Serenity in Sanford

Amidst the busy tourist destinations of Southern Maine awaits the tranquil setting of Sanford Country Club

By Peter Blais

Cruise inland a few miles from the noisy bedlam of sun and shell worshippers along Maine’s Wells and Ogunquit beaches and those preferring to spend a few hours to pray at the altar of pars and birdies will find a much quieter retreat: Sanford Country Club.

Lying softly atop 150 or so acres of rolling woodland near the shores of Bauneg Beg Pond, located along Route 4 between Sanford and North Berwick, is a melody of old and new holes that harmonize quite nicely.

Then-Portland Country Club Pro Alex Chisholm designed the original nine, which opened in 1924. Known for many years as Bauneg Beg Country Club, and for a brief while as Goodall Country Club when the Goodall-Sanford textile company owned the facility, the course was formerly recognized as one of the state’s longer nine-hole layouts, stretching between 3,200 and 3,300 yards. Various organizations operated Sanford CC over the years until 1989, when 15 local business people purchased the then-nine-hole layout with the idea of expanding it to 18 holes.

The group hired Armstrong Golf Architects of Francestown, N.H., to develop the new nine and blend it with the existing holes. Architect Mary Armstrong noted the goal was to make the transition between old and new as seamless as possible, especially in terms of green character and bunkering.

“We did very little bunkering or earth-moving,” she remembered. “The two sides intermingle very well. I doubt most golfers would notice a difference between the old and new holes. It was a very nice piece of land, very sandy in large sections. That made for a lot of flexibility in the design.

“We had a limited budget at the time of construction. Since we built the course, the operators have done some additional clearing and more drainage work.”

A stone wall generally divides the old and new holes, which were completed in 1997. Holes 3 through 5 and 12 through 17 are the newer Armstrong routings. Generally, they sit farther back from Route 4 and are more wooded than the earlier Chisholm efforts.

Sanford CC’s turf and bunker conditioning are excellent and consistent throughout all 18 holes. With four sets of tees, the tips are challenging at 6,703 yards for longer hitters, while the forward tees, which play at a drastic difference of 4,901, assure that there are teeing grounds appropriate for all ability levels.

Additional playing aids include small plaques affixed to tee-side benches that spell out distances to far-off landmarks. If you’re a Sanford CC first-timer, this advice is crucial. Water is fairly scarce, coming into play (in theory) on just three holes – Nos. 7, 12 and 13.

The 7th hole concludes a testy four-hole stretch that lists three consecutive par-5s for women and two for men. This particular foursome may be the key to scoring well at Sanford CC. In order, with distances from the tips, they are:

• No. 4, a 467-yard, par-5 with a racetrack-like bank of trees bordering much of the right side. A distant boulder provides a perfect line for the tee shot. The far bunker is 250 yards from the teeing ground. Long hitters can go for the green in two.

• No. 5, a 522-yard par-5 that again provides a distant boulder at roughly 225 yards to properly align the tee shot. This is a definite three-shot hole with the best strategy being to lay up at the top of the hill, leaving a 140-yard approach to the green.

• No. 6, a 421-yard par-4 that heads downhill off the tee and then severely uphill to the green. Consider using a tad more club on the approach to compensate for the hill. Shots short of the top may roll back down.

• No. 7, a 368-yard, par-4, that is visually intimidating. It requires a downhill drive over water to a landing area again backed by water at 230 yards. The approach is uphill over this second water hazard to an undulating green bunkered both left and right.

While the noise level is lower here than at nearby beaches, a few non-golfing sounds do filter through. One is the buzz of jet skis racing across nearby Bauneg Beg Pond. Another is the drone of planes of all sizes that land and take-off at nearby Sanford Airport, where the Bush clan sometimes flies in before driving to the family compound at Walker Point in Kennebunkport. Assistant Pro Alyssa McIntyre mentioned that course staff members may even be dispatched to help anyone flying into the airport and needing a ride to make his or her starting time.

One of the quieter spots is the tee on the picturesque par-3, 13th, where a colorful flower garden surrounds a touchingly worded plaque in memory of Jessica Dion, the daughter of Superintendent Jim Dion. Jessica died of cancer at a very young age. Fittingly, Sanford CC will host the 13th Annual Sanford Elks Maine Children’s Cancer Program Golf Tournament, which has become so popular as a way to help fund childhood cancer research that it will require two separate starting flights to accommodate the 60 foursomes expected to take part on Sept. 9.

The club boasts a newly expanded practice range with a sand bunker and grass tees. Golf lessons are also available.

The clubhouse is a very comfortable remodeled farmhouse and offers a variety of sandwiches and beverages that can be enjoyed either inside the dining room, on the deck overlooking the 9th hole, or on a covered porch located behind the 10th tee.

Greens fees are $31 for nine holes weekdays and $38 weekends (Friday through Sunday). Eighteen-hole fees are $41 weekdays and $48 weekends. Per-rider cart rates are $8 for nine holes and $14 for 18 holes.