Golf is hot and now at its absolute peak in the Berkshires

12:00AM / Wednesday, July 11, 2001Print Story | Email Story

Berkshire County tourism is at its absolute peak now through Labor Day, with motorists waiting in line to reach cultural and recreational destinations, where they will sometimes stand in lines before attaining their goal. There is no shortage of things to do in the Berkshires, promoted as â€œAmericaâ€™s Premier Cultural Resort.â€ But getting to enjoy some of the areaâ€™s attractions is sometimes hard to accomplish. Take golf for instance! Drive along Routes 7 and 20 from Great Barrington to Williamstown â€” a distance of some 50 miles â€” and you will see golfers playing some of the most historic and challenging courses in the nation, such as Wyantenuck, Cranwell, Country Club of Pittsfield, Skyline, Waubeeka and Taconic. But only Cranwell, Skyline and Waubeeka are open at all times to the public. There are eleven 18-hole courses in the county and four nine-hole courses, but only six of the 18-holers are available at all times, as well as all of the short courses. The golf boom is at an all-time high, with more than 26 million participants nationally and with hundreds of new courses opening each year for a total of some 29,000. Amazingly, only two completely new 18-hole courses have opened in the Berkshire since before World War II. Waubeeka Golf Links in Williamstown, is now celebrating its 35th anniversary. The other avenue, Greylock Glen in Adams, opened in 1975 and was abandoned around five years later. In addition, nine new holes have been added in recent years to Skyline and Bas Ridge to provide 18-hole courses. By contrast, there were only a couple of courses at Myrtle Beach, S.C., in 1954 when a media tourney was held at the then new Dunes Golf and Beach Club. That was the spark for an amazing surge in new courses, with more than 100 built since then. And this is in a 60-mile strip along the coast, similar in distance to the length of Berkshire County. Fortunately for Massachusetts golfers, at least 60 new courses have or will open shortly in the Eastern and Central sections. New courses have been planned in the Berkshires, but efforts to build them have been defeated by abutting neighbors and by well-organized and well-financed bands of environmentalists, ranging from individuals to such national powers as the Sierra Club and the Audubon Society. The latest victim is the 18-hole masterpiece planned by the recently failed Greylock Associates in Adams, at a 1,000 acre state-owned tract at the base of the stateâ€™s highest mountain. And Brodie Mountain Ski Resort founder James W. Kelly is being held up by environmental officials at his 18-hole project in Lanesborough. County golf guru John Wells, the former tour player and for many years the PGA Pro at Cranwell, recently recommended to state Department of Environmental Management and Adams town officials that the golf course site be turned over to the town as a municipal course. â€œThe course has already been designed by environmentally-oriented professionals and the Pubic Golf Courses Association of America is ready to build and operate it on a lease-back basis,â€ Wells said. Wells pointed out that municipal courses are being built all over Eastern Massachusetts and the Cape and are making money. Wells also said that the Berkshires, in addition to not building the eagerly sought new courses, has seen courses closed at Searles Castle in Great Barrington, Jug End Barn in Egremont, Rolling Hills in Lenox and at a Becket housing development. Richard Bator of Pittsfield, now an international golf course consultant who specializes in preparing courses for championships, said there is a definite need for one or two major courses in the Berkshires. A former superintendent at the Country Club of Pittsfield, Bator has been involved with a world-class course in New Zealand, which he said surpasses Pebble Beach for seaside holes. While tee times are hard to reserve at the more popular times at Berkshire courses, with outsiders paying $140 for a round with cart at Taconic, both Wells and Bator agree that there is an abundance of great golf in the Berkshires. Quite a few Berkshire residents now enjoy nine holes at the new Hilltop Golf Links off Route 9 in Goshen, just a few miles east of the county line at Cummington. Ray Liimatainen and his wife, Karen, run a true ma-and-pa operation on the short (2,450 yards) but satisfying course, which opened with five holes a few years ago and then offered the full nine last August. With only 31 acres of wooded land to work with, the 58-year-old Liimatainen cut trees and graded one hole a year and has created a beautiful and interesting course, without the controversy marking efforts to build one in Berkshire County. A former auto mechanic and body repairman, Liimatainen keeps a fleet of carts in running condition and does almost all of the course maintenance, while his wife operates out of an open air pro shop. Call 268-7633. Greens fees, with carts, are a low $11. A similar venture, Edge Hill in Ashfield, opened a few years ago, offering a no-frills course with great terrain and trees. Most visitors, however, are happy to pay more and wait longer to play at a course dating back to the â€™20s, with a long tradition of great players, such as Cranwell Resort, where the tees are close to lavish overnight accommodations; or at Taconic, where a monument marks the hole where Jack Nicklaus recorded a hole-in-one. In nearby Southern Vermont, Mount Anthony Country Club in Bennington rules the roost with its century old fairways and greens, as well as a popular full-service restaurant. There are several more recent additions to the Green Mountain list as ski resorts such as Mount Snow, Stratton, Okemo and Killington all offer championship courses. John Hitchcock of Williamstown writes frequently about the area sport scene.

