This course in Killington, Vt., is aptly named, as some of the holes are carved out of the mountains. The facility, designed by Gene Bates, opened in 1996, and it was ranked the top public course in Vermont by Golf Digest in its May issue. It will host the New England Amateur in 2012 and the New England Women’s Amateur in 2013.

‘‘It’s a challenging course, but we have five sets of tees,’’ said general manager David Soucy. ‘‘We try to educate players on choosing the right set of tees so it’s a good challenge for them.’’

The course plays 6,589 yards from the back tees to a par of 71, but it can play as short as 4,740 yards. ‘‘The thing I really like about the course is that there’s no noise, no houses — just nature,’’ Soucy said. ‘‘There’s only Route 100, one of the prettiest roads in Vermont, and when you get on the back nine, you don’t see another foursome. You don’t get that much these days.’’