Roll Call: Maine

I’m a member at Web and am happy to host anyone interested in playing. It’s a fun track, good greens, quite different from CA though

Could definitely be down for this. Would be coming from the Boston area, testing would be completely worth it since CA is such a good track.

Is there any update on the CA meetup? Is there a date decided yet?

If the CA meet up is the first weekend in October, I’m in

I’ll provide an update tomorrow. Stay tuned

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Sign up here!

https://refuge.nolayingup.com/t/new-england-cape-arundel-in-october-3-sign-up-here/35872

Hi guys looking at random golf trips. I was wondering if there was a suggested 4 or 5 day loop. There is alot cool looking 9 holders up there. Im from alabama so I guess I would fly into Boston and drive up? Thanks

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You could fly into portland potentially depending if any direct flights from Alabama. Flying into Boston leaves you 1.5-2 hour drive to Portland proper.

Not new to NLU, but new to the refuge, also a fellow Mainer! in Falmouth, walk nearly every time and play most of my rounds on the public tracks like riverside (especially the south course) Would love to play with some fellow refugees at some point! I know I’ve seen a next headcover at the range once more of a passing encounter so I never got to say hi but would be in for a tee time even if we have to wait till the spring at this point

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Sorry for the belated reply, but Slade is right: Fly into PWM. Any Maine trip should target some of the following (focusing on public access options); there are a lot of private tracks:

  • Cape Arundel
  • Northeast Harbor
  • Kebo Valley
  • Belgrade Lakes
  • Samoset
  • Sugarloaf

Lots of other great courses sprinkled here and there, but the state is pretty large so not all of these may be an option on one tip. If you move forward with a trip let us know and we can offer more targeted suggestions.

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Potentially moving to Bangor next summer. Any Refugees up that way? Played PVCC a few years ago and thought it was great. Anybody play it this past season?

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@gtaylor is your guy.

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Hey! Ya I’m a member there…the course has been struggling no doubt. I personally am on the fence for next year. Pvcc used to be top 5 in the state course. A few different groups of owners have run it down unfortunately. I played 90 rounds there in 2020. It was pretty good at times…its really just all about the effort the crew puts into it. The design and bones and history of the place are fantastic. I have the membership application on my kitchen table. In my opinion, if you are moving to Bangor area and want to golf alot, you should join. Everything else around is really a step down. Msg me with any other thoughts or questions.

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Holes 10-14 the String of Pearls at Sugarloaf make the trip up there worth it for sure! Fun course, more open than you would think.

Not quite what I was hoping to hear, but thanks for the update. Sounds like the “course renovation” that was advertised didn’t accomplish all that much. Do you have any hope that the current ownership/management will figure things out? Is there a contingency of the membership that is pushing for better course management/investment?

I grew up going to Blue Hill every August, so I’m familiar with/love the area and most all of Downeast. My parents just retired to a cottage there, so would probably take the family down there for many of the weekends during the summer. May need to join Blue Hill CC (unfortunately, it’s pretty snobby).

I have played many of the public courses in the area. Big fan of Kebo, the Causeway Club and ICC on Deer Isle. Have played Bucksport a lot since it’s cheap and pretty decent.

Do you have any thoughts on Bangor as a place to live? As I said, I know the region, but haven’t spent much time in Bangor. I realize it’s not the restaurant mecca that Portland is, but sounds like the downtown has become pretty decent without attracting all the yuppies from Brooklyn that have skyrocketed housing prices in Portland. My wife is a big skiier and I like to fly fish, so seems like a good gateway to all the great outdoor possibilities that Maine offers.

I found Sugarloaf the hardest course I have played (12ish factor). It was four hours of lost balls. Totally bent me over a barrel. Would love to play it again! Worth the trip (we did a 16 hour round trip day from Woodstock, NB).

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about an 8 handicap Living in southern Maine, hopefully going to rip up to Sunday river and Sugarloaf next summer, Maybe Belgrade too, any other courses I should check out up there?

Belgrade is amazing. I am a huge fan of Fox Ridge in Auburn. Was supposed to play Sunday River this year but couldn’t as border was closed.

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Good to know, I’ve heard some good things about Fox Ridge from buddies so it’d probably worth the 45 minute or so drive even just to play once.

Fox Ridge made some playability adjustments a few years ago that improved the course substantially IMO. It’s still not an easy, wide open track but it is significantly better and the fun factor has gone up.

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