Very few places on earth experience as sudden of a rise and fall in tourism and activity as downeast Maine. Home to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, Maine’s north and mid-coasts are an infinite collection of quaint tranquil communities straddling the unforgiving Atlantic coastline. Then, seemingly in the blink of an eye, at some point in August or September the people stop coming, and what remains are fishermen, lobstermen and the year-round locals waiting out the punishing Maine winter.
In my time I’ve come to realize that it’s those same hardliners who establish and uphold the local culture that all of us tourists—or summa people as were known to the locals—enjoy come June. Seclusion, tranquility and an unflappable relationship with the ocean seem to permeate all aspects of business and life in the region.
Nowhere is this felt more than at Maine’s spectacular hidden-gem golf courses. If you desire a scorecard over 7,000 yards, a hefty green fee, or maybe a golf course built in the past 20 years, then Maine golf may not be what you’re after. As I’ve become older and a better player, I’ve come to realize that Maine golf embodies everything I could ever want and value in the great game. It’s more about appreciating the moment and the environment than it is about scoring, the course ranking or pristine conditions. Golf courses here traverse coastlines and weave through ancient forests of pines and evergreens, secluded from seemingly everyone and in some cases time itself.
Join us for a 48-hour tour of our favorite places to play, stay and eat in downeast Maine.
Where To Play:
Kebo Valley Golf Club
Tucked into the tranquil mountains of Acadia National Park is Kebo Valley Golf Club. Designed by Herbert Corey Leeds in 1888, the course is a classic links-style design featuring tiny greens, heavy undulations and fescue-covered knolls guarding putting surfaces. The course sits between Cadillac and Dorr Mountains and features a classic single out-and-back loop design. The front nine is home to the challenging 435-yard par-4 eighth, with a creek down the left, dense evergreen trees up the right, and a green seemingly encircled by the overhanging limbs of the trees behind it. The back nine features the par-4 17th with a fairway dissected by a brook and a bunker covering an entire hillside protecting the front of the elevated green. Measuring 6,100 yards from the tips, Kebo Valley offers stunning views and classic architectural charm rather than numbers on its scorecard.
Courtesy of the club Public Kebo Valley Club Bar Harbor, ME 3.5 7 Panelists
- Best In State
Established in 1888 with play starting 1891, Kebo Valley is one of the oldest golf clubs in the country. The course is situated on Mount Desert Island, bordering Acadia National Park and just five minutes from downtown Bar Harbor. Throughout its long history, notable names including Harry Vardon, Walter Hagen and President Willliam Taft have all played the track. In 1911, President Taft played Kebo and carded a 27 on the 17th hole, which is now affectionately known as the “Taft” hole. In 1922, Walter Hagen played Kebo twice, first carding an even-par 70 before firing a three-under 67, which stood as the course record for 50 years. By modern standards, Kebo is a short course, but it is protected by very small, undulating greens that often roll true and fast. With beautiful views of nearby Cadillac and Dorr Mountain, Kebo is an enjoyable walk and pairs well with a visit to Acadia National Park. View Course
Northeast Harbor Golf Club
The ride down Sargeant Drive and into Northeast Harbor Golf Club feels like entering a time machine and stepping into the early 1900s. Driving perilously close to the rocky shores of Mount Desert Island, guests pass rows of colorful lobster buoys before reaching the quaint inner harbor where wooden skiffs and lobster boats await journeys to sea. Northeast Harbor Golf Club’s 18-hole layout was designed in 1916 by Herbert Strong and Author Lockwood. Measuring only 5,606 from the back tees, the course has many unique defenses like tight fairways and small sloping greens. Standout features include exposed granite rock faces, putting surfaces appearing to be tucked into dense thickets of trees and fairways protected by sprawling mosses, blueberry plants and evergreen saplings. While the course is for members only during the season, they offer public tee times in the fall and spring for anyone to enjoy the timeless golf course.
Grindstone Neck
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Located one hour north of Bar Harbor in the small community of Winter Harbor sits Grindstone Neck Golf course. Designed by Alex Findlay in 1891, the course is laid out along a stunning oceanside property featuring multiple seaside greens, beachside tee boxes and small putting surfaces with subtle breaks. The standout holes include the par-4 second with a downhill approach toward a green nestled along a rocky beach that looks across the sound to Acadia National Park, and the par-3 fourth with a tee box that seems to be sitting in the ocean itself. The golf course is the perfect embodiment of downeast Maine tranquility.
Blink Bonnie Golf Links
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Perched above the crashing waves of Flanders Bay in Sorrento, Maine sits Blink Bonnie Golf Links. The course opened in 1916 and was designed by an unknown architect by the name of Dr. James L. Gamble. This nine-hole hidden gem features large elevation changes, difficult sloping greens and a shared fairway between the par-5 sixth and seventh. If you’re not after impeccable conditioning and appreciate stepping back in time for a classic links golf course then Blink Bonnie is a must-visit.
