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Locker room and third green, North Haven Golf Club, North Haven, Maine
The Maine Island Golf Tour, Volume I, began on dry land at the Portland Country Club, which was at one time featured on the Ran Morrissett "Next Fifty" list. This Donald Ross course compares very favorably with such other New England classics as Charles River and Essex County.
Mike Sweeney made an epic drive from Manhattan to arrive at PCC for the appointed mid-afternoon tee time. Suffice it to say that he was puzzled on the first tee when he was introduced to a host wearing "golf sandals" and an untucked shirt. Fortunately, Alex Williams's article "The Untucked Country Club" in the next day's New York Times would explain everything.
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The heaving terrain of the Portland Country Club
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Sweeney handcuffed by an off-speed pitch approaches the eighth green.
After dinner Sweeney sped the group to Rockland in comfort and style, while the ingrate Moore griped about the absence of odd-numbered Fahrenheit temperatures in the vehicle.
The next day dawned mercifully fog-free, and we boarded Pirates Wench for the 45-minute crossing to North Haven and the nine holer that Wayne Stiles laid out so many years ago. No one knew what to expect, but when we spilled out of Captain Brown's pickup truck and gazed upon the small apple orchard and the shingled locker room in the middle of the course, we knew that we were somewhere special.
On the first tee Sweeney said "Wow, a real golf hole." There would be eight more. North Haven Golf Club serves up an absolutely stunning variety of holes.
400
355
255
417
550
130
380
320
233
It was hard to believe that such a collection of holes was in such a place. North Haven is easily the most hidden and gemlike hidden gem that I have ever played.
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The miniscule target at the 400 yard, uphill, into the wind first.
The pleasures of North Haven became crystal clear on the fifth hole, a grand yet highly reachable par five which, in the classic fashion, starts out real wide, gets much narrower on the second shot, and even smaller at the end. I have often thought that Stiles straddled the styles of Ross and Raynor, that his courses could be mistaken for Ross until the greens, which are designed in a very flashy manner.
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The sweeping fifth fairway. The grass on the right is unmowed rough and is featured all over the course.
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The fifth green. The left rear flange is repeated on the eighth hole.
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The ultra-scenic sixth.
The eighth hole was another strategic masterpiece. At 320 yards downwind and downhill it is really reachable, but with a real risk of losing your ball. In order to see the green on your approach, you have to hit it 220 yards, right between two tufts of fescue.
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Arborist Sweeney quickly noted that hacking down all these trees would improve this hole immensely.
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No course review is complete without a Wardian investigation of practice facility, course rating, and slope.
If you find yourself at the Samoset Resort, or in Camden, or on the way to Bar Harbor with a spare day, GO TO NORTH HAVEN and play some golf.
On the boat ride to Isleboro and the Tarratine Club, the group encountered an interesting manifestation of the "Big World Theory". Captain Brown had promised us the greatest lobster roll on the coast, but imagine our surprise when, instead of minimalist grilled hot dog buns and just mayonnaise, we were served "losbster Italians" with red onion, lettuce, and a goddamn slice of cheese! The "Shadow Creek" of lobster rolls! Unorthodox, but very delicious . . . We landed safely at the yacht portion of the Tarratine Club and were transported to the course in yet another Grapes of Wrath-style truck ride.
Tarratine was laid out a very long time ago by Alex Findlay and, just like Grindstone Neck, is without bunkers and has a raw and elemental feel to it. The first shot is incomparable.
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First green, Spruce Island, Camden Hills.
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The Yale-ish third tee shot.
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A couple of non-GCAer's discuss Iraq and the upcoming Connecticut election on the porch of the classic Tarratine shop, while Moore and Sweeney assess the elegant and unidentifiable Tarratine logoed merchandise.
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Another satisfied golfclubatlas.com customer, the generous and genuine Mike Sweeney.