GOLF TRAVEL
By BRUCE VITTNER
Samoset Resort Shines in Maine Samoset sits right along Penobscot Bay
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t is not very often that this reporter goes on a golf vacation and the golf isn’t the first thing that sticks in my memory. Not that the golf course wasn’t excellent, but the Samoset Resort on the Ocean in Rockport, Maine is truly a gem from the quality rooms, to the fine dining and to the wonderful views of Penobscot Bay. The 178-room seasonal hotel features a state of the art health club, indoor and outdoor heated pools, tennis, basketball, playground and this year undertook a multi-million dollar renovation of a new restaurant, La Bella Vita, the Spa at Samoset and three luxury guest cottages. In 2010 Conde Nast voted the Samoset 3rd in the Top 80 Golf Resorts in the United States and Travel and Leisure magazine voted it #40 World’s Best Family Hotel. And this was before the recent renovations. “We think that this is the year that the Samoset is really going to POP,” said general manager Connie Russell who hosted a group of golf and travel writers in July. “With our new restaurant that is attracting many locals and the wonderful new spa we see ourselves as a great yearround destination,” he added. We new it was going to be a great vacation as we watched a “Parade of Sails” with all the tall ships in Maine sailing in the bay less than a mile from our room’s balcony as we checked in. The resort sits
on a hill overlooking the bay with many of the golf holes between it and the ocean. Back to the golf. The hotel was built in 1889 and the nine-hole golf course (linksstyle of course that ran right to the edge of the ocean) opened in 1902. The railroad and steamships used to bring guests to this regal vacation spot, and similar to Newport, the guests wanted to try their hand at the new game in the country that had been imported from the British Isles just before the turn of the century. “We still have some of the small glasses that were used to put sand in for the tee shots,” said Gary Soule, director of golf at the resort for the past six years and my partner in a round of golf. “We have pictures showing the tiny tee boxes and the small greens,” Soule added. During the Great Depression the property fell into disarray and was actually sold for $25,000 in 1941. It changed hands a few times and actually burned to the ground in 1972. In 1974 the property reopened with a totally rebuilt 18-hole golf course. In 1981 course superintendent Greg Grenert was hired. He told the owners that the first impression that guests saw of the property was a huge field. “You only get the chance to make a first impression once, so I built the 10th hole and the 11th tee right along the entry road,” said Grenert who redesigned many of the holes.
Both 10 and 11 have small ponds (in front of the green on the par 4 tenth, and a forced carry for the short par 3 eleventh) that have water shooting a dozen feet in the air, and it provides a beautiful entryway to the resort. You can see the ocean from 14 holes on the golf course. Number 3 is an uphill par 3 with the ocean on the left and a forced carry over reeds. Brad Booth, a Maine golf architect who has also done work with Brad Faxon, redesigned holes 4, 5, 14 and 18 and did a masterful job. Four is the signature hole that wraps around the coastline and finishes at the edge of the property and looks out along a breakwater built by WPA during the depression that extends seven-eighths of a mile out into the bay and has thousands of walkers each week. Number 5 is an uphill par 3 that is well bunkered (Soule said there were 92 bunkers on the course). Our balcony sat just above this green and made it difficult to read a book because you were always looking to see how the golfers’ shots turned out. Looking back down the fifth hole to the tee that sits on a precipice with the breakwater behind is one of the prettiest views a hotel could have. Number 14 looks like a nondescript hole from the tee box, but once you get out to your tee shot and look down to the hole with the ocean in the distance, you
SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND GOLFER / Aug-Sept 2011 / 401-464-8445 / www.snegolfer.com
have to smile. Fifteen runs right along the water and is a difficult par 4. Nothing is as difficult as the last hole. “We are pretty sure this is the most difficult finishing hole in New England,” said Soule who added that the Nike qualifier and Cleveland Golf Tour events were held at the course and most all players said it was the most difficult hole that they had ever had to end their round. It is a 478-yard par 4 from the tips (446 from the white tees that we played) with four bunkers down the right side of the fairway and a bunker on the left, a pond to carry in front of the green with four bunkers surrounding the green. Play it as a par 5 and be happy. The course measures 6,548 from the gold, 6,000 from the white, 5,803 from the senior tees and 5,621 from the forward tees, but with very few forced carries. It is extremely well manicured with L-93 bent-grass greens and wild bent growing in the fairways. The ball sits up well in the fairways and there are not many forced carries on this par 70 course. “We want people to enjoy their experience when they play our course,” said Soule who also runs a golf school and has a couple of assistants who give lessons. We were truly impressed by the staff at the golf course and throughout the property. The Samoset has many “Stay and Play” packages. There is something for everyone in the family at this impressive resort. Fall golf must be so impressive with the many hardwoods and the mountains of Rockport in the background. That is if you can take your eyes off the beautiful ocean waters in front of you. You can find out more about the resort and make reservations at www. samosetresort.com or by calling 800-3411650.
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