Bob Girvan II of Kenduskeag, who died of brain cancer on Thursday at age 54, was a fiery competitor whose golf game was sharpened at his family’s golf course in Kenduskeag, about 15 miles northwest of Bangor. Now called Kenduskeag Golf and Country Club, it’s… Read More
AUBURN – Windham native Shawn Warren was one of those people who wondered why a touring pro would need to take time off from playing golf. Now that he’s touring himself, he understands. “In past years, I’ve made a schedule [that was full of tournaments],”… Read More
AUBURN – With a summer schedule that includes having played in the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and upcoming appearances in the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur events, one might wonder when he gets any work done. As do many businesspeople, the comptroller of Dragon… Read More
BANGOR – Several young pros with Maine roots are playing in this weekend’s Hollywood Slots Greater Bangor Open, and they are discovering that the learning didn’t stop when they made that decision. Toby Spector of Waterville is the newest, but the list includes second-year pros… Read More
There are a couple of reasons Harris Golf Co. has rolled out a new promotion for Penobscot Valley Country Club in Orono, and both involve introductions of a sort. “Part of what we want to do, during reconstruction, is to try to give the public… Read More
What a difference a year makes. Before last year’s 41st Hollywood Slots Greater Bangor Open Golf Tournament, organizers decided it would be the last one because there were too few directors to accomplish the work and a competing event that was expected to draw off… Read More
Loud noises on a golf course are generally frowned upon because they can distract other players during their strokes. Josh Giles of Bangor can be excused, though, for the noise he made at Hampden Country Club in Thursday night’s men’s league after he holed out… Read More
Thirty-five years ago, Dan Pierce was introduced to golf. “A friend wanted to go,” so Pierce went with him. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length;… Read More
Two members of the Browne family of Vassalboro head the list of four members of the golf community who will be inducted into the Maine Golf Hall of Fame in September. Brothers James Browne and Robert Browne will be inducted posthumously while longtime Megunticook Golf… Read More
The winner of the Whited Ford Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament will receive an extra bonus this year, automatic exemption into the Maine Amateur Golf Championship. “I started discussing this a year or two ago with Nancy [DeFrancesco],” said Bunyan tournament director Skip Chappelle. DeFrancesco… Read More
The 17th annual Bar Harbor Bank and Trust Open, set for May 31-June 1, has added a fee option for this year’s event. The tournament now includes a price of $110 for players who prefer to walk. The regular price of $150 includes use of… Read More
ORONO – Change was promised and change is being delivered at Penobscot Valley Country Club. Groundwork at the formerly private club, which was purchased by Harris Golf last fall, began April 18 and already a significant number of bunkers and tee boxes have been dug. Read More
BANGOR – Area golfers who were used to seeing a golf store at the Airport Mall on Union Street can still do so. And, in fact, they’ll see familiar faces. Gary Rees and his wife Toni have opened Maine Indoor Golf Center in the area… Read More
BANGOR – After six years as an off-course stand-alone golf business in the Bangor area, Golf Country at the Airport Mall on Union Street is closing. “It was not meant to be, I guess,” said Mike Clendenning, one of four owners of the business that… Read More
When Rick Bilodeau of Dexter made a hole-in-one last month, it finally got him off the hook. That’s because his brother Kevin and dad Dick already had one apiece. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
Owing to the generosity of Bangor area golfers and golf clubs, Patti Pelletier of Bangor has more than met her goal of collecting golf balls to send to her son, Bryan James, in Iraq. Now she needs help in sending them. The response was so… Read More
BANGOR – Mike Clendenning is eager to dispel the rumor that Golf Country at the Airport Mall on Union Street is going out of business. “We’ve been fighting this for three weeks,” said Clendenning, one of the four owners (along with his wife Nikki and… Read More
Bryan James, a member of the Army’s Third Infantry Division based in Fort Stewart, Ga., and some of his fellow soldiers in Iraq are not unlike many golfers. “They hit them out into the desert, then they go out and retrieve them,” said James’ mother,… Read More
OAKLAND – Seth Sweet of Madison watched last year as his dad, Dan, caddied for a friend at a Maine Amateur Golf Championship qualifier. “[Seth] said he wanted to play in the qualifier next year,” said Dan Sweet. “I thought he would lose interest over… Read More
KENDUSKEAG – Since Jim and Sandra Poole first looked at it, the former Kenduskeag Valley Golf Course has been about change. Four years later, the changes at the now-named Kenduskeag Golf and Country Club keep on coming. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
