[Lou_Duran]

Never been to ME, NH, or VT.  Dallas is very hot and they're punching our greens with large tines on Monday.  What would a seven-day, total golf immersion itinerary look like and where would I fly RT (to/from)?  Are courses crowded/is getting a tee time a problem?  Thanks!

[Mike Sweeney]

Never been to ME, NH, or VT.  Dallas is very hot and they're punching our greens with large tines on Monday.  What would a seven-day, total golf immersion itinerary look like and where would I fly RT (to/from)?  Are courses crowded/is getting a tee time a problem?  Thanks!

Bring hiking shoes:







and a trusty putter:





I am home office tomorrow if you want to talk...

[MCirba]

Classic post Mike Sweeney.   


I'll try to share something cogent for those looking for more details on my return.  Walked Belgrade Lakes today to warm up for Sugarloaf. 


Pat Craig,


Need to see if Megunticook is near the course I've been wanting to play for ages on Friday.  Your recommendation is golden, thanks!

[Chris_Blakely]

Classic post Mike Sweeney.   


I'll try to share something cogent for those looking for more details on my return.  Walked Belgrade Lakes today to warm up for Sugarloaf. 


Pat Craig,


Need to see if Megunticook is near the course I've been wanting to play for ages on Friday.  Your recommendation is golden, thanks!

I was surprised how much I liked Belgrade Lakes!


Have you played Prouts Neck?

[MCirba]

Chris,


If all goes well.   

[Garland Bayley]

Bring hiking shoes:

It would appear to me that you are standing perhaps 25 yards from the road or parking lot.

[Mike Sweeney]

It would appear to me that you are standing perhaps 25 yards from the road or parking lot.

And you would be wrong:

https://acadiamagic.com/pemetic-mountain.html





In my other life, I am a Special Needs Hiking Leader sponsored by Helly Hansen, and that is my Special Needs son:

https://www.hellyhansen.com/news/trust-makes-it-possible-norwegian-peoples-aid/

[Garland Bayley]

My apologies. It looked very much like the view from Cadillac "Mtn".

[MCirba]

This is still preliminary based on my limited time this morning but it seems likely that the first nine at Mingo Springs was designed by Arthur Fenn and opened in 1898.

[Mike Leveille]

I played a quick 18 at Northeast Harbor yesterday and absolutely loved it.  Great set of five par 3s, with nice variety in distances from 120 to 210.  The course is short but challenging enough to make the beautiful walk up and down the hillside quite enjoyable.  As I understand it, the club allows public play until the end of June, and I received a very warm welcome in the pro shop and from the handful of members who were out on the course.  Seems like it would be a wonderful club to have as a home club.

[Dan_Callahan]

Never been to ME, NH, or VT.  Dallas is very hot and they're punching our greens with large tines on Monday.  What would a seven-day, total golf immersion itinerary look like and where would I fly RT (to/from)?  Are courses crowded/is getting a tee time a problem?  Thanks!

Looking only at public courses, i would probably skip VT. It’s a beautiful state, and Jay, Okemo, and Green Mountain National are all fun, but you can do better in the other two states. (Caveat: if you can get on Ekwanok, VT jumps to the front of the line.)

In NH, I would hit Hooper and Bretwood in one day. Another good public is Mount Washington. Hanover has a bunch of memorable holes and a ton of quirk, but sadly it’s closed for good.

In Maine, I’m playing Cape Arundel and Belgrade this weekend … two really good and very different courses. Kebo is also worth a visit. I’m not a huge fan of Sunday River and Sugarloaf, but others might disagree. I played Boothbay Harbor many years ago right after they added some new holes and it wasn’t grown in, but it had potential.


And to your question about tee times … yes, golf is booming in New England. Every course fills its tee sheet very quickly.

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

Bert and I loaded up our golf clubs and fired up the Bluebird after a round at Castine and headed out of Penobscot bay for Bar Harbour for a round at Kebo Valley.

He he he he, pop pop pop pom, pum pum pum pum pum pum pum pum pum pum pum

Ka-
Cast off the bow Bert!

[Chris_Blakely]

Never been to ME, NH, or VT.  Dallas is very hot and they're punching our greens with large tines on Monday.  What would a seven-day, total golf immersion itinerary look like and where would I fly RT (to/from)?  Are courses crowded/is getting a tee time a problem?  Thanks!

Looking only at public courses, i would probably skip VT. It’s a beautiful state, and Jay, Okemo, and Green Mountain National are all fun, but you can do better in the other two states. (Caveat: if you can get on Ekwanok, VT jumps to the front of the line.)

In NH, I would hit Hooper and Bretwood in one day. Another good public is Mount Washington. Hanover has a bunch of memorable holes and a ton of quirk, but sadly it’s closed for good.

In Maine, I’m playing Cape Arundel and Belgrade this weekend … two really good and very different courses. Kebo is also worth a visit. I’m not a huge fan of Sunday River and Sugarloaf, but others might disagree. I played Boothbay Harbor many years ago right after they added some new holes and it wasn’t grown in, but it had potential.


And to your question about tee times … yes, golf is booming in New England. Every course fills its tee sheet very quickly.

IMO, you don't skip Rutland CC in Vermont.

