The Atlantic coast of Maine measures straight-line of 228 miles, but the total coastline including all inlets and bays is 3,478 miles. Furthermore, there’s 4,600, give or take, islands along this coastline yielding a number of opportunities to find a golf course in a scenic setting for summer vacationers. There’s a total of nine Maine Island golf courses that provide an interesting golf trip by your own personal watercraft or using the ferry system of Maine.

We’ll start with the only course not on the Atlantic, the Frye Island Golf Course located in the middle of Sebago Lake and accessible only by ferry at Raymond, which is about 40 minutes north of Portland. It’s a Geoffrey Cornish, 9 hole layout carved through the woods over hilly terrain.

Now on the Atlantic just northeast of Portland is the Great Chebeague Golf Club, another nine holes bordering Casco Bay along salt water inlets and great blue heron nesting grounds. It was designed by a couple of summer residents in the 1920s and the clubhouse is a repurposed 1807 home. It is easily accessible by the ferry from Cousins Island.

In Maine’s Mid-Coast region we find the North Haven Golf Club, a Wayne Stiles original design from the 1932. It’s a 9-holer as well and located on Waterman’s Bay at Fish Point Ledge about about 8 miles off Rockport and accessible by the ferry at Rockland. 

Mid-Coaster, the Island Country Club, is another Stiles, 9 hole design on Penobscot Bay on Deer Island 21 miles east of Rockport. it’s a test as it moves over hilly birch, spruce, and pine tree lined fairways with the wind off nearby Penobscot Bay always in play.

The Taratine Golf Club  is in Dark Harbor on Islesboro, a small island in Penobscot Bay. It was designed by Alexander Findlay, known for his share of quirky layouts along the east coast and midwest in the early 1900s.

Now moving further northeast, we find Mount Desert Island, the largest island in Maine home to Bar Harbor and the Acadia National Park, a top 10 most visited U.S. National Park. Mount Desert has its own golf trail of sorts with three fine layouts, The Causeway Club, Northeast Harbor Golf Club, and Kebo Valley Golf Course. At Kebo there’s a bit of golf history. Apparently, President Taft summered here occasionally, and in 1911 and carded a 27 on #17. The hole was then known as the Elbow, but, now to his honor, the hole is called the “Taft”. Donald Ross, after visiting the course, wrote the club and suggested strongly that the 3rd hole should be leveled a bit. It had such an elevation on the approach that a shot that didn’t make it to the top would roll back 100 yards down the hill. The club acquiesced and made the change against many of the members wishes.

While not technically on an island, Grindstone Neck, is mentioned herein for its setting rather than the quality of their rudimentary layout. The golf course’s main attractions are the views of the mountains of the Acadia National Park and Ironbound Island in the background. Looking across the Desert Narrows to the west, and Sand Cove to the east, watching the lobster and recreational boats traversing the straits is simply stunning and a bit distracting.

As always, should we have missed one of Maine’s Island Golf Courses please contact us here and we’ll be pleased to amend the post. Cheers!