CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Maine — Favorable spring weather, minimal winter ice buildup and aggressive cultural practices last summer have the Sugarloaf Golf Club sporting some of the best turf conditions in its history as the course prepares to begin its 30th season on Friday, according to a Sugarloaf news release.
The Sugarloaf Golf Club opened to the public in 1985 and has been named Maine’s number one golf course 29 times by Golf Digest.
“It’s the best I’ve ever seen at this point in the season,” said Sugarloaf pro shop manager John Debiase, who has worked at the course since it opened. “You usually don’t see greens and fairways looking like this until sometime in July.”
Under the guidance of course superintendent Shaun Osborne, the course crew aerated, topdressed and seeded the entire course three separate times in 2014, in order to remove thatch, reduce compaction and improve drainage. They aerated again after the course closed last fall, and they applied dormant fertilizer and seed to promote growth earlier in the spring.
The golf course will play host to several high-level tournaments once again this summer, including the American Junior Golf Association Coca-Cola Junior Championship, Aug. 24-27. The tournament will feature more than 100 of the top junior golfers from around the world.
The championship will run for four days, during which time the course will be closed to the public. A qualifying round will be held on Monday, Aug. 24, with the first, second and final rounds taking place on Aug. 24, 26 and 27, respectively.
The course also will host a 30th anniversary celebration on Saturday, June 13, featuring a shotgun start, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, live music and remarks from club founders.