The Maine Amateur Championship is less than a month away, and the folks at the Waterville Country Club have been preparing for the tournament for weeks.
“We’ve been busy, busy, busy,” Danny Proulx, Waterville Country Club manager, said. “We take a great deal of pride in hosting any major tournament in our state.”
The Maine Am will be July 7-9. This will be Waterville Country Club’s tenth time hosting the event but first since 2007.
Most of the work done to prepare for the tournament is spring maintenance, Proulx said.
“The greens have responded wonderfully,” Proulx said.
Repairing the fairways, as well as fertilizing, are a few of the jobs done to prep for the tournament. Bunkers have been edged and cleaned, Proulx said. The club has discussed the course setup with the Maine State Golf Association, which sends officials to Waterville to take a look at the course from time to time, Proulx said. For the tournament, the rough may be a little longer than on a normal day, like it would be for the club’s member-guest tournament. The same can be said for the green speeds.
“The green speeds may be a little quicker than normal, like for our member-guest tournament,” Proulx said.
Only three golf courses have hosted the Maine Am more times than Waterville Country Club. With 17, Augusta Country Club has hosted the most. Portland Country Club has hosted the tournament 13 times, and Penobscot Valley Country Club 11 times. Only two clubs have hosted the tournament in back-to-back years, Riverside (1947 and ’48) and Penobscot Valley (1952 and ’53).
The Maine Amateur Championship has been held every year since 1918, with the exceptions of 1943 and 1944, when it was not held due to World War II.
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The second annual Girls Golf Fair is Sunday, June 28 at the short game practice area next to Riverside South Golf Course in Portland, from 1-3 p.m. The event is sponsored by First Tee of Maine, Maine State Women’s Golf Association, and the Southern Maine Women’s Golf Association.
Girls attending will get instruction in putting, chipping, sand shots and full swing. Along with the golf, there will be prizes, minigolf, music, crafts, as well as information on junior golf and college scholarships for young women.
Equipment will be provided for girls who do not bring their own. For more information, go to thefirstteemaine.org/girlsgolffair, or call 809-9030.
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The second annual Terrier Tee-Off Classic will be held at Waterville Country Club on June 22. The tournament benefits Thomas College athletics.
Registration begins at noon, with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. The cost per team with a hole sponsorship is $550, team sponsor $400, hole sponsor $250, and individual $100.
For more information, contact Kerry Smart at 859-1206 or smart@thomas.edu.
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Chip shots: Jim and Mike Caron won the MSGA father/son tournament at Natanis on Sunday. The Caron’s shot a gross score of 75… Heath and Ty Cowan of Madison won the 15-18 year old age group at the father/son tournament, with a gross score of 85… The MSGA senior four ball championship is set for Poland Springs Golf Club on Tuesday.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM
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