and enthusiasm and depth of programming the club hadn't seen for years. He has put in place an aggressive roster of programs that includes a five-hour-a-day adult tennis school, another for juniors ages 7 to 17, as well as clinics, round robins, and social events during the busiest part of the season.

The Racquet Club, which has four Har-Tru and two hard courts outdoors and another two hard courts indoors, cascades through the trees just below the Sugarbush's ski slopes—grass covered in summer. The other major amenity is an 18-hole Robert Trent Jones golf course, designed to make the most of the mountain views while respecting the natural surroundings. Otherwise, your recreational choices are the sort you'd expect in a mountain getaway: bike rides on back roads, hiking the Long Trail, or swimming in pools along the Mad River. The pace at this resort is slow and uncrowded.

Tennis Features

Tennis Staff. Tennis director Michael Smookler was born in New Jersey, where he became a ranked junior, and then went on to play for Lyndon State College in Vermont, where he is now the Men's Tennis Coach. Prior to returning to Sugarbush in April 2003, he directed his own academy in New Jersey and taught at various private clubs, including the Westside Tennis Club in Forest Hills, NY.
Tennis Programs. The weekly calendar includes an Adult Tennis School (5 hours/day of group instruction) and a Junior Tennis School for kids ages 7-17 (also 5 hours/day) as well as private lessons, clinics, round robins, and social events.
Courts & Fees. There are 4 Har-Tru and 2 hard court outdoors and 2 hard courts indoors. Court fees: Free to guests outdoors; $20/hour indoors.

Your Call

This is your opportunity to rate and review the resorts and camps you've visited. As material comes in I'll post it here, so you can read what others think.
So far, I haven't received any written feedback on Sugarbush Resort. If you've taken a tennis vacation there, I'd like to hear your reactions.

Other Recreation

Golf Courses. The resort has a one 18-hole championship course open from May into October.

Sugarbush Golf Club: Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed this 18-hole course. It has a classic mountain layout, notable for its great views and for punishing errant shots. Par: 72. Length: 5,231-6,464 yards. Open May to October.

Fitness Center. Located adjacent to the tennis courts, the Health Club has both indoor and outdoor swimming pools and Jacuzzis and a complete indoor fitness center offering a climbing wall, cardio equipment, free weights, circuit training, and squash and racquetball courts. They run over 25 hours of group fitness classes per week, yoga, Tae-kwon do, and aqua aerobics among them. The indoor facilities include saunas, a co-ed steam room, personal training, massage rooms, and the tennis pro shop.

And ... Hiking trails abound, including a scenic 11.5-mile stretch of the Long Trail along the crest of the Green Mountains. The region is also laced with back roads suitable for bikers, both mountain and road.

Lodging

Lodging options range from the Sugarbush Inn to townhomes with as many as five bedrooms. The newest of these is the Clay Brook Luxury Hotel & Residences, at the new Lincoln Peak Villages. Its units range from standard rooms to five-bedroom suites. Finally, though not part of the resort, there is also the elegant Pitcher Inn, part of the Relais & Châteaux group, in Warren Village.

Restaurants

In summer, there are some half dozen choices, beginning with Timbers in the new Clay Brook Hotel and continuing down the access road to popular spots like Rosita's or on into the nearby town of Warren itself.

See Also

If you want a mountain resort with a camp program, you should also look at:

• New England Tennis Holidays, New Hampshire
• Stratton Mountain/Gunterman Tennis School, Vermont
• Wintergreen Resort, Virginia

Travel Essentials

Seasons. The outdoor tennis season runs from June into early fall; however, the indoor courts allow play year-round.

Sugarbush Resort
1840 Sugarbush Access Road
Warren, VT 05674
802-583-2381
Toll-free: 800-53-SUGAR
Web Link: Sugarbush Resort

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Travel Instructions. The nearest airport is Burlington International, a 45-minute drive to the north.

General Tourist Information. Visit the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing web site or contact them at 6 Baldwin Street, Drawer 33, Montpelier, VT 05633-1301; Phone 800-VERMONT (800-837-6668).

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