Kebo Valley or Mount Washington

[MCirba]

Let's say one was driving north through New England this summer and wanted to break up the trip by staying and playing at either Mount Washington in New Hampshire or Kebo Valley in Maine.   

Based on the quality and architectural interest of the respective golf courses, which would this august group recommend?

Any other factors (i.e. lodging, food, value) that should factor into the decision?

Thanks in advance for your insight.

[Ronald Montesano]

Never played MTW, but would return to Kebo Valley in a heartbeat. Great land, great turning back of the clock.

[Cliff Hamm]

KV without hesitation.  For the golf, lobster, Bar Harbor, whale watching, Acadia National Park, Maine, hiking, biking, variety of accommodations, other low key golf.  Frankly a no brainier.

[jeffwarne]

KV without hesitation.  For the golf, lobster, Bar Harbor, whale watching, Acadia National Park, Maine, hiking, biking, variety of accommodations, other low key golf.  Frankly a no brainier.

+1
There are also multiple fun courses in  the region.
9 hoker North Haven well worth the ferry diversion or more conveniently, Bonnie Blink.

[Mike Sweeney]

Acadia will make the wifey VERY happy, which means more golf.


I personally prefer Northeast Harbor to Kebo, but Kebo is a better golf course.

[Cliff Hamm]

Have never seen a course charge for a cart by the hole, essentially:


Cart Rentals (per rider)[/size](1-9 holes):$14(10-12 holes): $18(13-15 holes): $22(16-18 holes): $26


Gotta love Maine...When my kids were young spent some time camping at Acadia, etc...Daughter loved it so much she attended college in Maine!

[J_ Crisham]

Kebo Valley is outstanding- it is just plain fun golf.  In some ways it reminds me of playing at Eastward Ho.  Terrific movement to the property with old school bunkering and dicey little greens. The Taft bunker is one of a kind- you could the summer trying to escape it. Looking up at Cadillac Mtn or vice versa is pretty impressive as well. Have fun!

[Ronald Montesano]

Which course does this reference? #Incomplete #Uncertain

Have never seen a course charge for a cart by the hole, essentially:


Cart Rentals (per rider)(1-9 holes):$14(10-12 holes): $18(13-15 holes): $22(16-18 holes): $26


Gotta love Maine...When my kids were young spent some time camping at Acadia, etc...Daughter loved it so much she attended college in Maine!

[Cliff Hamm]

From the northeast harbor website.


http://www.nehgc.com/neh-maine-golf/rates.html

[MCirba]

Thanks for all the input, fellows...Kebo sounds terrific!

Any love for Mount Washington?   How did Silva's 2008 "restoration" turn out?

Thanks, again.

[Dan Kelly]

Haven't played Mount Washington (or driven to the summit, either), but Kebo Valley was a world of fun.


Like a stroll into the past. You'll love it.

[Dan_Callahan]

Mount Washington is fantastic. The fairly recent work eliminated a few holes (the old opening hole ... a drop shot par 3 that had you teeing off in the pool and hitting to the parking lot ... won't be missed) and added some new features that are really fun and I think were pulled from the old Donald Ross plans. Pretty sure the first 5 holes had extensive changes, while the rest was mostly restoration. Even though it's a mountain course, there's very little elevation change if I remember correctly. I haven't played it in about three years.

[Dan Kelly]

Mount Washington is fantastic. The fairly recent work eliminated a few holes (the old opening hole ... a drop shot par 3 that had you teeing off in the pool and hitting to the parking lot ... won't be missed)

This hole?

(http://www.shorpy.com/node/11895)


(http://www.shorpy.com/node/14073)


BE SURE TO View full size.


J.H. Taylor, teeing off.

[MCirba]

Dan K and Dan C,

How cool are those old pics??  Thanks for sharing!

[Carl Nichols]

My two cents as a native New Englander:


The White Mountains are beautiful and the Mount Washington course is good [though I haven't played it post-reno].  But there's nothing that unique about the White Mountains, and IMHO there are lots of mountains in the U.S. that are more beautiful.  The Maine coast (especially near Kebo), in contrast, is both spectacular and unique.  It would get my vote for sure. 


Of course, you could do both if you drove up to Mount Washington and then East on Route 2 to Bangor or Southeast on Route 302 to Portland.... 

