New England summer getaway: Archery golf in Vt.

Jun 19, 2012 12:10pm

(NECN: Jack Thurston, Brownington, Vt.) - Robert Lyon seems to enjoy nothing more than grabbing his bow and arrow for some shooting on a summer afternoon. But his equipment has no sharp points.

"Archery golf-- here we go!" Lyon exclaimed, as he led New England Cable News on a tour of his backyard business. "Ever since I created this, I can't go back to swinging clubs. I love this too much."

In Lyon's game of archery golf, or bow golf, the arrow is fixed in place, never leaving the bow. It works as a piston to launch a golf ball toward the holes.

Lyon has a job in security, but in his free time, he turned part of his property in Brownington, Vt., in the state's rural Northeast Kingdom, into what closely resembles a mini-golf course. It consists of 19 holes, made from tires or barrels, with different obstacles the grandfather built by hand.

"Build it and they will come," Lyon said, recalling the theme of the 1989 movie "Field of Dreams."

Lyon opened R&R Archery Golf to the public just last year and already has had more than 100 customers, most all of them through word of mouth. The other "R" in R&R Archery Golf stands for Robert's wife, Rose.

"It keeps me young," Robert Lyon said, describing the joy he gets from running his course.

Just like with real golf, archery golf can involve a lot of pride and excitement, but also a lot of anguish, when shots narrowly miss the holes. The rules are about the same as regular mini-golf: the fewer shots it takes, the better you're doing. A bonus hole gives players a chance to improve their scores by knocking down bowling pins. The extra challenges that come with this version of mini-golf are battling the wind and getting your angle just right.

The bow golf course designer's grandson, 9-year-old Ethan Robillard, is the resident pro, and said he'll probably play quite often this summer.

"I don't have to pay," Robillard laughed. "The friends I've brought here like it a lot."
For the rest of us, a game is just $5, with children under 6-years-old playing free.

"Just keep playing archery golf," is how Lyon said a player can improve his or her skills. "Anyone can do this!"

This Vermonter has high hopes his favorite summer activity will take off.

"Before I'm an old man and in my death bed, I'd love to see people playing this on national live TV," Lyon said, shooting a golf ball squarely at his target.

R&R Archery Golf is located on Old Cemetary Lane in Brownington, not far from the Orleans County Historical Society's Old Stone House Museum. The archery golf course is open Thursdays through Mondays, but hours of operation do vary. Call 802-754-2415 for details, or to make a reservation.

For more information on visiting Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, including lodging and other activities to enjoy during your stay, visit this website.

Tags: Jack Thurston, robert lyon, new england summer getaway, archery golf, vermont's northeast kingdom, R&R archery golf, old cemetary lane, brownington vermont, ethan robillard, backyard business

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