8th Hole, The Ledges Golf Club, ME
- 8th Hole, The Ledges Golf Club, ME
Hewn from rocky New England terrain in the Southern Maine hills, The Ledges Golf Club offers players a robust and rugged challenge. Some refer to The Ledges as the premier private club experience for the public player—no wonder Golf Digest awarded it 4.5 stars.
Golfers visiting the course should be forewarned: your senses will be assailed by the lush pine tree-filled vistas and the crisp, velvety greens. But try not to let the rustic solitude distract you because the Par-72 course is challenging yet fair.
Surrounded by land dedicated to protecting the Bell Marsh Reservoir, which is the water supply for several surrounding communities, the Ledges is only an hour north of Boston, but feels like it is miles away from civilization.
The undulating greens are very fast—faster than what golfers will find at most southern Maine courses—so it’s no wonder that the course has gained a reputation as having the best greens in New England and thus offers a different kind of challenge then most golfers are accustomed to.
The course, which opened in 1999 and runs 6,981 yards from the back tees, consistently offers fresh, nuanced challenges that require golfers to use every club in their bag. The challenges come early and often, starting with the 1st hole. A difficult starter, No. 1 runs 442 yards from the back tees. Be weary of the hazard about 100 yards down the fairway. The Par-4 includes a dogleg left, and a small pond on the approach shot. On the right side of the fairway, about 200 yards down, sits a bunker. Be careful with your club selection when you get close to the hole. The inside scoop says it’s going to take three shots to get to the green for most high handicappers.
Other challenges include No. 6, where the fairway dwindles as golfers approach the green, making careful club selection a must. No. 9 is a Par-4 dogleg right, measuring 380 yards from the back tees and just 265 yards from the front tees. Miss the putting surface on the upward sloping 10th and you’re due for a walk in the woods or a bunker shot.
The last three holes can also decimate the scorecard of the unvigilant. The upward sloping Par-4, 408-yard 16th doglegs hard to the left and golfers will want to aim their tee shots to the right side of the fairway because everything kicks left.
Don’t let the stunning panoramas of the three bridges that lead to New Hampshire on No. 17 fool you. At 465 yards from the back tees, this hole is the course’s longest Par-4 and consistently tests the skill of players.
To top off the round, players face what many in the region consider the toughest finishing hole in New England. Water hazards riddle 18, a hard dogleg right. It all starts with a demanding tee shot and is a total risk/reward situation. The question is, should you hit it over the hazard in two or lay up. If you feel you can make it, go for it, but if you lay up short of the hazard, your third shot will be 200 yards uphill. One errant shot and your scorecard could be ruined—on the final hole.
The Ledges Golf Club was designed by Brad Booth, who has been hailed by many as the state’s golf “architect laureate.” This sentiment is supported by the many accolades the course has received, including being named the best new public golf course in New England by Golf Magazine (1999) and being awarded 4.5 stars by Golf Digest.
The location of the Ledges, which is tucked into the coastal community of York, a summer hotspot, plays no small part in the allure of the course. It offers several package deals with local spas, including Wentworth by the Sea, a hotel and spa located in nearby Portsmouth, N.H., and The Cliff House, a 138-year-old seaside resort in Ogunquit. For more information, or for a tee time, visit www.ledgesgolf.com.