Island Country Club
Island Country Club is located 90 minutes south of Bar Harbor in Sunset, Maine on the idyllic Deer Isle. Originally designed by Wayne Stiles, the course opened in 1926 and has since been renovated by Ross Forbes of Forbes Golf Design. The renovation saw the addition of new putting surfaces, bunkers and mounding to add to the challenge and playability of the course, while keeping many of Stiles’ design elements intact. The featured hole at the Island Country Club is the 488-yard par-5 eighth with a tight fairway and a green shielded by two bunkers. Like many of its neighbors, Island Country Club provides a tranquil and classic golf experience.
Bar Harbor is an approximately 3-hour drive from Portland Maine, and has a small airport with daily nonstop flights from Boston. Most travelers come by car or fly into Bangor international airport, about one hour from Bar Harbor.
Where to stay on your downeast Maine golf trip:
Airbnb / VRBO – Explore homes all around Mount Desert Island, including modern ocean and lakeside homes in Bar, Northeast, or Southwest Harbor in the $850-1,000 range, or explore cozy summer cottages for as low as $150-250 per night.
Bar Harbor Inn – An iconic landmark of Bar Harbor since 1887, The Bar Harbor Inn (above) offers luxurious rooms overlooking the harbor as well as top class amenities. Rooms start at $459 for in season rates.
West Street Hotel – Luxury boutique hotel located across the street from the main harbor. The West Street Hotel (below) is pet friendly and has in season room rates starting at $403.
Ironbound Inn – Located in the same building as the restaurant, the Inn offers cozy Maine cabins for $180 per night during the season.
If you begin at the West Street Hotel in Bar Harbor, head to the renowned local coffee shop 2 Cats Restaurant & Inn before embarking on an hour-long drive along Maine’s jagged coastline to Winter Harbor. If you prefer a more hands-off experience, take the 30-minute ferry ride across the harbors.
If instead you begin at the Ironbound Inn or an Airbnb / VRBO off the beaten path, stop into The Bakery in Winter Harbor on your way into the Schoodic Peninsula for morning golf.
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Tee off in the morning at Grindstone Neck, a course that opened in 1891 and is set along the beaches of Sand Cove, overlooking the protected Winter Harbor Yacht Club. Whatever the 3,100-yard course may lack on the scorecard, it makes up for in stunning surroundings. Each hole at Grindstone offers sweeping views of Sand Cove and Cadillac Mountain in the distance, not to mention secluded tee boxes positioned on the rocky beaches themselves. The pro shop is a small two-room building (above) next to the first tee with limited rentals and carts available.
Friday Midday: Tranquil Sightseeing .jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.1288.suffix/1746885752203.jpeg)
While the lower section of Acadia National Park sees most of the tourism during the year, there is a hidden upper section located in Winter Harbor, protecting an area called Schoodic Peninsula. Located 15 minutes up the coast from Grindstone Neck, Schoodic Peninsula is reachable by an oceanside loop road with panoramic views that culminates at a stretch of walkable rocky coastline offering views of seals, whales, sea otters and the peaks of lower Acadia National Park in the backdrop.
Friday afternoon: Play, Play, Play
A short 20-minute drive down the coast to Blink Bonnie Golf Links in the town of Sorrento is the finishing stop for the day’s round of golf. Blink Bonnie opened in 1916 as a gift to the Sorrento community. The golf course still uses an honor system to pay for a round, using cash or a check and placing it in an envelope left next to the service window on the outside of the clubhouse. The course itself is short and tight and features incredible views of Flanders Bay. Known for its elevated greens, large elevation changes and two par 5s that share a fairway, Blink Bonnie is truly playing golf in a time machine as the absence of crowds or motorized golf carts add to the mystique. A twilight nine will run you a whopping $18 at Blink Bonnie.
Friday night: Experience local Maine cuisine
A perfect stopping point on the way from Winter Harbor to Bar Harbor is Ironbound Restaurant and Inn. Like many fashionable restaurants in Maine, Ironbound subscribes to a doctrine of homemade items using local ingredients. The food represents odes to classic dishes, each one with contemporary flare and accented by coastal Maine ingredients. Must-have dishes here are the oysters farmed by the son of the owners, fried artichokes and pan-seared halibut. Reservations are encouraged for dining inside, however, starting in July the Inn also offers a Beer Garden outside with a more casual menu.
Saturday morning: Get a taste of the island life
Starting the day from the Bar Harbor take off for a drive around the lesser-known parts of Mount Desert Island. Begin the day with a fresh baked good from the Salt Market in Northeast Harbor to prepare yourself for a day of sightseeing and activity.