[MCirba]

I do like your thinking Carl. 

[Mark Steffey]

Which course does this reference? #Incomplete #Uncertain

Have never seen a course charge for a cart by the hole, essentially:


Cart Rentals (per rider)(1-9 holes):$14(10-12 holes): $18(13-15 holes): $22(16-18 holes): $26

this is from Kebo.   the layout is out and back, only 1 tee and 18 green are near the clubhouse.  depending on the time people have they are given a few options on holes to play and told where to turn around if doing so.


it's maine....

[Cliff Hamm]

http://www.nehgc.com/neh-maine-golf/rates.html

[Dave Herrick]

Dan,
I believe those photos show play on the Mt. Pleasant course, which is now maintained as a 9 hole course at the Mt. Washington Resort.  The hotel in the background is the Mount Pleasant House, which was shuttered in 1939 and demolished.
I have not played the Kebo Valley Course; on my annual visits to NH I usually manage to get to Bretton Woods to play the Mt. Washington Hotel course. Some of the more interesting holes climb into the slopes above the valley. Although the rack rate to play the course puts it a bit more pricy than the humble mountain courses in the neighborhood, the lunch and play special is worth it for the thriftiest New Hampshireman. If you go do not fail to take a stroll around the lobby and verandas of the old hotel.

[Dan Kelly]

Dan,
I believe those photos show play on the Mt. Pleasant course, which is now maintained as a 9 hole course at the Mt. Washington Resort.  The hotel in the background is the Mount Pleasant House, which was shuttered in 1939 and demolished.

Dave -- Thanks. I was wondering.


Was it an 18-hole course at that time?


Dan

[Blake Conant]

What else is near Kebo Valley worth seeing?


Grindstone Neck
Northeast Harbor
Causeway Club
Bar Harbor GC
Blink Bonnie
Tarratine
North Haven
Megunticook
Rockland GC


Others?

[Dave Herrick]

According to the Mt Washington Hotel website, the Mt Pleasant Course was built as a 9 hole course in 1895. (The Waumbek Golf Course, not far away in Jefferson, originally part of the long-departed Waumbek Hotel, advertises itself as the state's oldest 18 hole course, also built in 1895.)  The Mt Washington Hotel was not built until 1902, and the 18 hole Ross course was built in 1915. Cornish and Silva renovated the Mt. Pleasant Course as well as completing the restoration of the Mt. Washington Course.

[Brad Tufts]

Lots of great stuff on here...just depends whether you want charming towns and just mountains (the tallest in New England) or charming towns and mountains and ocean.  I would probably choose the latter, although both courses mentioned are worth playing. 

I would say Kebo is a more interesting golf course, whereas Bretton Woods has been improved but still plays mostly over flattish land in the river valley...which takes on a bit of a heathland look at times, which may be the best change that was made!

I also concur with Mike Sweeney...Kebo is great, but Northeast Harbor is really fun too (but private in mid-summer).  Kebo Valley/Northeast v. Bretton Woods/Balsams would be an even closer contest, once the Balsams returns one of these decades...

[Will Lozier]

Thanks for all the input, fellows...Kebo sounds terrific!

Any love for Mount Washington?   How did Silva's 2008 "restoration" turn out?

Thanks, again.

Mike,


Kebo is very unique with certain holes - 8, 9 & 17 - one-of-a-kind holes with almost every other hole offering something of real interest. I played Mt. Washington well over 10 years ago before the restoration but it to is a fun track much better now from what I've read/seen. The real issue is the remoteness of Mt. W. There is more excellent golf close to Kebo than Mt. W - NE Harbor on Mt. Desert & Penobscot Valley in Bangor to name two.


Cheers

[Michael Moore]

Kebo Valley! One of the best courses in Maine - raw, ancient, quirky, scenic, diabolical, all that. After the round you can go for a bike ride, or go to a great restaurant, or walk out onto the sandbar, or my favorite, sit on a bench in the stunning Agamont Park and zone out.

But allow me to throw in some love for Mt. Washington. I am not a hotel guy, but I have been to many corners of New England and this is the best hotel I have seen by a very wide margin. Walking around the monster veranda is like walking around on an aircraft carrier. As has been stated above, the course is quite good with spectacular views, but laid out on an unfortunately flat parcel. Writing about it makes me want to go back in 2016.