[Mike Leveille]

Did two loops around the nine holer at Megunticook today, where I was one of three people on the course.  It is a small property and only plays to 2700 yards or so, but at a par of 34 it has a great mix of short par fours and a couple of 400 plus yard par fours that are a real test.  Highlights were the 260 yard second down towards the bay and three holes where the view of the green is totally or partially blocked by hills and rocks.  I would highly recommend Megunticook to anyone looking for a fun day of golf.  I am absolutely loving these “little” courses along the Maine coast.  Hoping to play at Wawenock in a few days, which is supposed to be another fun nine holer.

[Mike Sweeney]

My apologies. It looked very much like the view from Cadillac "Mtn".

Garland,


Will you ever learn....

[Brad Tufts]

Some great stuff as always on this thread!  I have to sneak my way into a Sweeney-Moore weekend classic one of these years, maybe a give them a tour of The County.


Never thought I'd read some Bert & I on here...I hope you avoid the Bangor Packet striking you a-midships.  My favorite quote of all time is "Don't y'move a goddamned inch!"  My dad was well-versed, and still can do a mean accent.


To Dan's VT v. NH v. ME public golf, I agree that Maine is the clear winner with incredible variety.  I'd keep VT and skip NH if I had to choose between the other two.  The loss of Hanover CC is not insignificant.  NH is fun too, but it lacks the identity the other two states have, sort of like CT when compared to MA and RI.  Gross generalizations, I know.

[Dan_Callahan]

To Dan's VT v. NH v. ME public golf, I agree that Maine is the clear winner with incredible variety.  I'd keep VT and skip NH if I had to choose between the other two.  The loss of Hanover CC is not insignificant.  NH is fun too, but it lacks the identity the other two states have, sort of like CT when compared to MA and RI.  Gross generalizations, I know.

Brad, have you played Hooper and the two courses at Bretwood?

[MCirba]

The awesome part about golf in Maine is that I played a total of 10 courses in 6 days there this past June (including 3 nine hole courses), and right now I could come up with an itinerary for a future visit that includes 10 more I'd anticipate just as much, if not more.

[Brad Tufts]

To Dan's VT v. NH v. ME public golf, I agree that Maine is the clear winner with incredible variety.  I'd keep VT and skip NH if I had to choose between the other two.  The loss of Hanover CC is not insignificant.  NH is fun too, but it lacks the identity the other two states have, sort of like CT when compared to MA and RI.  Gross generalizations, I know.

Brad, have you played Hooper and the two courses at Bretwood?

I've played Hooper, and while I love the efforts, vibe, ethos, etc...I thought the course was just good, not blow-you-away great.  I admit that I played it before some of the recent sprucing efforts.  I have not played at Bretwood, as I've never heard much more than "solid public."


Mt. Washington is decent, if not a bit surprisingly benign given the scenery.  I've always been a fan of Portsmouth CC.  Hanover was a cult fave, but RIP.  What else is there?  Breakfast Hill and Atkinson were not great.  Canterbury Woods was cool in a better-than expected way, same as The Oaks.  Need to play North Conway.  The Balsams would help the NH field if it ever reopens.

[Tim Martin]

To Dan's VT v. NH v. ME public golf, I agree that Maine is the clear winner with incredible variety.  I'd keep VT and skip NH if I had to choose between the other two.  The loss of Hanover CC is not insignificant.  NH is fun too, but it lacks the identity the other two states have, sort of like CT when compared to MA and RI.  Gross generalizations, I know.

Brad, have you played Hooper and the two courses at Bretwood?

I've played Hooper, and while I love the efforts, vibe, ethos, etc...I thought the course was just good, not blow-you-away great.  I admit that I played it before some of the recent sprucing efforts.  I have not played at Bretwood, as I've never heard much more than "solid public."


Mt. Washington is decent, if not a bit surprisingly benign given the scenery.  I've always been a fan of Portsmouth CC.  Hanover was a cult fave, but RIP.  What else is there?  Breakfast Hill and Atkinson were not great.  Canterbury Woods was cool in a better-than expected way, same as The Oaks.  Need to play North Conway.  The Balsams would help the NH field if it ever reopens.

I was confused as to why Silva waited to the 18th hole at Breakfast Hill to give you width in the drive zone that the rest of the course lacked. I liked the greens but felt the fours and fives to be somewhat claustrophobic.

[Dan_Callahan]

I would give both courses at Bretwood much more than a "solid public." They are really fun. And not at all what I expected when I got out of my car and viewed what looked like a cow pasture. Once you get off the first tee, it's great. I like the south course more than the north.


I agree with you on the others. Atkinson and (especially) Breakfast Hill are average at best. I wanted to like Breakfast Hill because it has some cool rock outcropping features, but it really doesn't work. Way too tight. And because of that, a weekend round is a 5+ hour slog.


I probably like Mt. Washington more than you do, but maybe I hit it at a time of year (October) when the environment was just about perfect.

[Tim Martin]

After listening to the descriptions of The Shattuck from a host of players I’ve never been inclined toward a play. It sounds unnecessarily difficult.

[Dan_Callahan]

After listening to the descriptions of The Shattuck from a host of players I’ve never been inclined toward a play. It sounds unnecessarily difficult.

I would say the same about Owl's Nest. Because of the mountain layout with falloffs all over the place, it has no width and zero fun factor.


Although ... now I'm looking at aerial video of the course and it looks very different from what I remember. Was the course redesigned? I see some attributions to Mungeam, and others to Nicklaus. Did Jack come in and redo the place?

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