Monday afternoon, Bob Curtis of Bangor walked into the pro shop at Bangor Municipal Golf Course and signed up to be a sponsor for this year’s 41st and final Greater Bangor Open presented by Hollywood Slots at Bangor. Curtis, a 46-year-old involved in property management,… Read More
BANGOR – Brian Enman, the head pro at Bangor Municipal Golf Course, feels like he’s in the vanguard of a movement designed to accommodate golfers with disabilities. “I think we’re the only club in the state that owns a wheelchair golf cart,” said Enman. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
None of the three golfers with Maine ties who were in the U.S. Open sectional qualifying on Monday earned spots in the Open, scheduled for June 14-17 at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. Hampden native John Hickson, who now lives in Topsham, had to withdraw after… Read More
After Hampden native John Hickson advanced through the first stage of qualifying for the U.S. Open on May 9, the expectation would be that he would spend at least some time on a golf course preparing for the next round, the sectional qualifier. His sectional,… Read More
With plans announced last week for a Maine Golf House to be situated at Highland Green Adult Resort Community and Golf Club in Topsham, all that’s left now is the fundraising. “We figure we need between $800,000 and $1,000,000 for the building and to outfit… Read More
When Jesse Speirs of Bangor steps to the tee Thursday, the sophomore at Texas Christian University will be competing in his first postseason NCAA men’s golf tournament, but he won’t be treating it that way. “It’s still golf,” he said Tuesday. “I’m not trying to… Read More
Penobscot Valley Country Club went through a period of flux over the winter as the board of governors opted to use the services of an outside management team for the first time. The club signed a three-year contract with Affinity Management at the end of… Read More
As the new executive director of the Maine Golf Hall of Fame, Gary Rees of Newport has taken over an organization with a number of projects looming on the horizon. And he’s eager to take them on. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
HOLDEN – Kodi Legassie lined up his putt, about a 12-footer uphill. He waggled his putter, drew it back, and swung smoothly forward, rolling the ball toward the cup. It came up a couple of feet short. It disappointed but didn’t discourage the 7-year-old from… Read More
When a well-known golf club member dies, the people who remember him fondly – family and friends – sometimes decide to do something to honor his or her memory. It might be a memorial golf tournament or a tee plaque honoring the person. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
AUBURN – Even pro golfers need help, and sometimes it can be a surprise where it comes from. Rich Parker of Lebanon, N.H., is packing more fun into this week’s Charlie’s Maine Open than he otherwise might. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
For years, seven-time Women’s Maine State Golf Association champion Abby Spector Kershner had dreams of becoming a pro, playing in tournaments around the country. Emergency open-heart surgery in October 2003 left her with severe complications that focused her efforts on health recovery, not golf. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
Corey Poulin, who won the Maine Amateur Golf Championship last year after several tries, has embarked on a career as a playing pro. It has turned out to be an enlightening experience. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
The three clubs involved in the Whited Ford Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament have come up with a way to try to ease the players’ psychological pain of having the last two rounds washed out by rain. Penobscot Valley Country Club in Orono, Kebo Valley… Read More
The reaction of players in the 15th Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Open over the weekend was probably universal. “That’s the worst weather I’ve ever played in,” said Dave Mitchell of Ellsworth. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
After 26 years of teaching, the shoe is on the other foot now for Lori Frost of Brewer. Instead of giving tests, she has entered a program to become an LPGA teaching pro where the first thing she will have to do is take two… Read More
Bill Albrecht of Veazie admits that his friends have started calling him “Ace.” “They’re joking around,” he said, but they have a reason. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i =… Read More
Kebo Valley Golf Club in Bar Harbor has come out swinging in an attempt to increase its membership and, in bucking a trend, it seems to be working. “We have 12 to 15 new members and half are new to the area,” said David Closson,… Read More
Mike Dugas, the pro at J.W. Parks Golf Course in Pittsfield, is not one to sit still. Since he and his wife Dawn, her parents Stan and Linda Kitchin, and Dawn’s brother Chip and his wife Kathy purchased the course in late 1995, Mike’s devotion… Read More
A day of reckoning may be coming July 1 for some of Maine’s golfers. No, nongolfing wives and husbands won’t be mailing their spouses’ clubs to Tibet. Not that I know of, anyway. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
