Old Marsh Country Club Wells, Maine
By: Bob DiCesare on 00/00/00 12:00 AM
It isn't often that you get to play a round of golf with the course architect. Thus, it was certainly
both an educational and pleasurable experience for me to tee it up this fall with Brian Silva at
Old Marsh Country Club in Wells, Maine.
When Silva first looked over the landscape that would eventually become OldMarsh CC a couple of years ago, it didn't take him long to offer a first impression.
"It was a swamp," said Silva, who has turned out many noted gems throughout New England
in recent years. "This one was going to take a lot of excavation work. We had to raise and drain
the land. If not, it would have been playable for only two weeks a year in August."
While course builders in Maine typically wait until spring to begin construction, work on Old Marsh began in January, 2007, and the semi-private facility became the only new course to open in New England this year, at a time when several facilities across the Northeast were dragged into receivership or sold for alternate, more profitable use. Members christened it in July and the course opened to the public in August with the clubhouse and restaurant opening its doors in September.
It was worth the wait.
With its coastal setting, Old Marsh CC is a throwback to the golden age styles of Seth Raynor
and C.B. Macdonald. At 6,800 yards, it's an old-school, Florida-style layout, yet construction methods
were geared for an unforgiving Maine environment.
"We spared no expense in building Old Marsh," said Jeff Harris, president of Harris Golf Group, the Bath, Maine-based course development, management, and construction firm which also operates highly-acclaimed Sunday River Golf Club. "That shines through in things like course conditioning, especially during the autumn months. While other courses can be wet and sloppy, Old Marsh is dry, firm, and emerald green."
"I can't say enough about Jeff Harris here," said Silva. "He was the answer. He took my word on a lot of things. We had to raise every square inch of the property to make sure the course was playable all season long. That costs money, but Jeff and his people gave me all the dirt I needed." "There are courses that look just like other courses, but we wanted to do something different. It was my job to make the course a joy and challenge to play. This was accomplished by random bunkering, kick-slopes, and raised green settings that often fall off steeply into deep bunkering, and with adaptations of the tried-and-true golf forms. The end result is a golf experience unique to New England, and worth waiting for. It's your job to decide what holes you like along the lines of what I do."
From the blue tees, there's only a two-yard difference between the first hole (349 yards) and the
second hole (347 yards) in length, but there sure is a big difference in presentation.
There's a formidable green-side bunker on the first hole, but fortunately there's a hidden, kickslope
short and right of the green that will bump approaches onto the putting surface.
The second hole is named "Alps", as it is the first adaptation of a Macdonald hole. On your
approach shot, the green is almost totally obscured by hulking land formations fronting a punchbowl
green.
The third hole is a 485-yard, par-5 that works around a pond on the right. Depending on where you land your tee ball, you will be faced with the classic "lay up or go for it" decision for your second shot. The seventh hole is called "Pinehurst" as it pays homage to the putting surfaces of Pinehurst (N.C.) No. 2 course. But first, you must keep your ball in play off the tee to a circle-like landing area before hitting your second shot to an undulating green. The green surroundings will almost certainly invite a putting stroke here, too.
The ninth is the number-one handicap hole - a challenging, 421-yard, par-4 that requires precision from tee-to-green. You'll definitely need a solid tee shot followed by one of your best approach shots of the day in order to contend for a two-putt par.
The 10th hole is called "Island", even though it isn't a par-3 nor is it surrounded by water. Instead, the green is cut off from the fairway with heavy brush in front and multiple bunkers along the sides and in back.
The par-5, 511-yard 13th hole is named "Cape", as it is fashioned after some of the classic holes on Cape Cod. It's a sharp-angle, left-to-right dogleg that features a narrow bunker stretching nearly 400 yards along most of the right side right up to the green.
The par-4, 256-yard 14th hole can be reached by driver, except that you flirt with danger in the shape of a large bunker front-left of the green.
The more conservative player will opt to take the bunker out of play and take advantage of the large kick-slope right of the green.
There is double-trouble at the par-3, 151-yard 15th hole. You have a large water hazard running along the right side and a wrap-around bunker on the left and behind the green. Ben Hogan's famous remark "one is a car crash, the other is a plane crash" comes to mind here. You decide.
The par-4, 427-yard 16th is the No. 2 handicap hole. It features a series of five bunkers flush left that corners the ideal landing area off the tee, followed by a gradual uphill, right-turning fairway toward a pitched green.
The par-3, 187-yard 17th has water along the left side, but unlike the 15th, it is not as menacing and really doesn't come into play unless you severely hook your tee shot. Also, there are no bunkers on this hole, so the landing area is generous along with a kick-slope to the green. Your main obstacle here is a very large green with numerous swales. "We figure the 17th green could command its own area code," said Harris.
The par-4, 418-yard 18th leaves you with one more strategic decision to make before concluding your round. Challenge the right side and shorten your path to the green over water, or drive to the left side and add 20 yards to an already stern approach shot.
"When you're obliged to create so much of the playing contour, Florida-style, you can create any and all the angles and strategy you want," said Silva. "I have always wondered why courses built like this in the Southeast are not more interesting strategically. No one will ever level that charge at Old Marsh. I think golf should have a little mystery to it."
There are currently some excellent autumn rates being offered for the remainder of the season. Also, whether it's a day trip or overnight stay, the Wells/Ogunquit area has excellent restaurants and shops to enjoy before heading home. Barring any significant snowfall, the course expects to stay open well into November.
(Bob DiCesare is the golf writer for The Enterprise in Brockton, MA., and is a member of the International Network of Golf.)
