50 years old and about a dozen can trace their history back to the 1800s . In that group are Mount Kineo ( 1890 ), which sits on the shores of Moosehead Lake about 1,800 feet below the summit of its namesake mountain ; Grindstone Neck ( 1891 ), which is just outside Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park and delivers water views from all nine of its holes ; and Kebo Valley ( 1888 ), an 18-hole layout backdropped by Cadillac Mountain that lays claim to being the eighth oldest U . S . golf club . In 1911 , President Howard Taft carded a 27 on what today is Kebo Valley ’ s par-4 17th hole , taking 17 shots to get out of an enormous bunker in the face of the hill that fronts the green .
Cape Arundel Golf Club , originally founded in 1896 as Kennebunkport Golf Club , is a Walter Travis design that counts President George H . W . Bush among its club champions . Cape Arundel GC today is on the National Register of Historic Places , deemed by the U . S . Department of the Interior as a property worthy of preservation and protection as part of America ’ s cultural heritage .
With the short golf season , over half of Maine ’ s courses are also used by the public for winter activities such as crosscountry skiing , snowshoeing , and sledding . That said , golf is becoming more of a year-round pursuit thanks to indoor golf simulator locations , even as many Maine residents head south to Florida during the winter months . There are now up to 25 commercial indoor simulator businesses that offer the opportunity for socializing , competition , instruction , and leagues throughout the year .
These off-course offerings are another way to widen the participation funnel and help address a challenge facing future golf growth in the state : junior engagement and programming . While over 90 % of Maine ’ s golf facilities with 18 or more holes host a high school team , only about 40 % of courses within the state have a PGA golf professional . This means that less than half of Maine golf courses have a commitment to professional golf instruction . And Maine in 2000 was forced to drop the First Tee youth development program because it didn ’ t qualify under the organization ’ s ethnicity diversity requirements .
The golf course at the Samoset Resort on Penobscot Bay , which opened in 1902 in the coastal town of Rockport , has been called the Pebble Beach of the East . Meanwhile , some of Maine ’ s newer resort courses can be found on the state ’ s world class ski mountains – with Boyne Resorts operating popular destinations Sugarloaf and Sunday River , both of which are home to Robert Trent Jones Jr . designs .
With First Tee ’ s shift – and greater consideration of economic diversity , the program is being relaunched as part of Maine Golf ’ s commitment to further grow the game within the state . This , ideally , will strengthen developmental opportunities for years to come . Another manifestation of this commitment is Maine Golf Center Freeport , a walkable , player-friendly 9-hole golf course situated along I-295 . The course has a comprehensive practice area that includes a driving range , putting green and short-game area . In Spring 2022 , Maine Golf finalized a lease to develop the course and facility to further its mission by offering junior , men and women ’ s player development programs with an emphasis on growing junior and family golf in a safe and encouraging environment .
The Contributions of Golf to the State of Maine | 2023 Impact Report 3