Ryan Garland of Hermon and Robert Herzing of Bangor were enjoying another early-season round of golf at Bangor Municipal Golf Course on Monday afternoon. “Any day [this early in the year] is a plus,” said Garland. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
For the first time since 1978, Penobscot Valley Country Club in Orono will be one of the three courses that competitors in the Whited Ford Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament will play on this year. PVCC, designed by noted golf course architect Donald Ross, replaces… Read More
Dick Harris and his wide-ranging golf interests have spent a lot of time in the spotlight this summer. One Harris Golf operation, Boothbay Country Club, was showcased during last month’s Maine Amateur Golf Championship. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
If history is any indicator, 8-year-old Devon Gerrish may be the fourth generation of his family to engage in the family business in Milo. And that business, Katahdin Country Club, has a lot of history. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
Jesse Speirs of Bangor spent the winter in South Carolina completing his senior year of high school and preparing for college. Ironically, he may not start with his classmates when classes begin at Texas Christian University later this month. “I’ll be starting about five days… Read More
On July 19, Bill Curtis of Bangor was showing some members of the Indian Island Youth Program the basic points of golf when he ended up displaying one of the rarest ones. Curtis scored a double-eagle 2 on the 454-yard, par-5 fourth hole at Rocky… Read More
BANGOR – It has been 10 years since Eric Egloff of Sandy Spring, Md., first came to Bangor and won the Greater Bangor Open, but he is ready to prove he can do it again. “I came up to get Paul’s twin brother,” Egloff said… Read More
BOOTHBAY – Feelings are about split on the return of stroke play next year to decide the Maine Amateur Golf Championship. “Everybody knows I don’t like match play,” said Shawn Warren of Windham, who won his Round of 32 match Wednesday at Boothbay Country Club… Read More
BANGOR – Golf Country is thinking outside the box. The box is the Airport Mall on Union Street and Golf Country, which opened in 2001, is planning to add an outdoor practice facility. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
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. Read More
ORONO – This year’s Maine Amateur Golf Championship will be the last one using the match-play format. The Maine State Golf Association Board of Directors and the Tournament Committee voted Thursday to follow the results of a survey of the players and return to a… Read More
Skip Chappelle, tournament director for the recently completed 41st Whited Ford Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament, had his hopes for a better turnout this year answered. The field is split into three approximately equal divisions based on handicap. The divisions rotate among the three courses… Read More
The recent warm, sunny weather has raised hopes among eastern Maine golfers that there may be a decent golf season yet this year. “Friday was packed,” said Pam Foss, co-owner of Pine Hill Golf Club in Brewer, “better than the weekend.” googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
WINTERPORT – When John Harrington of Winterport decided to take up golf again after a 35-year hiatus, he had a nearby facility to take care of him, Sonny’s Driving Range and Training Center. “All my friends have had 40 years [of playing] on me, so… Read More
As a PGA Tour caddie, Portland native Andy Lano II sees fine courses and exotic locations throughout the year, but right now he is looking forward to a certain weekend in June that will take him far away from all that and a little closer to home. Read More
After nearly 30 years as a club pro, Hermon native Randy Hodsdon is taking his career in a new direction. Hodsdon, 49, is the new scorer for the Maine State Golf Association’s Southern Division and also the tournament administrator. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
The little touches mean a lot, apparently, for the people who play in the Bar Harbor Bank and Trust Open golf tournament. “Once people play in it, they give it a good mark,” said Jane Sanderson, public relations and development assistant for Maine Coast Memorial… Read More
Kebo Valley Golf Club in Bar Harbor has returned as a venue for the Whited Ford Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament, one of three changes tournament director Skip Chappelle has worked out in order to rebuild declining participation in the longtime event. “We’re trying to… Read More
NORTON, Mass. – At first glance, an event such as the PGA Tour’s Deutsche Bank Championship at the Tournament Players Club of Boston might look like all fun and games. It is. But golf is not the only game for the spectators. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
PORTLAND – The sea gulls must have thought they’d discovered a new ocean Friday as they paddled around one of the city’s newest ponds created by heavy rainfall from a dying Tropical Storm Bonnie. Unfortunately, it was right in the middle of the Maine Open… Read More
An Old Town Canoe package and an overnight package at the Samoset Resort in Rockport are among the items that will be up for bid during the auction portion of Monday’s Bud and Barbara Leavitt Memorial Golf Tournament at Penobscot Valley Country Club in Orono. Read More
