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FORT FAIRFIELD – You could, if you really wanted, do something pretty neat at Aroostook Valley Country Club.
It’s something you could tell your kids about. Something you could regale your golf buddies with. Something you might never, ever get the chance do again.
You could hit your first tee shot all the way from one country into another. You could.
But before you pull out your biggest stick and get ready to swing from your heels, there’s something you ought to know.
If you do decide to try to send your Top-Flite on an unmanned border-crossing, you’d better have an extra ball in your pocket. That road? The one that actually sits back in the U.S.?
It’s out of bounds.
And so is every inch of the United States when you play this rare, border-hugging course.
“The parking lot and the pro shop still exist in the United States, and the golf course lies in Canada,” pro Stephen Leitch says.
“But the way the first hole is, if you hit it left, you can hit it from one country to the other.”
You could. But Leitch doesn’t suggest it. His course will provide you with enough tests without giving away two strokes on your first swing.
The Aroostook Valley Country Club enjoys a reputation as one of northern Maine and New Brunswick’s top courses not because of its geographic originality, but for the golf experience it provides.
Still, one of the more intriguing tales about the club has to do with its location: Snug against the border between Fort Fairfield, Maine, and Four Falls, New Brunswick.
“It was built originally through Prohibition, and the Americans built the golf course across the border in Canada so they could enjoy themselves during those times,” Leitch says.
“It’s been that way ever since.”
Aroostook Valley opened as a nine-hole course in 1929, and expanded to an 18-hole layout in the late ’50s, says Leitch, who is in his eighth year as pro at the club.
One other big transformation: The pro shop is now in a separate building from the clubhouse and sits a convenient quarter-wedge away.
“Originally, the pro shop was in Canada, too,” Leitch says. “But the pro [in the ’50s] was American, and he moved his shop from out of the clubhouse and built this place out of logs that he cut off the golf course.”
That’s still the case, and golfers looking to phone the pro shop must dial in on the Maine (207) area code. Clubhouse callers call a number in the (506) area code.
Another interesting feature: the Canadian-to-American mix among the membership is close to 50-50, and players from each country park in a specific parking lot.
The reason is simple. Canadians can drive to the club (and the U.S.-based pro shop) without actually passing through a customs inspection.
There’s only one catch, as a large sign warns Canadians as they leave after their round is over.
“United States Law Prohibits Turning Left,” the sign reads. “When Leaving This Parking Lot You Must Go Straight Up The Hill And Return Directly To Canada.”
Fort Fairfield, and the rest of the U.S., is still out of bounds, you see.
The course can be testy, thanks to speedy and tricky greens and rolling terrain that can provide for some awkward lies.
“To play it well, your short game has to be good,” Leitch says. “The greens are very, very sloping. There are big breaks in the greens, and in the height of the season, when they’re cut pretty quick, you’ve got lots of sidehill and downhill putts.”
In addition, accuracy is at a premium due to the plentiful dogleg holes on the course.
“It takes some imagination. Usually when you’re done playing, all 14 clubs in your bag will be dirty,” Leitch says. “At some other places, you might go a round and only need five or six clubs in your bag.”
Leitch says two holes really define Aroostook Valley. Played in sequence, the 14th and 15th holes are both beautiful and demanding.
But before players get there, the 12-13 tandem might soften them up a bit. Number 12 is a long, uphill par 5 that’s aptly named “Cardiac Hill,” and No. 13 is a 189-yard par 3 from the middle tees (202 from the tips) that demands a long, accurate tee shot.
After that, it’s time to avoid the water – and other obstacles – on 14 and 15.”That’s where we keep our water source, so there’s a huge pond on No. 14,” Leitch says. “It’s a downhill par 5 that certainly rewards a good tee shot, because you can go over the water in two.”
Most people, though, opt to lay up and hit a short iron into a well-protected green that is nestled against the woods.
After completing No. 14 – a birdie opportunity, Leitch claims – golfers head to a pretty 180-yard par 3 (a more manageable 156 from the middle tees and 105 for the ladies) that crosses back over the water.
But golfers need to make sure they use enough club: Extremely short shots get wet; moderately short shots land on a sheer grassy slope that fronts the green. Either way, you’re in trouble.
“You either hit the green or there’s a good chance you’re not gonna find your golf ball,” Leitch says.
A couple of more interesting features about Aroostook Valley:
. The price is right.
With a single membership costing just $364 (U.S.), and a reputation as a top-notch facility, Aroostook Valley is a bargain, as Leitch quickly points out.
“Wouldn’t the people from the southern part of the state kill for that?” he asks.
You bet.
. Don’t let the yardage fool you.
A new irrigation system that delivers water to every tee and green, and all the fairways on the par 4’s and par 5’s has not only provided a plush course. It has also served to “lengthen” the course.
“A lot of guys used to be able to bump the ball along, but now, when their ball hits in front of the greens or anywhere the water’s hitting, their ball stays there,” Leitch says.
“From the blue tees, we’re only 6,305 as far as yardage goes. But now you’ve got to hit it 6,305. You can’t bump it along any more.”
AROOSTOOK VALLEY C.C.
Holes: 18
Yards: 6,304 (blue tees), 5,977 (white), 5,393 (red); par: 72
Slope: 117 (blue tees), 113 (white), 119 (red); rating: 69.9 (blue), 68.4 (white), 70.0 (red)
Greens fees: 18 holes: $25 (U.S.), $35 (Canadian)
Memberships: $530 (U.S.), $800 (Canadian)
Tee times: required
Directions: Take Route 1A through Fort Fairfield, turn right onto Russell Road, Aroostook Valley Country Club is on the right.
Footwear: soft spikes preferred
Phone: (207) 476-8083 (pro shop), (506) 273-9184 (club house)
John Holyoke will be profiling a Maine golf course each Tuesday. Contact him at 990-8214 or by e-mail at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net
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