The Bangor Municipal Golf Course will host the Maine Men’s Senior Amateur Championship for the first time.
The event, which is scheduled for Aug. 25-26, was first held in 1964.
“It’s really exciting especially since the defending champ is Tom Caron, who has been a member at Bangor for over 30 years,” said Bangor Muni pro Rob Jarvis. “It’s really going to make for a fun week for us. A lot of those guys who play in that tournament also play in the Downeast-Metro, so it will be nice seeing them compete in that tournament as well.”
Last year, Caron birdied the last hole to get into a playoff and won it on the second playoff hole at the Riverside Golf Course in Portland.
The 12th annual Downeast-Metro will be held on June 13-14 at the Bangor Municipal Golf Course and the Kebo Valley Golf Club in Bar Harbor.
Lincoln’s Max Woodman, who played his college golf at Husson University in Bangor, is the defending champ.
The Bangor Muni opened on Friday for walkers only, no golf carts. The driving range isn’t open yet.
Jarvis said the course is in good shape.
“It was a difficult winter. We had some ice build-up early. But [course superintendent Jonathan Burnett] took the snowblower to the greens to get down to the ice, so it would melt, and he prevented potential serious injury to the greens,” said Jarvis.
He said the course sold out its memberships in just an hour after it opened to the public last October.
He said they are close to having a full field for the Downeast-Metro tourney.
“We’ve sold out the last four years,” he said.
One of the positive trends in the game is the number of young people who are taking up the sport, he said.
“It’s incredible how well the young people are taking to the sport,” said Jarvis.
One of the Maine Amateur qualifying tournaments will be held at the Bangor Muni on June 16.
The Downeast-Metro and Maine men’s Senior Amateur are two of the premier tournaments on the state’s golf schedule.
The 107th men’s Maine Amateur will be held on July 7-9 at the Sanford Country Club with the Women’s Amateur taking place at the Val Halla Golf Course in Cumberland on July 20-21.
Freeport’s Eli Spaulding and Jade Haylock of Hartford have each captured the last two men’s and women’s titles.
The Maine junior tournaments for the girls and boys will be both held at the Fairlawn Golf Course in Poland on July 29-30.
The Women’s Senior Amateur will be played at the Biddeford-Saco Country Club in Saco on Sept. 8-9.
The Charlie’s Open will be held at the Augusta Country Club on June 22-24.