Jesse Speirs of Bangor, the young amateur golfer who nearly won the Greater Bangor Open two years ago as a 15-year-old, will be back this week to give it another try. The 38th GBO, co-sponsored by Town and Country Realty and Golf Country, offers a… Read More
SANFORD – Two days of rain and the prospect of more Thursday and Friday has brought up the possibility of extending the Maine Amateur Golf Championship into the weekend. That’s something that Nancy DeFrancesco, executive director of the Maine State Golf Association, was not looking… Read More
When Mike Baker of Stratton tees his ball up in the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis., next month, past experience will come into play in more than one way. Having played in the 1999 PGA Championship, he is familiar with the routines… Read More
Applications for the 40th Whited Ford Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament, scheduled for June 18-20, are down for the second straight year, according to tournament director Skip Chappelle. “We have around 265 [entries],” said Chappelle on Wednesday. He said that last year’s total was about… Read More
Tiffany Shoppe of Lamoine recently concluded her college golf career as medalist in one tournament and runner-up in the Big South Conference Championship. Unlike players who may use experience like that as a springboard to a future in golf, Shoppe – who recently completed four… Read More
“This is a big step for me,” said Willy Lucas of Bradley. “I’ve never been a business owner before.” He is now, as the new owner of Hidden Meadows Golf Course in Old Town. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
When it comes to girls playing golf, Hermon Meadow Golf Club teaching pro Thea Davis is willing to try a lot to snag them. Make that SNAG them. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More
The holders of season memberships at Bangor Municipal Golf Course have spoken – written, at least – and their opinions have been noted. “We heard complaints last year,” said Frank Comeau, director of Bangor Parks and Recreation, which oversees the 27-hole golf facility, “so we… Read More
Clayton Wallace of Ellsworth likes to keep busy, but owning a golf course has turned out to be too much even for him. “I’m a workaholic,” said Wallace, but averaging more than 100 hours a week at Island Green Golf Center in Holden was too… Read More
BANGOR – Earlier this year, Ray Haskell’s son, Jeff, asked him if he’d be interested in playing in the DuPont CoolMax World Handicap Tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C., in late August. The Bangor resident told his son that he would. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
In 1968, Greg Jordan of Guilford won his first club championship across town at Piscataquis Country Club. Jordan, 52, has won at least one in every decade since then, a very unusual event. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
BANGOR – The independence associated with being a pro golfer has both its good points and its bad points. On the plus side, you’re generally working outside in the sunshine and warm weather, traveling the world doing something many people would love to do. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
Jesse Speirs of Bangor has qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship, but that means his next attempt at becoming the youngest winner of the Greater Bangor Open Golf Tournament will be delayed. The two tournaments run almost simultaneously later this month. The U.S. Read More
Golf lessons can be trying sometimes if what the pro sees is happening isn’t what the student feels is happening. Rob Jarvis, assistant pro at Bangor Municipal Golf Course, is working with a new system that will allow him to better show the student what’s… Read More
Like many people in the golf business this year, Ed and Lucille Koncinsky at Kenduskeag Valley Golf Course are keeping their fingers crossed. The others may be doing it as they hope the weather improves. The Koncinskys are doing it because they’re in the process… Read More
Once again, Pam Foss and her sister, Candice Morrill, and brother, Bob Little Jr., are battling the rumor mill, and they’d like to put a stop to it, Foss said. The three own Pine Hill Golf Club in Brewer, and the rumors started early that… Read More
Hitting crisp iron shots into greens is nice and sinking long putts isn’t bad either, but nothing sets a golfer’s spirit soaring like a well-struck driver. Using all your big muscles, the smart click as club meets ball, and the sight of the ball disappearing… Read More
Due to the downsizing or closing many large companies in Maine have experienced in the past year, some golfers in eastern and northern Maine have had to rethink their involvement in the sport. Skip Chappelle, tournament director for the Whited Ford Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf… Read More
Facing a budget shortfall of $300,000, the town of Dexter is looking at options to increase revenue or reduce expenses. “The questions,” said town manager Bob Simpson, “come down to: Can we turn on the lights? Can we keep people hired?” googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Although last weekend’s snowstorm pushed back the start of the season for some Maine golf courses, it may be rainfall that will allow them to open sooner. “We still have frost in the ground,” said Brian Enman, head pro at Bangor Municipal Golf Course. “The… Read More
