While the McLaughlins have enjoyed their time as owners of Green Valley Golf Course in Enfield, they have decided it’s time for a change.

“We’ve been here 10 years,” said Kim McLaughlin, co-owner along with her husband Andrew. “We want to do something different now.

“It’s not something we have to do, we’re just thinking of changing to something different. We don’t know what yet.”

The McLaughlins are asking $410,000 for the nine-hole facility, which opened in 1965. The sale includes the golf course, all of the buildings, the equipment, and 12-15 golf carts.

Andrew McLaughlin has done most of the improvements himself.

“He’s a master electrician, but he’s really a jack of all trades. He’s a handy kind of guy,” said Kim McLaughlin.

The property, which is listed with Mo Fer of Dawson Commercial in Bangor, totals 130 acres, with 10 acres on the Penobscot River side of Route 2 and the rest, including the golf course, on the other side of Route 2.

“There’s about 80 to 100 feet of frontage on the river,” she said.

The golf course has been on the market for about a year.

“We’ve had a lot of tire kickers, but we’ve had some serious buyers, too,” said McLaughlin. “One was looking for land for a horse farm. One wanted to build a campground. For whatever reason, they didn’t go through with it.”

She pointed out that there is enough land to keep the golf course and develop something else as well.

“The golf course sits on about 30 acres,” said McLaughlin. “The rest is a lot of wooded area. It’s all expandable and useable. The land is very valuable.”

McLaughlin said there was one reason why they ended up buying the golf course.

“My husband is a golf nut,” she said with a laugh.

“He grew up playing here, and when it came up for sale, he was in the right place at the right time,” she added.

Kim admits she’s not a golfer, but she still appreciates it.

“It’s really a beautiful course,” she said.

“I enjoy playing there. It’s a pretty good test of golf,” said Dana Worster, a Lee native who has been among the state’s best amateur golfers for years. He plays Green Valley “at least once or twice a year.”

Worster said the course is not a pushover.

“The fifth or sixth hole is a dogleg left with a small pond on the corner,” he said. “That’s one of the holes they extended. It used to be a real short par-4, a straight shot. You could drive the green. Now it’s one of the toughest holes in the state. It’s a good par 4.”

Junior GBO set

While the entry fee for amateurs to get into the Greater Bangor Open at Bangor Municipal Golf Course next month is $175, three young golfers will be able to get in for only $20.

The low three scorers from the Junior GBO on July 8 will be added to the field. The regular GBO is July 21-23 at Bangor Muni with the pro-am scheduled for July 20.

“We get 15-20 normally,” said Bangor assistant pro Rob Jarvis. “We’d like to get more, but there’s a lot of stuff going on for juniors, between camp, baseball….”

Jarvis said he will accommodate all who want to play as best he can.

“We’ll take ’em right up ’til the morning of, although we would like to have them [signed up] the day before,” said Jarvis. “We won’t turn any kid away.”

The tournament is for ages 17 and under. Interested players can call Jarvis at 941-0232.

A good long drive

The ReMax World Long Drive Championship local qualifier, open to amateurs and pros, returns to Rocky Knoll Country Club on July 16 from noon to 4 p.m.

There are four divisions – open, senior men (45-54), super senior men (55-plus), and women. The fee is $30 to hit six balls for the first two groups, $20 to hit six balls for the third and fourth divisions.

The longest drive to stay in the designated area wins. Competitors may enter more than once.

Winners will advance to the district championship in August. District winners go on to the national championship in Mesquite, Nev., in October.

2nd Mainer in Publinx

A second Maine golfer has qualified for the U.S. Amateur Public Links Golf Tournament July 11-16 in Lebanon, Ohio.

Normally, only one Maine golfer makes the field in the 156-player event, but Jay Livingston of Kennebunkport grabbed a spot by finishing second in the qualifier at Atkinson (N.H.) Country Club on Wednesday.

Livingston, the former University of Maine golfer who was runner-up in the 2001 Paul Bunyan Amateur and the 2003 Maine Amateur, opened with a day’s-best 68, then hung on for a 79 in the second round for a 147 total to get the second and last qualifying spot.

On June 21, Jesse Speirs of Bangor won the qualifier at Bangor Municipal Golf Course by seven strokes.

Dave Barber can be reached at 990-8170, 1-800-310-8600, or by e-mail at dbarber@bangordailynews.net.