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Friday Front Porch Feature: A Charming House Like New

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
06:57PM / Friday, December 19, 2025

The home prior to renovations.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Are you looking for a newly renovated home with great space? Then this might be the perfect fit for you!

Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 100 Autumn Drive.

This three-bedroom, two-bathroom split level was built in 1965 and is 1,396 square feet on 0.32 acres.

The house was completely renovated recently. It includes a one-car garage, and comes with appliances including a dishwasher and stove/oven, and other major appliances.

The house is listed for $359,500.

We spoke with owners Michael Zeppieri and Chris Andrews, who did the renovations. Zeppieri is an agent with Alton and Westall Real Estate Agency.

What was your first impression when you walked into the home?

Zeppieri: I purchased this home to do a full renovation flip and saw tremendous potential in this mid-century split level home that had not been updated since it was built in the 1960s, in a great North Adams neighborhood.

Andrews: The house was a much different house when we first purchased it in 2022 (photo attached is from about 2010.) The interior was painted all in dark colors and we brightened it up with neutral colors. The transformation makes you feel like you are in a totally different house.

What were the recent renovations, any standout design features?

Zeppieri: The house has had a complete reconfiguration including new kitchen with high-end appliances, ceramic tiled baths, hardwood floors, new windows and roof ... just to name a few. All a buyer has to do is move in and enjoy.

Andrews: Yes, we renovated the entire house. New windows, new roof, all new custom black gutter system, new blacktop driveway, hardwood floors were installed through out the house. New kitchen and bathrooms as well as painting the exterior and interior of the house. New paver patio in the back yard.

What kind of buyer would this home be ideal for?

Zeppieri: The buyer for this home could be a first-time homebuyer or a retiree ... the location is close to attractions in North Adams ... and the property is located in Autumn Heights, which is a very small residential development with several long-term owners.

Andrews: This home is truly ideal for a variety of buyers. Whether a first-time homebuyer, a small family or even someone looking to downsize from a larger home.

What do you think makes this property stand out in the current market?

Zeppieri: The location, price and move-in condition of this home make it a true market leader in the North Adams Market.

Andrews: This house is completely renovated and in a desirable location of North Adams. The natural light in the home really makes the interior pop. And with all the upgrades the home stays quite cool in the summer months.

Do you know any unique stories about the home or its history?

Zeppieri: This home was built for the Gould family in 1969 and they lived there till 2010. It was always a family home during that time in which the Goulds had two children ... and Virgina Gould managed Mohawk Forest Apartments and was a very active resident of North Adams.

Andrews: Built in about 1965.

What do the current owners love about this home?

Zeppieri: As the current owner it was a fun project to transform this home and get it ready for its next adventure with a new family to enjoy for many years.

Andrews: No one has lived in the house since we purchased the home. The new owners would be the first to live in the house since the renovations have been completed.

What would you say to a buyer trying to imagine their life in this space?

Andrews: I would suggest seeing the house either on a sunny day or at twilight to really get a vision of how special the home feels.

You can find out more about this house on its listing here.

*Front Porch Feature brings you an exclusive to some of the houses listed on our real estate page every week. Here we take a bit of a deeper dive into a certain house for sale and ask questions so you don't have to.

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