While the weather outside is frightful, thoughts of golf are sure delightful. Let us go, let us go, let us go. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i… Read More
Golf pros Brian Lawton and Mark Hall are slashing the fees at Island Green Golf Links in an attempt to increase play at the Holden facility. “People will jump at something if the price is going down when everything else is going up,” said Lawton,… Read More
Local sentiment favors the U.S. team defending its title in this weekend’s Ryder Cup matches based on a less-than-scientific sampling of golfers around Maine. Interest has built over the years, especially since Irish players were allowed to join the Great Britain team in 1973 and… Read More
Len Cole of Hampden is in the process of regaining his amateur status after working for nearly three years toward becoming a PGA teaching pro. It’s not that he didn’t want to become a pro, it was more that circumstances were changing. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Three golf courses between Holden and Dover-Foxcroft are definitely for sale among half a dozen that have been rumored to be for sale. Three others – one which had been among those rumored to be for sale and one that had been for sale in… Read More
BANGOR – Many golfers are proud when they can say they played a round – or more – with one ball. The one-ball discussion takes on an entirely different meaning when it comes to tournament play, though, and it’s a rule that some people are… Read More
Harvey LaMontagne of Paris and Holly Anderson of Kensington, Md., will be the two inductees to the Maine Golf Hall of Fame during the 10th annual ceremony Sept. 13 at the Marriott Hotel in South Portland. Coincidentally, LaMontagne taught Anderson when he was the pro… Read More
Ray Hawley of Madison is hoping to reverse his bad fortune at the Maine Amateur Golf Championship next week. “I’ve had a tendency not to play well in the Amateur,” said Hawley, who has played in four. “My goal this year is to play well. Read More
Plans to replace the 15th hole at Samoset Resort Golf Club in Rockport with houses have been shelved, according to Samoset Director of Golf Chris Christie. “I think, with the way the economy has gone, that they [resort owners] have decided to leave things as… Read More
Six-time Women’s Maine State Golf Association champion Abby Spector of Waterville turned in a spectacular round recently at Northeast Harbor Golf Club. Spector fired an 8-under-par 63 in the final round of the Bar Harbor Banking and Trust Co. tournament and became the overall champion… Read More
Because of their somewhat remote locations, golf courses are occasionally targeted by vandals. One victim, Bangor Municipal Golf Course, has been working recently on repairing the damage done, and the vandalized 17th green is nearly ready for play again. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
Belgrade Lakes Golf Club in Belgrade and Sugarloaf Golf Club in Carrabassett Valley are consistently vying for top ranking among the state’s public golf courses. Belgrade Lakes was named one of a dozen five-star public-access clubs in the country by Golf Digest magazine, and Sugarloaf… Read More
Fifteen-year-old Jesse Speirs of Bangor was offered an exemption into the 35th Junior World Golf Championships in San Diego, and he’s taking it. “Definitely. I could not pass that [up],” said Speirs. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
May 25 will be a special day for St. Croix Country Club in Calais as the members celebrate its 75th anniversary. “Gov. King along with many others have taken an active interest in the [celebration],” according to Rand Castile. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
Getting something for nothing has always been the dream of people throughout history, and three Maine golf organizations are pooling their efforts to make just such an offer. The Maine Chapter of the Professional Golfers’ Association, the Maine State Golf Association, and the Maine Golf… Read More
The Maine State Golf Association has instituted a few changes for its weekly tournaments this year, including having to compete under one handicap system. That system is the Golf Handicap and Information Network approved by the U.S. Golf Association. Other systems for computing handicaps are… Read More
Now that spring has arrived, Rob Jarvis is ready to work on a project he has been planning all winter. Jarvis, assistant golf pro at Bangor Municipal Golf Course, is including full-day golf schools among his lesson plans for this year. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Two major changes have been instituted for the 38th R.H. Foster Energy/Mobil On the Run Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament this year. Their effect on tournament entries will play out over the next couple of months. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
Mike Baker of Bradley won the New England Chrysler Plymouth/Skip Wogan Award as New England PGA section player of the year last year, but that success and the natural tendency of an assistant pro to look for a head professional position have left his status up in the… Read More