If long flowing fairways reminiscent of the finest of British links courses – with gorse and fescue to match, of course – don’t float your boat, perhaps a nice, rolling walk through the forest with a bevy of ponds and fountains will do the trick. Or how about a mixture of both? Either way, don’t forget your golf clubs.
Whether you’re calling the Western Mountains home, or whether you’ve settled in or around Lewiston-Auburn, there are no less than 20 golf courses well within 45 minutes of your house or apartment.
And if you’ve never picked up a club before and want to try it out? Hey, that’s cool too. There are some courses which are designed with you in mind. Heck, there are even some inside, so when it rains in the summer, and when it gets bitterly cold or snowy in the winter, you can still work on your game.
To the south
On the southern edge of the area lies one of the region’s most intriguing courses, Spring Meadows in Gray. Spring Meadows was carved out of wetlands, and the course’s heritage is plainly visible. There are some tricky, unique layouts, and a full set of tee boxes to challenge all levels of play.
A bit further north, into the Lewiston-Auburn area, the courses start to sprout up like cattails in a marsh. Poland boasts three courses – Summit, Poland Spring and Fairlawn. Summit is on its way to being an 18-hole track in the near future. Fairlawn has capped membership, but is still open to the public and has one of the nicest layouts in the area. The greens there are a bit different, as they use different grass than most other courses.
The links at Poland Spring is a Donald Ross layout, one of the fine designer’s first major layouts. It was the home base for Sonny Liston before he fought Cassius Clay in Lewiston, and is right up the road from the spring water bottling plant.
In Auburn, Prospect Hill Golf Course is one of the best courses for teaching folks new to the game. Well, on the front nine, anyway. Its generally open layout and shorter-yardage holes make it a haven for recreational golfers, much like its sister course, Apple Valley, in Lewiston.
Fox Ridge is one of the best public courses in New England, and is one of the most accessible in the area, just a few minutes off Turnpike Exit 75. The 18 holes here are akin to a links-style course set in the Maine woods.
Auburn is also home to the exclusive Martindale Country Club. There is room here for memberships, and many of the local school teams play out of here in the fall. The Maine Amateur is scheduled here in 2009.
To the north
Litchfield yields one of the best courses for the money, The Meadows, which incorporates the area’s natural hills into its design, and down the road in Monmouth, check out nine-hole Cobbossee Colony Golf Course, which has undergone some solid renovations in recent years.
In Leeds, the gem of Route 202 is Springbrook. This 18-hole layout has successfully transformed farmland into a solid track. It’s a bit hilly, but that only adds to the challenge, and with the multiple tees, you can make it as hard or as easy as you like.
To the north-west
On the way out of Auburn heading north (or coming into Auburn from the north), make sure to stop at Pine Acres at Roy’s, a small par-3 course sure to challenge even the best golfers.
Headed up Route 4, Turner Highlands will test any golfer’s mettle, and the views from the top of the course are breathtaking.
In Farmington, make it a point to stop at Sandy River and Wilson Lake (actually in Wilton), and over in Mexico, Oakdale will be ready for anyone willing to tackle its tough-but-fair, sloping fairways and pint-sized greens.
The grandest of the grand in this area of Maine – by far – is Sugarloaf. Located at the base of one of the largest ski resorts in New England, Sugarloaf is consistently rated among the top courses in the country. It’s tough, but worth the steeper-than-normal prices, if only for the spectacular views, especially in the fall.
To the west
Sugarloaf’s sister resort, Sunday River, just completed its foray into the golf course business, and it may supplant its sibling as the No. 1 course in Maine. Stunning are the views from nearly every tee, and if played from the tips, is also one of the best golfing challenges in the state.
Also in the Bethel area is the Bethel Inn and Country Club, one of the older courses in the region and definitely worth the visit. Their golf packages are worth every penny.
In South Paris, look for the nine-hole Paris Hill, and in Norway, just down the road, Norway Country Club beckons. Both are smaller in size, but both are well-groomed and will provide any golfer with a good time.
Bridgton Highlands will provide golfers with a chance to catch a round on their way to some shopping in North Conway.
Wherever you roam, pack your clubs. There are plenty of options.
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