Golf on the New England Coast

[Mike_Trenham]

I am headed to Maine and Massachusetts for a week at the end of the summer.  Want to play a few (about 3) rounds of golf (between hiking, swimming and feasting on seafood) on some classic courses along the coast.  Preference would be for untouched courses 75 + years old with interesting putting greens and bunkering, length and modern conditioning are of much less importance.

We found the following from a review of the standard sources:

Maine
Cape Arundel GC---Travis & Dunn R9-A9---1922
Belgrade Hotel GC---Findlay 9 holes---1903
North Haven Island GC---Stiles---1932
York Golf & Tennis Club---Ross R9-A9---1923
Portland CC---Ross 18 holes---1921

Massachusetts
Essex CC---Ross 18 holes---1917
Essex CC---Travis & Dunn R18---?
Cape Cod CC---Emmet 9 holes---1929
Oyster Harbors Club---Ross 18 holes---1927
Hyannisport Club---Ross R18---1936
Wianno CC---Ross R18---1913
Eastward Ho! CC---Fowler 18 holes---1922
Bass River GC---Ross R18---1914

What do you know about these courses and what courses have we missed that should be considered.

Thanks

[Craig_Rokke]

Mike-
One in Maine that sounds intriguing to me is Kebo Valley, located in Bar Harbor. Designed by Leeds in 1888, it's the 8th oldest course in the US. Ross is listed as having modified the layout in 1926. Golfweek ranked it #100 in their 1997 classical
list.

[Mike_Trenham]

Craig -

Thanks, I have just seen a few things on that course today via the GCA search engine.

We need to fulfill our promise to meet up and play sometime.  SDGC or RCC are always options this fall.  Lets make it happen.

Mike

[Jesper]

Mike - Do some online research to find out which ones you can get on!  

Many you listed are private and you must play with a member in your group.  Essex County Club, Eastward Ho!, and Hyannisport are three examples where that is the situation.

The Mass Golf Assoc. site may help.  Go here:
http://www.mgalinks.org/clubs/index.stm

[Pete Lavallee]

Mike;  

All of the courses you listed in Mass. must be played with a memeber, except for Bass River, which I found to be  dissapointing, very little Ross left there. Your best bet for the type of golf you described would be Plymouth CC. They accept outside play during the week and the course is pure Ross, vintage 1908. There are also three nine hole courses on Cape Cod that fit your catagorey, Highland Links (1892) in Truro, Chequesett (1929) in Wellfleet, and Goerge Thomas's first design Little Marion (1906), in Marion. They are all a blast to play on vacation, and you don't have to prove your ancestors came over on the Mayflower to get on.

[Jeff_Perryman]

Mike:
     I like the addition of Plymouth CC to that list.  It's probably my favorite course to play in the area.  A Ross design playing to a par of 69, the only par 5 features a cross bunker, (blind from the tee) and an elevated green that is very difficult to hold.  The greens are fast and the wind is always a factor.
     Bass River is a town owned course in Yarmouth and as such can be slow and a bit beat up.  
     Cape Cod CC is a very interesting design.  Tough greens to hit, on the smallish side.  
     How about driving inland a bit and visiting Wachussett in W. Boylston?  It's a public Donald Ross design that doesn't suffer from the neglect that is often associated with that combination.  Great and challenging layout.  
     And break out of the classic mode and play Crumpin Fox in Bernardston.  It's neither classic or on the coast but it's a very demanding risk-reward style course.