Sugarbush Golf Course re-opens for the season in temporary facilities

May 18, 2026  |  By Lisa Loomis  |  The Valley Reporter

Less than a year after a fire at the Sugarbush Golf Course in Warren destroyed Hogan’s Pub and the adjacent golf course clubhouse last fall, golfers are back on the course, using temporary facilities (which are construction trailers).

Sugarbush opened its golf course for limited play on May 2 and 3 while skiing operations were still underway on the slopes. The course reopened again on May 9 and 10 during the resort’s final ski weekend, and full-time golf operations began May 16.

Resort spokesman John Bleh said the resort is moving ahead with plans for a temporary clubhouse that is expected to open by July 4.

“The temporary clubhouse will have a nice deck and will be in place for two years while the resort permits and prepares to build a permanent replacement clubhouse,” Bleh said.

First tee

The temporary structure will sit near the first tee, uphill from the former clubhouse site and across the road from the destroyed building. In the short term, operations will be modest, with several construction trailers serving as the clubhouse complex.

“One is a pro shop for check-in, then we’ll have a Lunchbox food truck with hot dogs, burgers and drinks,” Bleh said. “It’s a simple operation.”

The resort plans to begin construction on a permanent clubhouse in spring 2027, with the new facility targeted to open for the 2028 golf season. “Right now we’re working on permitting, architecture and designs,” Bleh said.

No specific fire cause

The rebuilding effort follows last September’s fire that destroyed Hogan’s Pub and heavily damaged the Sugarbush Golf Club clubhouse.

Investigators with the Vermont Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit were unable to determine a specific cause for the fire. Warren Fire Chief Jeff Campbell said investigators determined the blaze originated somewhere on the exterior of the building before spreading rapidly through the structure’s balloon-frame construction.

“It was only the front façade of the building that was burning when we got there, not the whole building, but the fire made it to the attic and grew because of the balloon frame construction,” Campbell said after the fire.

The four-alarm blaze was reported around 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 24 and drew crews from Warren, Waitsfield, Moretown and Waterbury. No injuries were reported.

A century old

At the time, Bleh said security camera footage showed smoke beginning to appear around 10 p.m., though the fire’s exact origin remained unknown.

Hogan’s Pub, a longtime dining and event venue at the golf course, occupied a building believed to be more than a century old. Originally a farmhouse, the structure was later converted into a golf clubhouse, with the pub added as an extension.

Despite the fire, golf operations resumed shortly afterward for the remainder of the season. Resort officials now say the new temporary facilities will allow the course to continue operating while long-term rebuilding plans move forward.