Hosts of Hospitality

The new owners of Province Lake Golf Course in Maine have taken the term ‘user-friendly’ to the next level

By Peter Blais

If you like the idea of knocking the ball clear out of the state, then Province Lake Golf Course straddling the Maine/New Hampshire border is for you.

With an old-school front nine dating back to 1918 resting comfortably along the shores of crystal-clear Province Lake and a 21-year-old back nine designed by Geofrey Cornish and Brian Silva, this scenic, affordable, family-friendly layout boasts two holes – the 5th and 7th – where golfers can tee off in one state and putt in the other. The 401-yard (from the tips) fourth hole starts in Maine and ends in New Hampshire. The 159-yard fifth sits entirely in the Granite State. The par-5, sixth requires a shot from New Hampshire back into Maine along its 530 yards.

“The architectural difference between the two sides is quite noticeable,” says superintendent Mike Foster, who has overseen the agronomics at the course for the past seven years.

The push-up greens on the older front side are fairly flat, but generally lean toward the water, with the exception of two holes.

“The first hole used to be a 265-yard, par-4,” Foster noted. “We recently added about 150 yards to that hole and built a new green. The fourth hole is also a new green that was built when Cornish and Silva did the back nine. The others on the front are all the original push-ups.”

Backside putting surfaces, where the greens are more mounded, and frankly, more interesting, offer a greater variety of contour. The fairways are generally narrow with tight landing areas and small ponds and creeks coming into play from time to time. Cooling summer breezes off the lake can slightly alter ball flight. Deer and moose are frequent spectators, but rarely detract from the quiet setting. The lake and distant views of the White Mountains dominate the front side with the first seven holes hugging the shoreline and No. 5 and No. 6 bordering the water for their entire length. Holes No. 8 through 18 wind through forested hillsides, with the lake visible from 14 holes.

Most of the holes at Province Lake require strategic placement off the tee. First-time golfers at the course would be wise to pay close attention to the scorecard and its yardage markers, as a driver off the tee is not needed as often as most golfers are used to. This doesn’t make the course boring, however. In fact, it’s far from benign, forcing players to think long and hard about placement before teeing off.

Province Lake sits mostly along Route 153 in the York County hamlet of Parsonfield, Maine – a two-hour drive from Boston. Owners Dave and Carol Porter purchased the facility in April of 2005 and have made it a point to encourage women, children and players of all abilities to enjoy the game at their course. It appears their strategy has worked. Golf Digest’s 2005 Golf for Women rated Province Lake No. 1 in New England and No. 39 in the United States in women-friendliness.

Province Lake boasts five sets of tees, ranging from 2,000 yards for youngsters and beginners to a modest-by-today’s-standards 6,300 yards from a back set of tees made more difficult by tight fairways and devilish greens. Special rates are available for juniors and childcare service is available at a nominal rate, encouraging couples to test their skills together rather than requiring one parent to stay home and tend to the youngsters.

Long before the Porters took over the property, Joseph Emery, a native of Dover, N.H., and onetime president of retailer Lord & Taylor in New York City, built the original nine holes on the property for the private use of his family and friends when he returned home to Northern New England during the summer. Emery and his brother, E.W., built a successful silk stocking-import business after Joe retired from Lord & Taylor. E.W. owned the property and Victorian buildings that today house the clubhouse, pro-shop and function facilities. The buildings include a three-story farmhouse and two attached barns built at the turn of the century.

Located within these Victorian structures is Mulligan’s, the center of post-round activity featuring a turn-of-the-century, full-service Brunswick bar serving appetizers and a limited lunch menu. Cafe in the Barn sits in one of the old structures and features softwood floors with windows overlooking the course. The kitchen facilities are in the original living quarters, along with an apartment, meeting room and formal living room. The Veranda is at the very front of the clubhouse, overlooking the first tee and making a great spot for outdoor cocktails for large groups.

In 1999, the owners added an outdoor, brick-and-granite patio with attached gazebo in the courtyard overlooking the lake and course layout. It’s a great place for drinks and lunch under the surrounding trees and patio umbrellas.

A seven-year-old deck off the Province Lake Room also affords excellent views of the course and lake, providing golfers and drop-in diners the chance to eat and drink in the fresh air, even on rainy days. In addition, the pro shop offers a wide variety of golf equipment and apparel.

The previous owners, Arthur Little and Sam Leaming, purchased the course in 1996 with the goal of making it the best layout within 50 miles.

“They put a lot of sweat and money into the course,” Foster said. “We did miles of drainage work, installed a new irrigation system, added more than two miles of cart paths, rebuilt about half the bunkers and built or rebuilt 28 tees. The new tee placements helped us attract more beginning and women golfers.

“Unfortunately, some people see the shorter tees as a drawback because they imply the course does not offer a challenge for low-handicap golfers. But we have hosted two New Hampshire Amateur qualifiers here in the last four years. These are 9-handicap-or-better players. The average score was 84. The course record is still 1-over-par. We might add some more yardage down the road. But it will be tough since much of the surrounding land is not owned by the golf course.”