Winter Carnival arrives at Crown Point Country Club

A recent effort by local community members to raise more awareness about what the golf course has to offer during the winter resulted in a three-day Winter Carnival on February 6, 7 and 8.

inter Carnival Arrives at Crown Point Country Club Submitted by VT Journal on Tue, 02/10/2015 - 1:49pm By LAUREN DRASLER The Shopper SPRINGFIELD, VT -When one thinks about a golf course, golfing during the seasons of spring, summer and fall usually comes to mind. Although the Crown Point Country Club is utilized frequently during the warmer months, a recent effort by local community members to raise more awareness about what the golf course has to offer during the winter resulted in a three-day Winter Carnival on February 6, 7 and 8. The festivities began Friday, February 6 at 6 p.m. with a bonfire and free skating on the pond by the18th hole on the golf course. Free sledding also took place that evening. Saturday’s events began with a pancake breakfast that was $8 a person at 8 a.m. followed by Bingo at 10. Skating was also open to the public from 10 a.m. to 12:30 on Saturday. A broom hockey tournament took place during the afternoon where teams of six competed after paying an entrance fee of $5 per person. Saturday’s events concluded with a free skating and sledding opportunity, followed by a dance held at the clubhouse. The three-day winter carnival concluded on Sunday with more free skating and sledding. A snowshoe race was also held, and cardboard sled races wrapped up the event Sunday afternoon. According to Board Member of Crown Point Country Club John Middleton, he came up with the idea for a Winter Carnival after thinking about how to use the golf course during the winter months. “I originally came up with the idea to put a sail boat in the pond at the 18th hole, but that idea didn’t go over well, so I suggested having a winter carnival instead,” Middleton said. “I grew up in Hanover and they had winter carnivals there. It was a big thing for the community, because there was skiing and other winter activities, so I wanted to bring that to Springfield.” Middleton said that he wanted the Winter Carnival to be at the golf course because of the picturesque setting. “It’s a very attractive course and setting at Crown Point Country Club,” he said. “There are views of Mount Ascutney and the whole valley as well. I wanted the Winter Carnival to be a way that the community could utilize the golf course all year.” The planning for the Winter Carnival began a few months ago when Middleton reached out to people in Springfield to help him put the event together. Middleton said that in the days leading up to the Winter Carnival, he purchased Tiki Torches, so that people could skate and slide during the evenings. According to Middleton, the main reason behind putting together this winter event was so that people could more readily access Crown Point Country Club and all it has to offer. “The Winter Carnival isn’t necessarily about us [Crown Point Country Club], but it’s about having a beautiful place to have a winter carnival,” he said. “We’re trying to extend that to the community. People come up to the golf course on their own, but we want to make it more available to the community.” One community member that decided to join the festivities is Special Education Teacher Julie Lannen who works at Riverside Middle School. Lannen participated in the broom hockey tournament with other staff members from Riverside. “We decided to get a team together because January was wellness month at school, and we wanted to participate in the broom hockey tournament to encourage people to get outdoors and exercise,” she said. “So far it’s been really fun.” Lannen said that she particularly enjoyed the Winter Carnival because of the weather. “It’s not too cold, which makes it fun to be outside,” she said. “The ice is slippery, but I would definitely do this again. It’s exciting.” Though some people came to the Winter Carnival just to enjoy the festivities, others came to volunteer and help with the event. Springfield resident Bill Flore volunteered to supervise the sliding hill and said that numerous people had come out to slide during the Winter Carnival. “We’ve had a wonderful turnout,” he said. “Between the bonfire, skating and sliding, lots of people have come out to enjoy the golf course.” Flore said that he hoped the Winter Carnival would help to make people more aware of everything Crown Point Country Club has to offer. “I’ve had a lot of families out sledding which is great to see,” he said. “I think this is a wonderful event, because people can now come up anytime to slide, and it’s really raised awareness about what a wonderful place this is.” - See more at: http://www.vermontjournal.com/content/winter-carnival-arrives-crown-point-country-club#sthash.0ebhoa8m.dpuf