ISLAND FALLS, Maine — Looking at Va Jo Wa Golf Course today, many would never know it was once primarily grazing land, as Vaughan Walker’s cattle herd would roam the hillsides. The golf course has been etched out of rocks and grassy farmland to become one of the most challenging courses in southern Aroostook County.
On Friday, Va Jo Wa Golf Course will celebrate its 50th season on the Walker Settlement Road with a 50th anniversary four-person scramble with a 1 p.m. shotgun start.
Walker, who was a logging contractor, mailman and dairy farmer, also was a golfer. He and his friends would travel to play the Houlton Country Club in New Limerick at least several times per month. His second son, Warren, general manager of the course, helped shape its existence.
“My father was a busy guy,” he said. “He came home one day and told my mother at the dinner table that he was thinking about selling the cows and building a golf course. My mother said, ‘OK.’”
With two other jobs, Walker had to hire a manager to keep up his dairy farm. He called Jacob Shur to buy his cattle.
“The next day, they loaded them on and they were gone,” Walker said. “We started building a golf course.”
Warren Walker, then 13, and his older brother, John, started getting the ground ready by picking rocks.
“We did a lot of hand-labor for a lot of years,” Walker laughed.
Because his father owned a logging business, equipment was on hand to complete groundwork to build the course pretty reasonably.
In May of 1965, Va Jo Wa — named after the Walkers, Vaughan, John and Warren — officially opened with nine holes, with between 80 to 90 members.
“I am sure my father had the back nine already in his mind,” Walker said. “But it got changed a little bit. Basically, the back nine was mostly my design and construction, along with help from other family members, such as Bill Hollis, my children and my nephews.”
The back nine opened in the fall of 1988.
Va Jo Wa is nestled in the hills near Pleasant Lake, with a scenic backdrop. In 1997, New England Golf Guide rated Va Jo Wa as the No. 1 public course. The rating was based on staff attitude, picturesque value, along with course conditions.
The 18-hole course is challenging for beginners and even the more advanced golfer.
“You have to hit all the clubs in the bag to be able to score well here,” Walker said. “Sometimes it makes it a little hard, as our greens are relatively small and undulating. It makes it difficult for some of the average or beginning golfers. But we have done things over the years to make it more player friendly, and the better players seem to enjoy playing it.”
Va Jo Wa’s highest membership was during Great Northern Paper mill’s heyday. Upwards of 70 golfers from the Medway, East Millinocket and Millinocket area joined the club, raising the membership to well over 250. But when the mill closed, Va Jo Wa’s membership was relatively reduced.
“Right now, we have around 200 members and hopefully growing with the membership promotion we have been doing the last couple of years,” Walker said.
The membership is $99 for the year. However, youth up to age 12 can play golf free at Va Jo Wa.
“We want to get kids playing golf,” Walker said. “It is the future of the game, so we don’t charge, but ask that the youth be supervised by an adult.”
Va Jo Wa has seen many supporters of the course over the years, ranging from family and friends, including original members Jack Webb, Marion Horr, John Byron, along with the Edwards family, owners of Birch Point Campground next door.
Va Jo Wa is still family owned by the Walkers and operated with four generations still golfing. Working together have been Warren and his children, Ben, Jessica and Janna; John’s sons, Steve and Scot, as well as their children; sister Connie Hollis and her husband, Bill, and daughter.
“We have had a good staff, with several employees staying within the golf business,” Walker said.