Stay n’ Play at the Quechee Club

Quechee is just as picturesque as you might imagine any small Vermont town to be. There are covered bridges, several quaint inns, a few locally owned stores and restaurants, and no big box stores.

Making up a significant portion of the area is the Quechee Lakes Landowner’s Association (QLLA). Individuals who own a home within this 5,200-acre planned community automatically become members of the Quechee Club. Homeowners are provided with the use of year-round recreational facilities such as the aquatics complex, a health and fitness center, tennis courts, two golf courses, a skiing hill and more. Through several programs, renters and guests can gain access to the Quechee Club as well.

Stay

Currently, there is no hotel on property at the Quechee Club. Guests wishing to stay in the area can either rent a home or condo within the QLLA, or stay at one of the area inns. The Quechee Club partners with more than a dozen area inns that offer Stay and Play Packages. These affiliated inns offer rates that include access to Quechee Club and discounted rates on many of the club’s amenities.

This summer my family stayed at one of these partner properties, the Quechee Inn ant Marshland Farm. Decorated with period antiques, this charming 25 room inn was once the original home of Colonel Joseph Marsh, Vermont’s first lieutenant governor. Stay and Play packages vary from inn to inn, so be sure to check what is included in your rate. Included in our stay was a full breakfast, plus two rounds of golf at the Quechee Club. We were also able to upgrade our package to include full Club access, meaning we had use of the health & fitness center, indoor & outdoor aquatics, racquet sports, as well as to the Lake.

Aquatic Center

In the summer of 2016, the Quechee Club unveiled their new Aquatics Center with indoor and outdoor pools. The outdoor pool has 6 lanes for swimming. Families with younger children will appreciate the zero-entry access in the shallow-end. Ther is a large children’s play area with a water feature as well. Parents can hang out in the pool or on the spacious deck. There is ample room where you will find lounge chairs under the shade structure or one of the umbrellas. With scenic views of the golf course and the valley, you’ll likely want to spend all day here.

Adjacent to the outdoor pool there is a 10,000 square foot indoor complex. Here guests will find the health and fitness center, squash and raquet ball courts and a four-lane indoor pool. We loved the open concept space. It has post and beam architecture with large windows that look out onto the valley. This is a perfect place to be if the weather is not cooperating.

Lake Pinneo

Another option for families is to spend the day at Lake Pinneo (daily passes are available). This lifeguarded beach offers a roped off swimming area with a dock. If you want to get out on the water you can use their rowboats, canoes, and kayaks. We took out the paddleboards for few hours. On land, you will find a playground and a sand volleyball court. Guests should know there is no food or beverages available for purchase at the lake. You will need to bring your own. And unlike the pool, towels are not provided here so be sure to bring those too. 

Golf Courses

The Quechee club has two championship golf courses, both of which are in immaculate shape. The Highland course is hilly and has panoramic views of the valley. It has been voted one the top ten courses in the state of Vermont by Golf Digest. My husband played the links-style Lakeland Course. It has a lot of long holes that run along the Ottauquechee River. He thoroughly enjoyed this diverse course that he described as “challenging but not too hard.”  The fairways are wide and don’t provide a ton of shade so pack a hat and some sunscreen.

Restaurants

The clubhouse offers guests a variety of dining options. For fine dining try Davidson’s which serves dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. They also have a special Italian night every Wednesday. Grab a seat on Dewey’s Deck to enjoy a casual pub style lunch with spectacular views of the Lakeland golf course. Or if you don’t feel like leaving the pool, there is always the Snack Shack that has sandwiches, salads, and ice cream.

There is a ton to do in Quechee. We recommend getting out to explore the area. Try hiking the gorge, visiting the Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences (VINS) and seeing how glass is blown at the Simon Pearce Gallery. If you are only in the area for a few days, we’d suggest a Segway Tour. It is a great way to see a lot in a short amount of time.