When golfers take a look at the Maine State Golf Association schedule this year, the changing face of the Maine tournament scene will be staring back at them.

In past years, southern Maine competitors have filled the events on their half of an MSGA schedule which included tournaments each week for both southern and central divisions. In central Maine, though, the weekly tournaments were sometimes less well-attended.

This year, the MSGA has done away with the divisions. Most weekends still include two sites, but there are 10 weekends in the middle of its schedule where all of the state’s players will be vying for times at the same course.

There were some limited weeks last season in which there was one site, but this year’s schedule has gone that route in a major way.

Each weekend from July 2-3 at J.W. Parks in Pittsfield through Sept. 3-4 at The Meadows in Litchfield will be a statewide event.

“We had some problem getting courses there [in central Maine] that time of year,” said tournament director Romeo Laberge, speaking from the MSGA’s Yarmouth office. “Plus we were not filling some of the nine-hole courses, even when they were Saturday only.”

Most of the events allow play on either Friday or Saturday, but a few of the central Maine tournaments have been, and continue to be, held on Saturday only.

“There are definitely more players in the south,” said Laberge, “plus we don’t have as many conflicting tournaments down here.”

The Bangor Savings Bank Tournament, the two-ball tournament at Hermon Meadow Golf Club, and the granddaddy of eastern Maine events – the R.H. Foster Energy/Mobil Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament – are some of the prime examples of events which draw players away from the MSGA tournaments and it showed.

Because play was down at certain events it also made it harder to sign up courses to hold tournaments.

“Some of them didn’t want to close the course on the weekend,” said Laberge, adding that the course owners cited financial reasons. “They figured they could make more from green fees.”

So that has led to a consolidated schedule which could mean more travel for central Maine golfers, who have come from as far away as the Millinocket area to play in Augusta, Litchfield, Madison, and Rockport.

Now, they may have to drive as far as Mexico or Westbrook for their weekly competition.

“They might not want to come, but we tried to put them [the consolidated events] in the middle of the state,” said Laberge.

In addition, for the first time in many years, the MSGA will be running an event the same weekend as the Bunyan – this one the popular scramble at Sugarloaf Golf Club.

“That’s the weekend Sugarloaf wanted, even against the Bunyan,” said Laberge.

The Sugarloaf dates, though, are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, while the Bunyan runs Friday through Sunday, so players can do both if they want.

Another change this year is an unusual tournament format called the wheel, which will be used at five sites this year.

Each person in a foursome competes as a two-ball partner with each of the other players in his group.

“We used to do it in the MSGA a long time ago,” said Laberge. “It’s a little hard to score, but we’ve got a new computer program this year that will take care of that.”

The format has generated a few calls from perplexed players.

“A lot of people called to ask what it was,” said Laberge.