Once filled up with hot coffee and toasted treats, decide if the day has a more active tone or a more laid-back feel to it. If activity is what you’re craving, take a sea kayaking tour from Southwest or Northeast harbor and experience the protected islands and inlets of Maine, home to marine life taking refuge from the harsh Atlantic Ocean. If relaxation and sightseeing fits the day, head to Southwest harbor and grab a ferry to Cranberry Island.
Saturday Afternoon: Fill up and Tee Off
Whether the morning brings biking, sea kayaking, or merely relaxation, recharge with a famous Maine lobster roll at Beal’s in Southwest Harbor. An institution of Mount Desert Island, Beal’s opened as a market in 1932 and then as a restaurant 37-years later. The classic stop has all the Maine seafood options one could ask for, including clams, mussels, fried fish, lobster rolls, and of course, the famous lobster dinner.
After filling up at Beal’s, head back to Bar Harbor for a tee time at the eighth-oldest golf course in the U.S., Kebo Valley Golf Club (above). Originally opened in 1888, Kebo Valley sits sequestered in the forested hills of Acadia National Park, seemingly untouched by people. The course plays 6,100 yards from the tips but uses tight driving areas and small greens with lots of character to defend itself. Greens at Kebo Valley seem to disappear behind the overhanging limbs of ancient trees, and fairways are often lined by spring creeks fed from the mountains surrounding the course. Ever since the fire of 1947, Kebo has been absent from houses, and at any given moment during a round you can look around and see nothing but dense forested hills and mountains in the backdrop.
Our final night in downeast Maine presents two unique dining opportunities. The first is a fashionable-new French restaurant called Brasserie Le Brun. Opened in 2023, Brasserie Le Brun excels at delivering classic French cuisine and techniques using—of course—locally sourced ingredients. Standout dishes at Le Brun include seared airline chicken, mushroom gnocchi, and the scallop crudo.
The second option for a fabulous final night is Sweet Pea farm. Located just 15 minutes from Bar Harbor, in the direction of Elsworth is the contemporary farm-to-table pizza restaurant using locally farmed ingredients to make Mediterranean inspired pizzas. The menu at Sweet Pea changes each year, bringing the freshest and newest ingredients to your plate.
Jordan’s Snack Bar – A local favorite offering classic Maine dishes like lobster or crab rolls and clam dinners, Jordan’s also serves the classic snackbar menu from cheeseburgers to fried chicken dinners. Jordan’s is located 45-minutes from Bar Harbor on Route 1 outside of Elsworth.
Ironbound – offers contemporary classic dishes sourced from local maine farms and fisheries. The restaurant and hotel is also complete with a Beer Garden that opens in July.
Aragosta – Located on Deer Isle and offering a unique and unmistakably Maine experience, Aragosta features seasonal menus inspired by local ingredients. Enjoy á la carte menus in the main dining room or indulge in specially curated tasting menus served in private dining rooms overlooking the sea.
Jordan Pond House – Originally open in 1893 for tea and popovers, Jordan Pond House (above) now offers a wide-ranging New England inspired menu served on the edges of Jordan Pond and overlooking the surrounding mountains of Acadia National Park.
Sweet Pea – brings Mediterranean inspired farm to table starters and Pizza to Mount Desert Island. The cozy farmhouse turned restaurant also opens a coffee shop with fresh baked goods on Tuesday-Friday.
Paddy’s Irish Pub – Located on the ground floor of the West Street Hotel, Paddy’s (above) brings lively Irish cuisine and atmosphere to a stunning location overlooking Bar Harbor and Bar Island in the distance.
2 Cats Restaurant & Inn – has offered hearty and homemade breakfast options with a fun community atmosphere to Bar Harbor since 1996.
Brasserie Le Brun – A new addition to Bar Harbor in 2023, Brasserie Le Brun brings classic French cuisine using local Maine ingredients to Mount Desert Island.
Attractions and Activities:
Acadia National Park – encompassing 80 square miles of mountains, native forests, and rocky coastlines, Acadia National Park offers hiking for all skill levels as well as casual areas for relaxation, like the always popular Sand Beach.
Kayaking Tours – embark with one of many ocean kayaking services on Mount Desert Island and experience Maine’s many islands and wildlife up close. Tours last anywhere from 2 to 5+ hours and are available from Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor, and Southwest Harbor.
Northeast and Southwest Harbor – Explore the quaint and tranquil reaches of Mount Desert Island in the sailing and lobster towns of Northeast and Southwest Harbor. Visit Beal’s in Southwest Harbor for a lobster roll, or stop in at The Salt Market in Northeast Harbor for a fresh baked good.
Ferry to Cranberry Island – Take a short ferry from Southwest Harbor or Bar Harbor to the famous Cranberry Island where you can enjoy hiking and biking tours of the remote coastal island.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
